I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Amazon
Interview
It was a long process, but hassle free. The Amazon team was very supportive throughout the process. The interview lasted for 1 hr, while the test was of 2 hrs and 30 mins.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Amazon (Seattle, WA) in Dec 2013
Interview
After I applied, I got an email from the recruiter to set up a interview the next week. The interview is 1.5 hours, 45 mins with each person. They talk to you and try to see how clear you are in your concepts and also check your communication skills. Prefer Java.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
First question was to compare two lists and print the common elements. Simple question, but I wasn't explaining my idea. They are looking for your thought process. Regardless if your answer is right or wrong. they are checking if you can think in the right manner. I didn't talk much or explain and just wrote the code. BIG MISTAKE! The second question I had to make a dictionary, which was not too hard. I got stuck a couple of places and they helped me out. But try to keep them engaged as you write code. Explain what your thinking or the ways you want to do it.