Preparing for a Technical Interview with Claude Code
I recently had an technical interview - a 60-minute screen-recorded session where I’d need to build an app from scratch. The interview email helpfully outlined expectations with skills and frameworks I would need to demonstrate, as well as stating that no AI could be used in the session (understandable).
I’ve been programming for a (very very) long time, but some of these skills I’d only briefly worked with, and I didn’t want to spend half the interview reading docs.
Instead of going through random tutorials, videos, and posts (or just hoping for the best), I of course used Claude Code to create a personalized interview prep course. The results were amazing and exactly what I needed.
The Initial Prompt
Here’s exactly what I asked Claude Code:
“I have an upcoming Android interview. Here’s the email with requirements. I want you to create a comprehensive prep course for me with exercises, practice scenarios, and code reviews. Evaluate my answers and progress as if you were a senior developer/architect interviewing me and don’t hold back.”
What Claude Code Created
1. Comprehensive Course Materials
Claude didn’t just point me to docs - it created six structured markdown files:
- ANDROID_INTERVIEW_PREP_COURSE.md (14KB) - 6-7 day curriculum with learning paths
- HANDS_ON_EXERCISES.md (34KB) - Progressive exercises with full solutions
- TIMED_PRACTICE_SCENARIOS.md (19KB) - Realistic 60-minute scenarios
- QUICK_REFERENCE_CHEATSHEET.md (26KB) - Quick patterns for interview day
- PROGRESS_TRACKER.md - Manual tracking template
- README.md - Navigation guide
I’ll note that it wanted me to do a 6-7 day course and I was good with 3 days. It split up the practices into chunks and after each one it would give me options on where to go next. If it was the end of the day, it would suggest a quick 10 minute challenge or 10 question quiz. If it was the morning it would suggest a 2-3 hour coding excercise. As I worked through it, it learned what skills I already knew, and what I needed extra help with, and this influinced it’s suggestions on what I should do next.
2. The Teaching Approach
Claude set up session management files that tracked my progress across multiple work sessions:
# SESSION_STATE.md
**Current Phase:** Skill 2 Coding Challenge (First Scenario Complete!)
**Overall Progress:** 17.9% (7/39 items completed)
**Skills Mastered:**
- Skill 1: 9/10
- Skill 2: 9/10
- Skill 3: 9/10
...
Every time I came back, Claude knew exactly where we left off.
3. Hands-On Exercises with Real Code Review
This wasn’t theoretical learning or reading summaries. I wrote actual code, and Claude reviewed it like a senior developer would:
Exercise 1.2 - Sample Screen:
- First submission: 7.5/10 (“issues with logic, missing exception”)
- After refactor: 9.5/10
Exercise 1.4 - Sample Workflow:
- Attempt 1: 4/10 (“This is an anti-pattern in…”)
- Attempt 2: 7/10 (“Missed requirements”)
- Final: 9/10
Claude didn’t sugarcoat feedback. When I made mistakes, it explained why they were wrong and how to fix them. This mimicked real code review feedback I’d get from colleagues.
4. The Quiz That Revealed My Gaps
After completing several exercises, Claude gave me a comprehensive quiz (13 questions). I scored 77% - solid, but it revealed specific knowledge gaps:
- Strong: Skill 1 (93%), Skill 2 (80%), Skill 3 (70%)
- Weak: Skill 4 (35%), pattern foo
The crucial insight: I could implement these patterns correctly (my code scored 9/10), but didn’t fully understand the theory behind some decisions. In an interview, I could build it, which matters most.
The Interview Practice Scenario
The Final Test:
For the final test, Claude gave me a realistic scenario matching the actual interview format:
- Starter code for an app (with intentional issues)
- A README with requirements (just like the real interview repo)
- No clarifying questions allowed (simulating the real interview)
I worked for about 90 minutes (untimed practice), and asked Claude to evaluate the reuslt.
The Results
Claude’s Assessment: 8.5/10 - STRONG PASS
“This is a strong implementation. Your architecture is well thought out. I particularly liked that you used pattern Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 - that shows you’re thinking about scalability and type safety. You’d be a good fit for the team.”
What I Did Right:
- Complete Implementation
- Proper separation of concerns
- Thoughtful architectural decisions
- Clean, professional code
- Good git workflow
What Needed Improvement:
- Missing one requirement
- Could use debouncing for performance
- Minor optimization with Module 1
The Real Interview
Armed with this prep, I went into my actual Android interview and did much better than I would have without this AI course.
Key Takeaways
1. AI as a Personal Tutor
Claude Code didn’t just give me information - it taught me. The progression from exercises to quizzes to practice scenarios built skills systematically. It also modified the training based on what I’d done, learned, needed help with, and remaining time.
2. Honest Feedback Matters
The 4/10 score on one of my challenges was something I don’t usually get from AI. It’s usually “That’s Great!”. Sugar-coated feedback wouldn’t have helped.
3. Practice Under Realistic Conditions
The practice interview scenario with starter code, requirements, and “no questions allowed” rule perfectly simulated the real thing.
4. Session Memory is Powerful
Having Claude track my progress across multiple sessions meant I could prep in chunks over several days without losing context.
How You Can Use This Approach
If you have an upcoming interview try this with Claude Code:
- Share the requirements - Job description, interview email, tech stack
- Ask for a custom course - Claude will structure learning based on YOUR gaps
- Write real code - Get actual code reviews with critical feedback
- Practice scenarios - Build full features under realistic conditions
- Track progress - Use session management to prep over multiple days
Final Thoughts
We’re in an era where AI can be a personalized tutor, code reviewer, and interview coach. But the key is prompting it to train and teach and don’t hold back.
Claude Code didn’t do the work for me. It created the structure, reviewed my attempts, and encouraged me to learn hands on.
If you have an upcoming technical interview, don’t just cram from random YouTube tutorials. Use AI to create a custom prep program tailored to your exact interview requirements. It’s like having a senior engineer mentor available 24/7.
Have you used AI for interview prep? What worked (or didn’t work) for you? I’d love to hear your experiences!