Amazon ATA Assessment Practice: Amcat, Workstyle, Technical

JobTestPrep is a leading test prep company that offers accurate practice simulations and preparation guides for more than a dozen of Amazon assessments. Over the last years, JobTestPrep has helped thousands of Amazon applicants prepare for and pass their online assessments.

What to Expect on the Amazon Technical Academy Assessments?

AMCAT Test

The Aspiring Minds Computer Adaptive Test (AMCAT) is the first ATA assessment that’s sent shortly after you complete ATA’s online application form.

The AMCAT reasoning test is no ordinary pre-employment test. It consists of unique questions that are not found on common pre-hire tests, making it harder to prepare for.

Here are several quick facts about it:

  • Includes 24 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 35 minutes.
  • Measures your logical reasoning skills, but no coding experience is required.
  • The questions get harder as the test progresses.
  • Must be completed in one sitting and you don’t get a second chance to retake it.
  • You’re allowed to use scratch paper (highly recommended).
  • Passing scores aren’t disclosed to candidates. If you passed the AMCAT on the previous Cohort application attempt, you won’t be required to retake it.

Many test-takers mention that time is the biggest issue on the AMCAT and that they weren’t able to answer all 24 questions within the time limit.

That’s because the questions get much more difficult as you go so it takes longer to analyze them and come up with a correct answer.

Since you can’t know what passing score to be aiming for, your safest bet will be trying to answer as many questions correctly as possible.

The most efficient way to increase your number of correct answers is by practicing beforehand. This enables you to eliminate the element of surprise, gain useful solving tactics, and learn to manage your time effectively so that you perform better under time pressure.

See the following two sample questions, taken from the official Aspiring Minds website, to start to get a feel for the AMCAT:

AMCAT Sample Question #1

Four options are given below. Three of these options are similar to each other because they follow the same pattern. Identify the option that is dissimilar to the other three.

AE6
FD10
AD6
DE9
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer


AMCAT Sample Question #2

Refer to the symbols below and their corresponding meanings. The given signs indicate the following operations/relationships:

X ? Y means X is less than or equal to Y.

X/Y means X is equal to Y.

X = Y means X is greater than Y.

X + Y means X is half of Y

Question: Which of the two conclusions I and II is/are definitely true based on the information provided?

Statements:

R ? A, B = A and B/C

Conclusions:

I. R ? C

II. A + C

Only conclusion I is true
Only conclusion II is true
Both conclusions are true
Neither conclusion I nor II is true
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

As you can see, some questions include confusing details that take time to digest, so this may explain why many test-takers struggle to finish all questions in time.

That being said, the more you practice AMCAT-like questions, the faster (and more accurately) you’ll be able to answer these questions.

JobTestPrep offers you a full 24-question practice test with AMCAT-style questions, coupled with detailed explanations for each question. Additionally, you receive 16 practice drills to strengthen your logical and numerical reasoning skills.

 

Amazon Solve Assessment

This new assessment was added to the application process for the March 2023 Cohort. It's an untimed assessment, which usually takes two hours to complete, and it consists of three sections:

  • Number Series
  • Matrix Spatial Reasoning
  • Calendar Schedule Synchronization

For each of these sections, you're allowed to use a calculator and pen and paper. Now, let's see examples for the first two:

Number Series Sample Question

What would be the next number in the following series?

0.25 ... 0.5 ... 2.5 ... 5 ... 7... ?

 A. 14

 B. 17

 C. 34

 D. 25

 E. 22

Answer:

The logical rule behind this series is an alternating arithmetic function – multiplication followed by addition.

The first number is multiplied by 2 to get the second number. Then 2 is added to the second number to get the third number, and so on: x2, +2, x2, +2 ...

Therefore, the last number in the series, 7, should be multiplied by 2: 7 x 2 = 14

 

Matrix Sample Question

raven test
raven answers

Answer:

The correct answer is 

raven answer


The second image in each row looks like a second horizontal line has been added to the first image in each row, and the third image in the first two rows looks like a third horizontal line has been added to the second image in each row. Thus, the third image in the bottom row must look like a third horizontal line has been added to the second image in the bottom row.

 

JobTestPrep currently offers practice tests only for two sections of the Amazon Solve Assessment - number series and matrix spatial reasoning.


Work Style Assessment

Amazon’s Work Style Assessment is a personality test that’s given to almost any Amazon applicant today.

It takes about 15 minutes to complete and Its main purpose is to evaluate certain qualities and work styles to see if they fit Amazon’s unique culture.

On this assessment, you’ll see pairs of statements and you’ll be asked to choose which ones appeal to you the most.

Take a look at this sample question, taken from JobTestPrep’s practice pack:

Amazon Work Style Assessment Sample Question

When answering these questions, the most important thing to keep in mind is Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles.

These principles are core standards that describe the kinds of behavior Amazon values and expects its employees to follow.

So, while preparing for this assessment, try to learn and get a good grasp of the 16 principles. The more you understand them, the easier it will be to pass the Work Style Assessment.

In the preparation pack, you'll get a full Work Style assessment simulation test with answers and explanations to ALL question types. This way you’ll be prepared to pass your assessment and advance to the next step, which is probably the most challenging one for candidates - the ATA Technical Assessment:


Technical Assessment

The ATA Technical Assessment is the final mandatory assessment test for the August 2022 class (the coding project is optional).

The assessment is designed to measure your knowledge of Java fundamentals and It takes 3 hours to complete, but most test-takers will need about 1.5 hours.

The assessment is proctored via webcam, and periodical snapshots will be taken while you’re inside the test. Note that you won’t be able to log into the assessment unless you have a functional webcam.

For this reason, you should avoid using external sources like other browser tabs or your phone and use only scratch paper and a pen or pencil.

The Technical Assessment includes 31 questions, divided into three sections:

Sentence Completion Question (Fill in the Blank)

This will usually be a number series. See this sample question from the previous Cohort for example:

The 6th number in the series 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, ... is __________


Multiple Choice Questions

You’ll have 29 MCQs that assess your theoretical knowledge in Java programming.

Try these two sample questions from the previous Cohort:

Which of the following data structures can erase from its beginning or its end in 0(1) time?

  1. vector
  2. deque
  3. Stack
  4. Segment free


Which of the following are true regarding good URI design?

Pick One or More options.

  1. URIs should never be changed.
  2. URIs must be constructed by the client.
  3. URIs should be short in length.
  4. URIs should be case-sensitive.
  5. HTTP verbs should be used instead of operation names in URIs.
  6. Use spaces when designing a URI.
  7. Redirection must be used if a change in URI is required.

Coding Question

This is the “hands-on” coding part of the assessment. You’ll have a coding problem on one side, including the function description, constraints, sample input and output, explanation, etc.

And on the other side, you’ll have the code editor. You’ll need to write the code, compile it, and submit it when you’re ready.

ATA Technical Assessment Practice

The Technical Assessment is the toughest and probably the most important test in the application process. To pass it, you must have strong Java foundations knowledge as well as some practical experience writing Java code.

The practice pack on this page includes a complete Java Programming Fundamentals prep course, which is ideal for applicants with little or no experience in Java programming.

You’ll learn Java basics and important concepts from scratch, and you’ll practice solving coding questions easily and efficiently.

This is how the code editor looks in the practice course:

Java Practice Question With Code Editor

 

And here’s a breakdown of the course’s content:

Java Basics
Background of Java, Why do we need Programming Languages and Writing the first program in Java

Variables and Data Types
Learn about variables in Java, Non-Primitive Types, Swap two Variables, Wrapper Classes in Java. Autoboxing and Unboxing in Java, Type Conversion in Java

Input and Output in Java
Input in Java, Output in Java, Escape Sequences in Java

Operators in Java
Operators in Java, Bitwise Operators in Java, Sum of N Natural Numbers, Find Last Digit of A Number, and other Practice Problems

Flow Control in Java
If Else Statements, Switch Statement, Even Odd Numbers, Largest of Three Numbers, Leap Year, Calculator

Loops in Java
Loop Statements, While Loop, Do While Loop, Break and Continue, Count Digits, Table of a Number, Patterns, Triangular Pattern, Inverted Triangle, Square Pattern, and other problems and concepts in Java

Functions in Java
Functions in Java, Applications of Functions, Command Line Arguments in Java, First Digit of a Number, Prime Factorization

Arrays in Java
Arrays in Java introduction, [ ]a vs a[ ] in Java, Array Working and Types, Multidimensional array in Java, Check If Array is Sorted, Count Distinct Elements, Maximum in an Array, Sum of an Array, Finding Average

String in Java
String in Java, String Operations, StringBuilder and StringBuffer, StringBuilder and StringBuffer Methods, Sample Problems like Pangram Checking in Java, Pattern Searching, Find one extra character in Java, and many more

Classes and Objects in Java
Class and Objects in Java, Constructors, This Reference, Class Members and Access Specifiers, Static Members, Final Keyword

ArrayList in Java
ArrayList, ArrayList Working, Java ArrayList Methods, Java ArrayList Traversal, Separate Even And Odd, Get Smaller Elements

Advanced Concepts in Java
Java Collections Framework, BigInteger Introduction, Lambda Expressions, Method References in Java, Stream Applications, Java Stream Examples, Exception Handling, Method Call Stack and Exceptions, Multithreading in Java, File Handling, and many more concepts.

 

Get the Complete ATA Assessment Practice

Access thorough prep materials for the AMCAT, Solve Assessment, Work Style Assessment, and Technical Assessment.

 

Optional Coding Project

The ATA coding project, which was a mandatory step in the previous Cohort has now become optional.

The coding project is based on Prerequisite Course 4, which is available on ATA’s wiki.

Although it’s optional, we recommended to complete the project regardless, and that’s for three reasons:

  1. It could give you an edge over other candidates who don’t complete it.
  2. It shows the recruiters how serious you are about getting into the ATA program.
  3. Successful completion of the project might come in handy in the final acceptance decision even if your assessments scores are lower than other applicants.


Frequently Asked Questions by ATA Candidates

Who is eligible to apply for the Amazon Technical Academy?

To be eligible to apply, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Full-time or reduced-time blue badge employee.
  • Be employed by Amazon for a minimum of 12 consecutive months or more by March 2023 (Cohort start date).
  • Good performance standing (no negative UPT, no active write-ups, not on an improvement plan).
  • U.S. citizen or non-U.S. citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the U.S.
  • Must live in the U.S. and be willing to work full-time from one or more Amazon tech hubs.


Is the Amazon Technical Academy a part-time program?

The Amazon Technical Academy is a nine-month full-time program. Part-time participation is not allowed.


Do I have to complete the Amazon Technical Academy Prerequisites?

Prerequisites 1 to 3 are optional and you don’t have to go over them to be accepted to the program. If you’d like to complete the optional coding project, you’ll need to take Prerequisite 4, though.


Is Amazon Technical Academy Free?

The Amazon ATA is free for Amazon employees.


What is the salary during the ATA program?

ATA participants receive a stipend amount at a rate of $21.19/hr for 40hrs/week, which equals $3,692 a month.


What subjects will I learn in the ATA program?

The ATA subjects are grouped into teaching units, each lasting several weeks. Also, there’s an assessment at the end of each unit to see if you should continue with the program.

The subjects are:

Unit 1: Introductory-level coding, testing, memory basics, Java collections, design tools. 6 weeks.

Unit 2: Data structures, inheritance, and composition, software design concepts. 5 weeks.

Unit 3: DynamoDB introduction, more data structures, static keyword, and logging. 4 weeks.

Unit 4: How computers operate and run applications, how developers track and optimize them,
querying data with DynamoDB, stacks, and queues. 4 weeks.

Learn & Be Curious: Gain confidence in your ability to learn new technologies. Learn how to solve problems and when to seek help. 4 weeks.

Unit 5: Relational databases, advanced data structures, distributed caches, integration testing, service design. 4 weeks.

Capstone: API design, advanced DynamoDB features, and new Java fundamentals. 10 weeks.

 

Read About Other Popular Amazon Online Assessments

 

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