I have always heard that SDE interviews are much harder to crack than SDET. Is it really true?  I have also heard that if candidate doesnt do well in SDE interview he is also sometimes offered SDET position. How much truth is there into these talks? I would highly appreciate if someone would put good resources and guidelines for how to prepare for Microsoft interviews..which books to read, which notes, online programming questions websites, etc. Give as much info as possible.Thanks in advance to everyone for your valuable help and contribution.
Microsoft SDE Interview vs Microsoft SDET Interview and Resources to Study
interview;microsoft
Unfortunately, those are both myths. SDEs and SDETs get the same starting salary, so it would be silly to have a lower bar for one of the positions. You'll have to code at the whiteboard in both interviews and show that you can deconstruct complex problems.Depending on the group, the SDE loop may have more emphasis on algorithms, and on the SDET side, you'll find more emphasis on systems thinking - but the emphasis can vary slightly from group to group.To prepare, study algorithms and implementation examples, but more importantly practice solving random programming problems on paper (or on a whiteboard if you have one). Be able to think out loud while you code (the answer is often not as important as the thought process). Also have examples to share on how you learn, communication, and dealing with conflict.For an SDET interview, you can read my book (more importantly, the book will help you evaluate if you want to be an SDET. On the dev side, you can goo...bing Microsoft Interview Questions and probably get some good practice material - but skip the why are manhole covers round type questions, as those are rarely used anymore.