Blind 75 vs LeetCode patterns: Effective for Microsoft interviews

Every engineer at Microsoft knows their code might one day touch a billion people. That reality shapes the entire interview process. The Microsoft coding interview isn’t just about writing a perfect function. It’s about thinking: How will this scale? What happens if something breaks? Could millions rely on what I build? If you’re preparing for Microsoft, prepare for interviews where you’re not just solving problems. Take it as if you’re designing real solutions for the real world.

When preparing, many candidates reach for popular lists like Blind 75 or Microsoft Top 75, hoping to cover the essentials. Others focus on mastering the underlying patterns behind LeetCode problems, aiming for adaptable problem-solving skills that work across various scenarios.

So, which strategy prepares you for Microsoft’s interview challenges? Is it better to rely on a curated set of must-know questions, or to focus on building a flexible pattern-based approach? In this blog, I’ll take a close look at both options. We’ll compare how curated sets like Blind 75 and Microsoft Top 75 stack up against a patterns-based approach using the 28 core LeetCode Patterns featured in the “Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns” course. Backed by real data, candidate insights, and practical experience, I’ll guide you toward a prep plan that goes beyond quantity and helps you build the problem-solving depth that Microsoft values most.

Quick recap of Blind 75, Microsoft Top 75, and LeetCode patterns#

Blind 75 is a focused collection of classic LeetCode questions, chosen for their coverage of the most important data structures and algorithms such as arrays, strings, linked lists, binary trees, graphs, and dynamic programming. Its structure and reputation make it a starting point for countless interview candidates.

Microsoft Top 75 narrows in on the LeetCode problems most commonly reported in recent Microsoft interviews. Working through these gives you firsthand exposure to the current trends and question types you’re likely to encounter in a Microsoft loop.

LeetCode patterns takes a step back from specific questions and groups problems by 28 essential problem-solving patterns. Mastering these patterns helps you quickly spot underlying techniques, making it easier to adapt and tackle new or unfamiliar problems during any technical interview.

Will Blind 75 alone prepare you for Microsoft coding interviews?#

Microsoft is a company that has constantly reinvented itself, transforming from the home of Windows and Office to a global cloud powerhouse. That same spirit of adaptation and problem-solving runs through Microsoft’s interviews. Candidates are expected to show what they know and how they evolve, think on their feet, and respond to new challenges as they arise.

Preparing for this interview requires more than an old static list of 75 problems. While Blind 75 gives you a strong foundation in essential algorithms and data structures, Microsoft’s process often goes beyond the basics. You might be asked to explore edge cases, defend your design choices, or solve real-world scenarios with no obvious answer.

Relying solely on Blind 75 means you’ll cover the fundamentals but may not develop the adaptability. To stand out, you’ll need to be ready for unexpected twists and show that you can apply your skills in various situations, not just recite solutions you have seen before.

How does pattern-based prep help for Microsoft interviews?#

Microsoft interviewers are looking for more than just a correct answer. They want to see your analysis, your reasoning, and how you approach the problem from start to finish. It’s not enough to show that your code works; you need to be able to explain how you arrived at your solution and why you chose that approach.

That’s where LeetCode Patterns come in. Preparing with patterns helps you focus on the underlying logic and problem-solving strategies, not just the result. It trains you to recognize which techniques apply to different scenarios and to communicate your thought process. By mastering these patterns, you’ll be better equipped to handle follow-up questions, justify your decisions, and demonstrate the analytical thinking that Microsoft values in its engineers.

Patterns overview for Microsoft coding interviews#

Regarding Microsoft interviews, there are 28 core problem-solving patterns to consider. Reviewing all of them at once can be overwhelming, so it helps to organize your prep by relevance and frequency in Microsoft’s process. Here’s a breakdown to guide your focus:

Let’s see what each category means:

• Must-know patterns: These are the fundamentals that come up time and again in Microsoft interviews. Building fluency here means you’ll confidently handle standard coding challenges and have the bandwidth to discuss trade-offs, optimizations, and design choices.

• Very common patterns: You may not encounter these in every interview, but they appear often enough that you’ll want to be ready. Strong preparation here ensures that common but less obvious questions won’t surprise you.

• Solid but situational patterns: These patterns will likely appear in follow-up questions or as the interview becomes more complex or open-ended. Practicing a few targeted problems here makes you adaptable and ready for surprises.

• Finishing-line helpers: Though less common, knowing them gives you an extra layer of preparation and can help you shine if the interview goes in a challenging direction.

While Microsoft interviews tend to emphasize certain patterns based on role and team, covering all 28 ensures you’re ready for any problem type that might arise. This way, you’ll be prepared for the standard rounds and the unique curveballs that sometimes define Microsoft interviews.

Maximizing pattern coverage: A Microsoft interview strategy#

The key isn’t to solve every problem you find, but to target the patterns that matter most, when they matter most. If I were prepping for Microsoft today, here’s how I’d focus my efforts for maximum impact:

1. Start with the overlap: Begin your prep with the problems and patterns common in Blind 75 and Microsoft Top 75. This ensures you master the core concepts Microsoft relies on, such as arrays, trees, and dynamic programming.

2. Dive into Microsoft-specific questions: Focus on the problems unique to Microsoft Top 75. These questions will expose you to the types of twists and company-specific challenges that tend to appear in Microsoft interviews.

3. Complete remaining Blind 75 problems: Once you’ve covered the overlap and Microsoft-focused problems, work through any Blind 75 questions you haven’t seen yet. This step fills in the gaps and rounds out your knowledge of essential coding techniques.

4. Fill any pattern gaps: Finally, scan your progress to identify patterns you haven’t practiced yet. Give these final few patterns focused attention, so you’ll be ready for even the less common or advanced scenarios.

As you work through each pattern, remember the rubric I introduced earlier: for every pattern, aim to solve one easy, two medium, and one hard problem. This approach not only helps you build breadth, but also gives you the depth and confidence you need to handle whatever Microsoft asks.

This strategy will ensure your prep is focused, comprehensive, and ready for the basics and the unexpected.

Why start your Microsoft prep with overlapping problems?#

Starting your Microsoft prep with the overlapping problems is smart because it covers the core, conventional topics, such as arrays, trees, and dynamic programming, that Microsoft also values highly. This overlap gives you a focused, efficient foundation, ensuring you’re solid on the essentials before you branch out into more company-specific or advanced areas.

Let’s compare the two lists to see exactly what overlaps, and how much.

The comparison above shows that 25 problems overlap between the two lists, making this a solid starting point for your Microsoft prep. 

Let’s see which patterns these overlapping questions cover and how well our 1—2—1 rubric and scoring method applies to them. In the bar chart below, each bar represents a pattern. The length of the bar shows what percent of the full 15 points you’ve earned for that pattern, while the label highlights how many easy, medium, and hard problems went into that score.

The analysis above shows that this problem set exposes you to 14 out of 28 patterns, about 50% coverage. Many of these patterns are missing one or two problem types, usually a hard, and sometimes an extra medium. Stacks and Greedy Techniques are at the lowest coverage, so they’re great candidates to prioritize next. If you focus on filling in these remaining gaps, especially for those red-bar patterns, you’ll quickly see your overall prep strength improve.

It’s worth emphasizing that the real advantage here is simply being introduced to these patterns. Once you know what they are, you can apply the rubric to master them and build true confidence in your Microsoft interview prep.

What’s the value of focusing on Microsoft-exclusive questions?#

After you’ve built a foundation with the overlapping problems, the next step is to focus on the questions unique to Microsoft Top 75. Practicing these Microsoft-exclusive questions gives you a direct look at the patterns and problem styles most relevant to Microsoft’s current interview process.

Now, let’s see which additional patterns you’ll unlock by working through the questions unique to Microsoft.

The comparison above shows that you get to unlock 9 new patterns. This brings your total to 23 out of 28 patterns, about 82% pattern coverage. This jump broadens your understanding and means you’re much less likely to encounter surprises during your Microsoft interview.

Another benefit is that you’ll practice more questions on the patterns you’ve seen in the previous problem set, deepening your mastery and improving your flexibility.

Next, let's look at how many extra questions you get to practice for the patterns you already know, and see how well these new patterns measure up against our one-easy, two-medium, one-hard rubric and scoring method. In the bar chart below, you’ll see the newly covered patterns highlighted in green on the y-axis.

This chart shows you’re making solid progress with a handful of patterns fully covered according to the 1—2—1 rubric. Patterns like Stacks, Greedy Techniques, and Math and Geometry are in the partial range and could be completed quickly with more targeted practice. Most of the remaining patterns are still underrepresented, especially those in red. These are your clear next priorities. Filling in those gaps, especially with missing mediums and hards, will take your prep to the finish line.

Even so, simply being introduced to new patterns is a valuable step forward in your Microsoft interview prep.

Why should you tackle the rest of Blind 75 for Microsoft?#

Once you’ve worked through the overlapping and Microsoft-specific problems, it might feel like your prep is nearly complete. However, the remaining Blind 75 problems still play an important role. These questions often introduce patterns that haven’t appeared in the previous sets, ensuring your coverage is comprehensive.

So, let’s see how many of these previously unseen patterns you unlock by completing the rest of Blind 75.

The list above shows that you unlock 4 new patterns by working through the remaining Blind 75 problems. That brings your total to 27 out of 28 patterns, about 96% coverage. So, you’re almost there. 

Additionally, this step gives you more opportunities to practice the patterns you’ve already identified, helping you build even greater confidence for your Microsoft interview.

Let’s look at how these patterns align with our 1-2-1 rubric and scores.

This chart shows that you’ve fully covered the essential patterns. Several patterns like In-place Manipulation of a Linked List, Backtracking, Greedy Techniques, Merge Intervals, and Bitwise Manipulation can be closed out with just one more well-chosen problem. Some patterns, such as Union Find, Graphs, and Cyclic Sort, are still underrepresented and need more attention. As you keep practicing, focus on those red and yellow bars; a few targeted questions will push you closer to total pattern mastery.

Are you Microsoft-ready yet?#

Here’s a bar chart that gives you a clear snapshot of your coverage across all 28 patterns using this targeted study plan, and highlights where to focus next.

This chart shows how far you’ve come with your pattern coverage. You’ve already fully covered a solid set of patterns, and several others are sitting in the yellow zone, that is, you’re just a question or two away from turning them green. The red bars make it easy to spot where you still have some gaps, with most of these needing a couple more targeted problems (especially hards and mediums) to hit the 1—2—1 rubric.

The most important highlight from this chart is that one pattern is not covered by any problem sets: Sort and Search. To close this gap, here are a few problems you can tackle to fully cover the Sort and Search pattern:

Keep chipping away at those lower bars; you’ll have every pattern checked off quickly. This extra effort helps eliminate any last undetectable spots and gives you the confidence to fully prepare for your interview.

Pattern coverage recap#

It’s rewarding to see how each phase of your Microsoft prep steadily builds toward complete pattern coverage. Starting with the overlapping questions from Blind 75 and Microsoft Top 75, you cover about 50% of the patterns Microsoft cares about most. Moving on to Microsoft-exclusive problems adds another 32%, pushing your total coverage to roughly 82%. Tackling the remaining Blind 75 questions brings you to 96%. Finally, you close the final gap and reach full coverage by addressing the last missing pattern, such as Sort and Search.

How close are you to the ideal total score (420)?#

The following chart breaks down your cumulative progress toward the ideal score of 420 points. With 246 points already earned out of 420, you’re well past the halfway mark. Focused practice on your remaining weak spots will help you close that final gap and put you in the best position possible for your interviews.

One key insight is that practicing the Microsoft-specific set contributed the most toward your total score, giving you the biggest single boost along your path.

This step-by-step strategy ensures you’ve addressed every key pattern that might appear in a Microsoft interview. Now that you know which easy, medium, or hard problems still need attention, closing the gap is more straightforward than ever. This thorough preparation lets you enter your interview knowing you’ve left no undetectable spots behind.

Final thoughts#

Finishing your Microsoft prep is not just about ticking off another checklist. It is about preparing to build solutions that could scale to millions and stand the test of time. By systematically working through every key pattern and bridging the last gaps, you have set yourself up to answer interview questions and think like a Microsoft engineer.

What sets you apart now is not the number of problems solved, but your ability to recognize patterns, explain your approach, and design for impact. You are walking into your Microsoft interview with the habits and mindset to tackle real world problems with the best in the industry.

Stay curious, keep questioning your solutions, and remember that every pattern you have practiced is another tool for solving what comes next. Good luck as you step forward.

Recommended resources to level up your interview prep#

While this blog gives you a data-driven way to measure and close your prep gaps, the right learning tools can accelerate your progress even further. Here are two highly effective resources to complement your study plan:

• Educative’s Personalized Interview Prep: It’s your tailored prep companion that adapts to your skill level and focuses on the 28 essential LeetCode patterns we’ve been talking about. You can work on the patterns that need the most attention, track progress with clear metrics, and know exactly what to tackle next. Whether it’s adding an easy problem to build confidence or a hard one to push for mastery, you’ll always be working on the right problems at the right time.

• Educative’s Mock Interviews: Practicing is not just about solving problems. It is also about handling real interview pressure. Educative’s AI mock interviews let you simulate actual interview conditions, get actionable feedback, and improve in areas like problem-solving speed. This way, you are not only technically prepared but also confident and ready to perform under time constraints.

Interested in how other prep strategies stack up beyond Microsoft? Check out our deep dives comparing the most popular coding interview roadmaps:

• Blind 75 vs LeetCode patterns

• Grind 75 vs LeetCode patterns

• NeetCode 150 vs LeetCode patterns
  

Each guide highlights the trade-offs, coverage, and efficiency of these prep lists so you can choose the strategy that best fits your path—whether you’re targeting Microsoft or any other top tech company.