Rakuten's technical screens differ by business unit and role. Recent material for technical interns describes a mixed online test with four coding questions and computer science multiple-choice questions. One recent full-stack applicant described a Codility test before interviews. Read the invitation carefully because the platform, question count, and emphasis can change.

When to Expect the OA for Your Role

Candidates usually receive a coding challenge after an initial screening round and before a technical interview. Early-career roles are more likely to use coding tests paired with multiple-choice questions on fundamental computer science concepts. Experienced full-stack and backend roles may receive a more tailored Codility challenge. Some teams begin with a hiring manager or recruiter conversation, so whether you receive an OA depends on your hiring path.

Does Your Online Assessment Matter?

The screen determines whether you advance to the interview loop. Automated tests reward correct outputs across hidden cases, while mixed assessments also measure breadth in data structures, databases, and language fundamentals. Rakuten doesn't publish a company-wide cutoff. Whenever a reviewer evaluates the submission, a complete, tested solution and clear handling of constraints and edge cases matter.

Compiled List of Rakuten OA Question Types

These problems cover math, arrays, stacks, search, matrices, and sorting.

1. Sqrt(x) - binary search on an integer answer.
2. Missing Number - arithmetic or bitwise set reconciliation.
3. Merge Sorted Array - in-place merging from the end.
4. Valid Parentheses - stack-based token nesting.
5. Game of Life - matrix simulation and state updates.
6. Two Sum - hash-map lookup for two elements that sum to a target.
7. Sort an Array - comparison sort and complexity.
8. Second Highest Salary - SQL ordering and null handling.

Rakuten Interview Questions

Recently asked in real interviews

These questions were asked recently in real Rakuten interviews. Practice these and 4,000+ other questions from 1,000+ companies on Lodely.

Design a microservices architecture using Java Spring Boot.

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Tell me about a time you had a conflict with someone. How did you resolve it and what did you learn?

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Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond your job description.

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Tell me about a time when you had to solve a difficult problem.

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How to Prepare and Pass the Rakuten Online Assessment

Spend one week reviewing arrays, strings, stacks, sorting, binary search, and SQL. Review multiple-choice questions on operating systems, databases, object-oriented programming, and complexity. Use the sample environment before test day and complete two timed sessions in the same language. Test simple-looking problems for empty inputs, duplicates, overflow, and off-by-one errors. Use Lodely to move from coding practice to Rakuten-specific backend, design, and behavioral questions.

Rakuten Interview Question Breakdown

Sqrt(x)

Type: Binary search Prompt: Find the integer part of the square root of a nonnegative integer. Approach: Avoid overflow when comparing the midpoint with the target. This tests search boundaries and numerical care.

Merge Sorted Array

Type: two pointers. Prompt: Merge two sorted sequences in the space allocated to the first. Approach: Fill from the end so you do not overwrite unused values. This tests in-place logic and index management.

What Comes After the Online Assessment

Candidates who advance typically face interviews on data structures and algorithms, projects, SQL, and their primary stack. Backend roles may go deeper into Java, APIs, Spring, and microservices. The process will likely end with a hiring manager or HR conversation. Be ready to explain your OA decision, its trade-offs, and the code.

Conclusion

Learn the basic patterns, apply them quickly, and reserve enough time to check each submission. All later rounds use the same fundamentals and require clearer discussion of real projects.