NeetCode 150 vs. LeetCode patterns: Which one is better for Meta?

Meta has firmly established its place in our daily lives. From Facebook and Instagram to WhatsApp and Messenger, its products reach billions. For engineers, that scale makes Meta a dream workplace. So, how do you turn this dream into reality?

I can help. After nearly 3 years at Meta and mentoring countless candidates, I’ve learned that the biggest challenge isn’t access to resources, it’s knowing which strategy actually gets you Meta-ready.

On LeetCode, you will find hundreds of Meta-specific questions. That can be overwhelming, which is why many candidates fall back on curated lists like Blind 75, Grind 75, or NeetCode 150. Finishing one of these sets requires a lot of time. So you have to ask yourself: how much of that effort directly helps with Meta interviews? Out of those 75 or 150 questions, how many actually bring you closer to landing a Meta offer?

Another increasingly popular approach is learning 28 LeetCode patterns that apply across countless problems. Still, the questions remain: where should you start, and how much practice per pattern is enough for you to be Meta-ready?

In this blog, I will compare NeetCode 150 and Meta Top 150 against the 28 LeetCode Patterns from “Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns.” More importantly, I will show you a smarter Meta prep roadmap that helps you practice strategically and stand out.

A sneak peek into what works for Meta interviews#

There are different coding interview prep resources and approaches out there, but which one actually takes you closest to the Meta offer? This was not possible without a proper rubric and scoring framework. That is why I introduced a scoring rubric in the first blog, NeetCode 150 vs. LeetCode patterns, of this series. It turns preparation into something measurable and predictable.

The rubric is simple but rigorous. There are 28 coding patterns you must thoroughly cover. To fully cover a single pattern, you need one easy problem (1 point), two medium problems (4 points each), and one hard problem (6 points). That adds up to 15 points per pattern and sets the total benchmark at 420 points.

With this benchmark in place, we tested popular preparation paths like NeetCode 150 and a Meta-specific curated list. The chart below gives you a glimpse of the results, revealing a clear winner.

The numbers raise an important question: which problems and patterns contributed to these results, and why does the Meta-focused roadmap stand out?

This is exactly what we will explore in this blog. We will move past the surface scores and examine how well each pattern is covered, which ones contribute the most, how the gaps are addressed, and how a structured plan can put you in the strongest position to succeed in Meta coding interviews.

Quick recap: NeetCode 150, Meta Top 150, and LeetCode patterns#

NeetCode 150 is a curated set of 150 coding interview problems designed to cover the most common data structures and algorithms, such as Arrays, Linked Lists, Binary Trees, Graphs, and Dynamic Programming. Its strength lies in structure and accessibility. It saves time on deciding what to solve next, and you get practice across a broad set of problem types.

Meta Top 150 is a LeetCode company-tagged list of problems that are frequently reported in Meta interviews. The advantage is relevance, as these questions have a proven history of appearing at Meta. 

LeetCode patterns focus on 28 core problem-solving strategies such as Sliding Window, Two Pointers, Backtracking, and Dynamic Programming. Instead of solving questions in isolation, you learn to recognize these patterns and apply them to any variation. This approach emphasizes adaptability and long-term skill building over brute-force memorization.

Is NeetCode 150 enough for Meta?#

NeetCode 150 is a static list of problems created years ago, so it has certain limitations which doesn’t make it enough for cracking the Meta interview. 

Static lists stop evolving, but interviews don’t, especially in a landscape reshaped by AI. As the tech industry reorients itself around machine learning and generative models, Meta has transformed from a social media giant to an AI-first company. It’s now building models like Llama and SAM, weaving AI into its platforms, and pushing toward its metaverse vision. The same mindset is reflected in their interviews, shifting to new styles or problem variants.

Another factor is NeetCode 150’s relevance to Meta. You might spend weeks grinding problems that rarely come up in interviews. You could save time on that and focus on areas that need your attention instead.

Do LeetCode patterns prepare you better for Meta?#

Meta’s interviews are designed to see how you think. It is not enough to just code the obvious solution. Interviewers look for candidates who can reason about trade-offs, explain their logic clearly, and improve a solution to make it scalable and efficient.

That is exactly where patterns come in. By focusing on the underlying strategy instead of memorizing a fixed solution, you train yourself to adapt. Even when a familiar problem is wrapped in a new formulation, recognizing the pattern gives you a starting point to build from.

For example, if you know the Sliding Window pattern, you can handle a wide range of substring or subarray problems. Whether the interviewer asks for the longest substring without repeating characters or the maximum average of a subarray, the core idea stays the same. Once you identify the pattern, you can focus on optimizing and refining the solution, which is exactly what Meta values.

Meta values pattern recognition. With just 28 patterns, you gain a framework for tackling hundreds of problems. Instead of trying to brute-force your way through hundreds of variations, you build a skill set that transfers directly to the unexpected problems Meta often asks for.

A quick look at LeetCode patterns for Meta coding interviews#

As there are 28 LeetCode patterns, it can feel overwhelming at first. To make them easier to understand, I’ve grouped the patterns into four categories.

• Must-know patterns: These are the core patterns that show up frequently in Meta interviews. They represent the foundation of problem-solving and appear across a wide variety of question types.

• High-value patterns: These patterns surface regularly enough to be significant. They add depth to your preparation and help you handle common variations with confidence.

• Solid but situational patterns: These patterns appear less often, but they expand your ability to deal with diverse or less predictable problems. This is especially important for when the interview takes a different turn.

• Finishing-line helpers: These are the least frequent patterns. Still, knowing them ensures complete coverage and prepares you for the occasional unexpected question.

Although Meta emphasizes some patterns more than others, it is best to prepare all 28 to stay ready for any surprise question in the final interview.

Meta prep roadmap for all 28 patterns#

Over the years, I’ve learned that interview success is not about the sheer number of problems you practice, but about focusing on the right patterns. I’ve designed a prep strategy that I wish I had when I was preparing for my Meta interview. Here’s how it works.

1. Start with the NeetCode-Meta overlap: Begin with the problems that appear in both NeetCode 150 and Meta Top 150. These are high-value questions that combine breadth with proven relevance to Meta.

2. Tackle Meta-specific problems: Next, work through the remaining problems in Meta Top 150. These give you direct exposure to the style and variations Meta interviewers often use.

3. Expand with NeetCode 150: After that, cover the NeetCode 150 problems not already in Meta’s list. These strengthen your fundamentals and help ensure you do not miss important patterns that Meta still cares about.

4. Close gaps with patterns: Finally, focus on any patterns not fully covered by the two lists. This is where LeetCode patterns shine, making sure you are ready for new twists and complete pattern coverage.

Follow the strategy, while keeping the rubric and scoring framework I introduced earlier in the series, in mind. The goal is not to just check off problems, but to build depth within each pattern. Aim to solve one easy, two medium, and one hard problem per pattern. This adds up to 15 points: 1 point for the easy, 4 points each for the mediums, and 6 points for the hard.

When you hit this benchmark across all 28 patterns, you reach the ideal score of 420 points. That total represents complete pattern coverage and gives you the confidence that you are fully prepared for any variation Meta might throw at you.

Why begin with the NeetCode-Meta overlap?#

Starting with the overlap gives you the strongest starting point. These problems are both widely recognized across interview prep and directly relevant to Meta’s interviews. By practicing them first, you cover questions that carry the highest impact, building a foundation that is both broad and Meta-focused.

Let’s see how many problems are common to NeetCode 150 and Meta Top 150.

The list above shows 49 problems overlap between NeetCode 150 and Meta Top 150, which amounts to about 33% of the entire set. This is a healthy overlap because it means you are not starting from scratch. A third of your practice can contribute both to general coding prep and directly to Meta-specific readiness. It also shows that many of the problems Meta values are the same ones considered important across the big tech players, like MAANG, making this an efficient and impactful starting point.

Now, let’s see which patterns this set covers, and how well each one measures up against 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.

The bar chart above shows that from this overlap set, you learn 21 out of the 28 patterns, which is about 75%. Getting exposure to such a large portion at the very first step of your interview prep is a big advantage. 

In terms of depth, a couple of patterns, such as Two Pointers and Modified Binary Search, are already well covered, while Tree DFS, Sliding Window, and Tree BFS show partial coverage. The rest are underrepresented and need more practice. What matters most is that you have seen the pattern, and with the rubric in hand, you can always build it up further through targeted practice.

What’s the impact of practicing Meta-specific questions next?#

Practicing Meta-specific questions sharpens your ability to connect pattern knowledge to company context. These problems carry a clear advantage: they give you direct exposure to the style, variations, and themes that Meta interviewers often use. By practicing them, you start to see patterns in how Meta frames its challenges, whether it is Graph Traversal with an added constraint, or a Dynamic Programming problem with a twist.

Let’s see which new patterns are introduced by the Meta-only problems.

The list above shows that the Meta-only problems unlock 3 new patterns, bringing the total to 24 out of 28 patterns, or about 86%. This is a big step forward because it means you are now covering almost the entire spectrum of interview patterns.

Beyond the new ones, these Meta-specific problems also give you more practice for the patterns you had already seen in the overlap set. That extra exposure helps you deepen your understanding and build the consistency needed to handle variations confidently.

Now, let’s check how these patterns perform against 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 clear progress in your coverage. After adding Meta-specific questions, the number of well-covered patterns increases from 2 to 6. This includes Dynamic Programming, Tree DFS, Tree BFS, and Stacks.

Some others, including Sliding Window, Hash Maps, Knowing What to Track, and Math and Geometry, show partial coverage, which means you have a solid base that only needs a bit more depth. Patterns such as Union Find, K-way Merge, In-place Manipulation of a Linked List, Fast and Slow Pointers, and Trie remain underrepresented, so they need your focus.

Just as importantly, it strengthens patterns identified earlier, showing how Meta-specific practice not only unlocks new ground but also deepens your coverage where it counts.

Why should you still practice the rest of NeetCode 150?#

The remaining NeetCode 150 questions play an important role. They broaden your fundamentals by exposing you to patterns that might not appear directly in Meta’s list but are essential for building adaptability. Knowing these patterns makes you more versatile in the interview room.

Another advantage is balance. While the Meta Top 150 is focused on relevance, it may not evenly represent all patterns. The rest of NeetCode 150 helps fill those gaps, giving you practice across a more complete range of problem types. This combination ensures that you are not just Meta-ready, but also strong on core computer science problem-solving.

Let’s see which new patterns the remaining NeetCode 150 introduces.

The list above shows that the remaining NeetCode 150 problems unlock 3 more patterns, taking the total to 27 patterns, which is about 96%. This is a big milestone because it brings you very close to full completion. 

Now, let’s look at how well the patterns are covered as per the 1—2—1 rubric.

The bar chart above shows that many patterns from the previous stage got stronger. For example, In-place Manipulation of a Linked List and Trie are now fully covered. Graphs and Topological Sort, which were only partially covered earlier, are now close to complete. 

Backtracking and Bitwise Manipulation appear for the first time, while mid-range patterns like Hash Maps, Merge Intervals, and Math and Geometry also see better depth. Only Cyclic Sort remains largely untouched. This step shows how the rest of NeetCode 150 not only adds new ground, but also improves coverage of patterns already introduced.

Are you Meta-ready now?#

Let’s visualize the progress you’ve made so far. Let’s look at the bar chart below to see how well the 28 patterns are covered through this Meta-focused study plan and which areas still need your attention.

This smart Meta prep strategy helps you cover and hone 12 key patterns really well. It is an impressive milestone. Some patterns represented by yellow bars are almost there and require only a single hard problem to get in the greens.

Patterns in red, such as Subsets, Matrices, Union Find, and Custom Data Structures, are only about half covered and still need more depth. Heaps, K-way Merge, and Fast and Slow Pointers also require focused attention to reach full strength. 

Most importantly, Cyclic Sort is barely touched, and Sort and Search has not been covered at all. Here are the problems for Sort and Search that I would recommend to you:

The key takeaway is that your prep has introduced you to almost every pattern, which is the biggest win. Now, with the rubric in hand, you can close these remaining gaps methodically and ensure that no pattern is left unpracticed before your Meta interview.

A quick look at pattern coverage#

Let’s quickly see how this strategic Meta prep roadmap has progressively taken you closer to complete pattern coverage. The common problems between NeetCode 150 and Meta Top 150 account for the largest share, covering 75% of the patterns. Meta-only problems add another 11%, and the remaining NeetCode-only problems contribute an additional 11%. Taken together, these take you to 96% coverage of all patterns.

Only one pattern, Sort and Search, was not covered by any of the sets and, therefore, needs your attention.

The real takeaway is that by following this roadmap, you have already built exposure to almost the entire set of 28 patterns, leaving just a single gap to close.

What’s your Meta interview prep score?#

The scoring breakdown below shows steady progress across the roadmap. The common problems alone contribute 149 points, giving you a strong base right at the start. The Meta-only set adds another 51 points, both unlocking new patterns and deepening earlier ones. The remaining NeetCode problems bring in 92 points, filling important gaps and pushing the total further.

Altogether, this strategy earns you 292 out of the ideal 420 points, which is about 70% of the target. What remains are 128 points, spread across underrepresented patterns and the one missing pattern, Sort and Search. With the rubric in hand, covering those gaps systematically will take you to a full 420 and help achieve a sense of complete confidence for Meta interviews.

Wrapping up#

Cracking a Meta interview is not about solving hundreds of problems. It is about shifting from memorizing solutions to understanding patterns. Once you grasp the underlying approach, you can adapt to new twists, and reason about efficiency with clarity.

The roadmap works in four simple stages. Start with the overlap between NeetCode 150 and Meta Top 150 to cover the most impactful problems. Then, move to the remaining Meta Top 150 to get direct exposure to Meta’s style. Next, expand with the rest of NeetCode 150 to strengthen your fundamentals. Finally, close the loop by focusing on the patterns not yet fully covered.

Follow this strategy with the scoring rubric in mind, and you will walk into your Meta interview ready for both familiar problems and brand-new variations. That is where real confidence comes from.

Recommended resources to level up your 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.