The 90 DSA Patterns That Cover Virtually All Coding Interviews
Many candidates solve 200+ LeetCode challenges but still blank out during actual technical rounds.
Here’s the secret: most coding interviews don’t test unique problems — they reuse established logical templates.
Major companies prefer problem templates that measure reasoning, not rote memory.
Master these 90 essential DSA patterns, and you’ll instantly recognize nearly every coding problem you encounter.
What You’ll Learn
Inside this guide, we organize 90 DSA templates into 15 essential families used by elite programmers.
You’ll be guided on how to practice these patterns dynamically through AI-driven hints and feedback on Thita.ai.
Why Random LeetCode Grinding Doesn’t Work
Solving problems at random doesn’t build intuition for recurring logic patterns.
Each DSA pattern functions as a reusable design you can apply to multiple situations.
Sample applications:
– Target sum in sorted list ? Two Pointer technique
– Substring without duplicates ? Sliding Window
– Cycle detection ? Slow & Fast Pointers.
Top performers in FAANG interviews don’t memorize — they recognize recurring logic patterns.
The 15 Core DSA Pattern Families
Every pattern family addresses specific classes of problems that recur across companies.
1. Two Pointer Patterns (7 Patterns)
Ideal for array manipulation and pointer-based optimization problems.
Includes logic for in-place edits, fixed gaps, and center-based expansion techniques.
? Quick Insight: Two-pointer works best when the array is sorted or positional relationships exist.
2. Sliding Window Patterns (4 Patterns)
Best for problems requiring flexible range adjustments.
Focuses on dynamically resizing sequences to meet constraints.
? Tip: Efficiency lies in the ability to manage window size dynamically.
3. Tree Traversal Patterns (7 Patterns)
Encompasses standard and advanced traversal techniques like LCA and Mock interviews serialization.
4. Graph Traversal Patterns (8 Patterns)
Focuses on efficient exploration and connection validation in networks.
5. Dynamic Programming Patterns (11 Patterns)
Central to solving resource allocation and sequence-based problems efficiently.
6. Heap (Priority Queue) Patterns (4 Patterns)
Used for stream processing and efficient order maintenance.
7. Backtracking Patterns (7 Patterns)
Relies on decision trees and pruning to find valid outcomes.
8. Greedy Patterns (6 Patterns)
Relies on sorted order or prioritization strategies.
9. Binary Search Patterns (5 Patterns)
Applied in finding thresholds, boundaries, or minimum feasible values.
10. Stack Patterns (6 Patterns)
Involves handling nested structures and validation problems.
11. Bit Manipulation Patterns (5 Patterns)
Use Case: XOR-based logic, bit counting, and power checks.
12. Linked List Patterns (5 Patterns)
Common in list-based storage and cache designs.
13. Array & Matrix Patterns (8 Patterns)
Applied in image processing, pathfinding, and transformation tasks.
14. String Manipulation Patterns (7 Patterns)
Includes palindrome checking, encoding/decoding, and pattern validation.
15. Design Patterns (Meta Category)
Includes LRU Cache, LFU Cache, Min Stack, Trie, and Design Twitter.
How to Practice Effectively on Thita.ai
Learning the 90 DSA patterns is only the beginning — mastering their application is the key.
Begin by opening the full Thita.ai DSA pattern catalog.
Choose one category (e.g., Sliding Window) to practice related LeetCode-style problems.
Engage Thita.ai’s AI tutor for instant suggestions and solution breakdowns.
Step 4: Track Progress ? Analyze performance and identify weak zones.
The Smart Way to Prepare
Success in coding interviews is built on pattern familiarity, not repetition.
Use Thita.ai’s roadmap to learn, practice, and refine through intelligent feedback.
Why Choose Thita.ai?
Thita.ai empowers learners to:
– Master 90 reusable DSA patterns
– Practice interactively with AI feedback
– Experience realistic mock interviews
– Prepare for FAANG and top-tier interviews
– Build a personalized, AI-guided learning path.