Grind 75 vs LeetCode patterns: Winning plan for Google interviews

Every time you search for a recipe, check directions on Google Maps, watch a YouTube video, or ask Google Home to set a timer, you’re interacting with billions of lines of code crafted by some of the sharpest engineering minds on the planet. Behind that seamless experience lies a hiring process as carefully tuned as the products it powers.

It’s no surprise then that everyone looks for a shortcut to prepare for Google interviews. Grind 75 feels like one: solve 75 problems and you’re done. However, others say the same about Blind 75, NeetCode 150, or LeetCode’s coding patterns.

The real question is:

Which path yields the best return on your preparation time?

In this blog, I’ll compare Grind 75 and Google’s top 75 questions against the 28 LeetCode patterns from Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns. The goal is to see how well each method stacks up against Google’s high bar, uncover where the gaps are, and map out a Google-focused prep plan that saves time while ensuring that you are fully ready for the final interview.

Sneak peek: How we evaluated Google interview prep strategies

Once you begin preparing for Google, you’ll quickly hear different advice: some recommend Blind 75 or Grind 75, while others point to NeetCode. But what benchmark are they really using to decide which strategy is better? For me, the most reliable way to compare any interview prep method is through a clear, quantitative benchmark. That’s why I created the 1–2–1 rubric and scoring method, first introduced in the opening blog of this series. Let’s briefly review how this rubric works.

To adequately cover a pattern, you need to practice one easy problem for 1 point, two medium problems for 8 points (4 each), and one hard problem for 6 points. This way, you are not just exposed to a pattern, but also confident in applying it across different levels of difficulty. That makes 15 points per pattern.

As there are 28 patterns, the highest possible score is 420. A prep strategy that pushes you closer to this benchmark signals stronger, more reliable coverage for Google interviews.

Now that we have this benchmark, let’s see how Grind 75 and Google’s top 75 perform against it.

The score comparison highlights some clear differences. Grind 75 alone covers just 41% of the benchmark, Google’s top 75 reaches 34%, and a dedicated Google coding interview roadmap pushes coverage to 54%. You might now be wondering: what exactly is this Google-focused roadmap? That’s what we’ll explore in this blog. We’ll look beyond the numbers to see which LeetCode patterns contribute to these scores, how they perform under the 1–2–1 rubric, and what steps can close the remaining gap to 420.

Grind 75, Google top 75, and LeetCode patterns: Quick overview#

Grind 75, an extension of Blind 75, is one of the most popular curated problem sets for coding interviews. It covers 75 LeetCode problems for topics such as Arrays, Linked Lists, Trees, Dynamic Programming, and Graphs.

Google top 75 is an unofficial collection of the most frequently asked problems in Google interviews, as per LeetCode. This list is tailored specifically to Google’s interview style. It gives you direct exposure to problem types Google tends to favor, making it a tempting choice for anyone aiming for Mountain View.

LeetCode coding patterns are recurring problem-solving templates that help tackle a wide range of coding interview questions efficiently. Instead of focusing only on specific topics, these patterns emphasize the underlying logic and structure of solutions, allowing you to apply the same approach to many different problems. There are a total of 28 core coding patterns, and a few common patterns are mentioned below.

• Two Pointers: Used where two indexes move inward or outward to find pairs or subarrays.

• Sliding Window: Efficiently finds subarrays or substrings that meet certain conditions.

• Binary Search: Used when searching over a range of possible results rather than directly in an array.

Does Grind 75 alone help in preparing for Google coding interviews?#

To be more precise, is Grind 75 alone enough for you to prepare for Google coding interviews in 2025? The short answer is no.

Grind 75 is often seen as the default starting point, but it has clear limitations for Google coding interviews. A static list created years ago doesn’t always reflect the problems Google asks today, because interviews evolve constantly. In fact, there are now hundreds of LeetCode problems tagged as Google-specific, which is far beyond Grind 75’s fixed set.

To make the gap even clearer, among Google’s top 10 most frequently asked coding problems, 6 are not included in Grind 75 (highlighted in green in the table below). That’s more than half of the highest-value practice missing from the list. As Google’s interviews continue to evolve with new problem variations, this gap is likely to grow.

So, while Grind 75 provides a strong foundation, it cannot be the complete plan on its own.

How do LeetCode patterns help with Google coding interviews?#

By understanding the LeetCode coding patterns instead of memorizing 75 solutions, you gain the ability to quickly classify a new problem, articulate a clear plan to your interviewer, and adapt your solution to follow-up questions. This ensures that you’re ready to tackle any problem, and not just the ones you’ve seen before.

Patterns are fundamental building blocks of most algorithmic challenges. Whether LeetCode adds 1,000 new problems or interview trends shift, the underlying patterns remain constant. Once you master them, your knowledge doesn’t expire.

Additionally, it’s easier to review 28 patterns than to memorize 75 or more individual problems. This also helps with retention weeks or months later, especially for multi-round interview processes. When you revisit patterns, you reinforce problem-solving frameworks instead of scrambling to recall specific solutions.

LeetCode patterns overview in the context of Google coding interviews#

There are 28 core coding patterns that show up across technical interviews, and Google is no exception. It is natural to get overwhelmed with this number, so to make your Google interview prep a bit convenient, I have grouped these patterns into four categories:

• Must-know patterns: These are the patterns that appear most frequently in Google coding interviews. It’s crucial to cover these, as interviewers often design questions directly around these patterns.

• Very common patterns: These appear regularly enough that covering them will definitely give you an edge in your Google coding interview.

• Solid but situational patterns: These do not surface in every interview, but when they do, identifying them quickly can set you apart. Recognizing them under time pressure shows depth in your preparation.

• Finishing-line helpers: These are the least common patterns. They might not appear often, but they can still show up, and being prepared here ensures no oversights remain.

While Google tends to emphasize certain problem types, covering all 28 patterns ensures complete readiness for variations across difficulty levels.

Google coding interview roadmap#

On their own, static lists of LeetCode problems like Grind 75 and Google’s top 75 are not enough. Grind 75 is systematic, but too generic. Google 75 reflects recent trends, but does not cover every coding pattern you might face. The key is to see them as complementary: use a list to decide what to practice, and use patterns to guide how you reason through each problem. A hybrid approach brings these strengths together: the structure of Grind 75, the relevance of Google 75, and the adaptability of coding patterns measured against the 28-pattern benchmark.

Here’s how the Google-focused prep roadmap works:

1. Start with the Grind 75–Google overlap: Begin with the problems that can be seen in both lists. These questions represent the common ground where coverage is strongest. Solving them first gives you efficiency and builds confidence without repeating effort.

2. Move to Google-only problems: After that, focus on the questions that are unique to Google 75. These are the problems most tailored to Google’s interview style, and they expose you to the variations that might not appear elsewhere.

3. Complete the rest of Grind 75: Once the overlap and Google-specific sets are done, circle back to the remaining Grind 75 problems. These round out your knowledge of core data structures and algorithms, ensuring no fundamentals are overlooked.

4. Fill in pattern gaps: Finally, check your progress against the full list of 28 patterns. Any pattern still missing becomes your target for additional practice, so you walk into the interview without overlooked areas.

Use the 1–2–1 rubric as you follow this roadmap to measure coverage and get the best results from your prep. This roadmap saves time, avoids redundancy, and balances both company-specific focus and universal problem-solving skills.

Start strong with the Grind 75-Google 75 overlap#

The overlap between Grind 75 and Google’s top 75 is the smartest set to tackle first because it hits two goals at once. These problems are proven to appear in Google interviews, and they also represent core data structures and algorithms already emphasized in Grind 75. By starting here, you cover high-value patterns without repeating effort, giving you both momentum and a strong base for the rest of your prep.

Let’s see how many problems overlap between Grind 75 and Google top 75.

The list above shows that 21 out of 75 coding problems are common to both Grind 75 and Google’s top 75. That’s about 28%, which makes for a decent starting point for your Google coding interview prep.

Now, let’s see which patterns these overlapping problems bring in and how well they are covered under the 1–2–1 rubric. 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.

Note: For this calculation, I have only considered the counts that satisfy our 1–2–1 rubric. If a pattern has more questions than required by the rubric, I count only 1 easy, 2 medium, and 1 hard problem. For example, if Dynamic Programming has 10 medium questions, I have included just 2 in this calculation.

The bar chart above shows that the overlap stage already builds a solid base. It introduces 13 out of 28 patterns, nearly half right at the start.

In terms of coverage, Two Pointers is already well covered. While many other patterns are still lightly touched, this stage ensures early exposure to several important coding patterns. And, once you recognize a pattern, you can always complete its coverage systematically using the 1–2–1 rubric.

Target Google relevance with Google-specific coding problems#

Once the overlap is complete, the next step is to focus on questions that are unique to Google’s top 75. These problems capture the variations and themes that Google interviewers often prefer, but that Grind 75 might not emphasize. Covering them ensures your prep reflects Google’s specific style and fills gaps that a generic list cannot.

Let’s see which patterns are introduced by Google-specific coding problems.

The list above shows that focusing on the Google-specific coding problems introduces 7 new coding patterns, bringing the total to 20 out of 28 (about 71%). This is a significant jump and a clear indication that the Google-focused prep roadmap is moving in the right direction.

Now, let’s evaluate the Google-specific coding problems to see how well their patterns are covered using the 1–2–1 rubric. The bar chart below highlights the newly covered patterns in green on the y-axis.

The bar chart above shows that adding the Google-specific coding problems expands both depth and breadth. Dynamic Programming and Modified Binary Search move to full coverage, while Stacks is now partially covered. Patterns such as Greedy Techniques, Hash Maps, and Knowing What to Track also enter the midrange, which means Google’s own question set introduces useful variety beyond the overlap. We can target their completion with the targeted practice.

Leave no gaps by completing the remaining Grind 75#

After finishing the overlap and Google-specific problems, the remaining Grind 75 questions still add value. They cover classic data structures and algorithms that may not appear as frequently in Google’s top 75, but are still fair game in interviews. Working through them ensures you don’t leave weak spots in fundamental topics.

Let’s see which patterns are unlocked by the remaining Grind 75 problems.

The list above shows that practicing the remaining Grind 75 coding problems unlocks 6 new patterns, raising the total to 26 out of 28. That is about 93%, which is very close to full coverage. This marks an important milestone in your Google-focused prep.

Now, let’s evaluate the remaining Grind 75 problems to see how well their coding patterns are covered using the 1–2–1 rubric.

The bar chart above shows that completing the rest of Grind 75 rounds out the roadmap by strengthening advanced patterns. Tree Depth-First Search and Tree Breadth-First Search reach full coverage, while Backtracking, Heaps, and Sliding Window are now partially covered.

Some patterns remain underrepresented, which means they require targeted practice to reach full coverage.

Check if your Google coding interview prep is complete#

By this stage, you’ve worked through the overlap, the Google-only problems, and the full Grind 75. But how much ground does this Google-focused roadmap actually cover? The bar chart below shows the overall picture: how many of the 28 coding patterns are already in the green zone, which ones are partially covered, and where the remaining gaps still exist.

The overall progress shows strong gains when we see 6 patterns including Two Pointers, Modified Binary Search, Dynamic Programming, Stacks, and Tree Traversals already well covered. But, the chart also highlights where work is still needed.

Patterns in the yellow zone, such as Backtracking, Sliding Window, Heaps, and Top K Elements, are partially covered. Most of these require just one hard coding problem to reach full coverage under the 1–2–1 rubric.

In the red zone, we have patterns like Merge Intervals, Subsets, Topological Sort, Matrices, Union Find, and Custom Data Structures. Each can be strengthened with a couple of more targeted coding problems.

Most importantly, two patterns, Cyclic Sort and Sort and Search, have not been covered at all by any set. These will require dedicated attention. Here are some recommended problems to practice for Cyclic Sort, and Sort and Search.

Pattern recap for the Google coding interview prep#

Let’s see how each stage of this roadmap contributes to overall pattern coverage. The pie chart below shows the percentage of patterns covered at each stage, giving you a clear breakdown of where most of your progress comes from, and which stages still leave room to grow.

The pie chart shows that the overlap between Grind 75 and Google top 75 contributes the most, accounting for nearly half of all patterns covered (46%). This makes sense, as these are high-frequency problems that naturally bring in a wide variety of patterns early on.

The Google-only problems add another 25%, which is a significant boost. This stage introduces several important new patterns that Grind 75 alone would miss.

The remaining Grind 75 contributes about 21%, rounding out coverage by reinforcing classic data structures and algorithms.

Finally, only 7% of patterns remain uncovered after all three stages, but now we know exactly which patterns are missing.

Score breakdown for Google coding interview prep#

Patterns tell us what is covered, but scores show how strongly they are covered across difficulty levels. The chart below breaks down the total score earned at each stage of this roadmap, based on the 1–2–1 rubric. It gives you a clear view of how far your prep has progressed toward the 420 benchmark and where the remaining points can be gained.

The score chart shows that the Google-specific problems (80 points) and the remaining Grind 75 (86 points) contribute the most, together making up the bulk of the total. The common overlap adds 62 points, giving an early foundation, while the total score so far stands at 228 points, just over half of the ideal. The remaining 192 points highlight the value of filling the uncovered patterns using the 1–2–1 rubric.

Final take: Which coding interview prep strategy works best for Google?#

When you look across Grind 75, Google’s top 75, and the hybrid roadmap, one theme becomes clear: lists can guide what to practice, but patterns decide how you solve. Google interviewers rarely repeat questions word for word. Instead, they test whether you can recognize the underlying structure, adapt your approach, and reason under pressure.

This is why understanding coding patterns is the most important part of interview prep. Patterns make your preparation evergreen, help you handle new variations with confidence, and allow you to get the most value out of every problem you practice. Lists like Grind 75 or Google 75 are useful starting points, but without patterns, your prep risks being shallow and incomplete.

If you want to prepare smartly, don’t think of it as choosing one approach over the other. Use curated lists to decide what to practice, but rely on patterns to guide how you think. That combination gives you complete coverage of the 28 patterns, efficient use of your time, and the confidence to face whatever problem Google puts in front of you.

Stay consistent, review your progress, and stay curious. For Google, depth of understanding and creative reasoning carry more weight than speed or sheer volume. Good luck!

Recommended resources to level up your Google interview prep#

While this blog offers 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 discussing. 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.