Ramp·Frontend Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

IntermediatePrefer not to say

May 2026Remote

Summary

Ramp frontend interview had me build a Wordle clone in React from scratch, no styling needed but the logic had to be solid. The component breakdown and state management discussion took up a good chunk of time alongside the actual coding.

Questions Asked (2)

Build a Wordle-style mini-game in React with up to 6 guess attempts, letter coloring logic (green/yellow/gray), correct duplicate letter handling, and win/loss detection.

Technical Trade-offsSystem DesignAlgorithms & Data Structures

Author's notes

The duplicate letter handling is where I stumbled.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying requirements and edge cases (e.g., duplicate letters, keyboard input, state management). Then outline a component structure and the core algorithm for coloring, emphasizing the two-pass approach for correct duplicate handling. Finally, discuss trade-offs in state management and performance, and mention testing and accessibility.

Pro tip: Demonstrate awareness of the two-pass algorithm for duplicate letters and explain why a naive one-pass approach fails. Also, mention how you'd handle keyboard input and ensure the game is accessible to screen readers.

1. Clarify Requirements and Edge Cases

Ask about expected behavior for duplicate letters, invalid words, and keyboard support. Confirm the UI requirements and whether any libraries can be used.

2. Design Component Structure and State

Outline components (Board, Row, Tile, Keyboard) and state (guesses, currentGuess, gameStatus). Discuss using useState/useReducer and lifting state up.

3. Implement Coloring Logic with Duplicate Handling

Explain the two-pass algorithm: first mark greens and count remaining letters, then mark yellows and grays. Emphasize why this correctly handles duplicates.

4. Handle Win/Loss and Game Flow

Detect win when guess equals target, loss after 6 incorrect guesses. Disable input and show appropriate messages.

5. Discuss Trade-offs and Enhancements

Talk about state management choices, performance optimizations (memoization), and potential enhancements like animations, keyboard support, and accessibility.

Key Points to Mention

Two-pass algorithm for coloring to correctly handle duplicate letters
State management: useState vs useReducer, and when to lift state
Component composition and reusability (e.g., Tile component)
Performance considerations: memoization, avoiding unnecessary re-renders
Accessibility: ARIA labels, keyboard navigation, screen reader support
Testing strategy: unit tests for coloring logic, integration tests for game flow

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.

Walk through how you'd break this into components and manage state across the app.

System DesignTechnical Trade-offs

Author's notes

Talked through Board, Row, Cell, and a Keyboard component.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the product requirements and constraints, then decompose the UI into a component hierarchy and define the state model. Explain how you'd manage state at different levels (local, shared, server) and justify your choices with trade-offs.

Pro tip: Emphasize that state management is about minimizing complexity and coupling—choose the simplest solution that meets the requirements, and be ready to discuss how you'd evolve it as the app grows.

1. Clarify Requirements

Ask questions to understand the feature scope, user interactions, data flow, and non-functional requirements like performance and scalability.

2. Component Breakdown

Decompose the UI into a tree of components, identifying reusable pieces and their responsibilities. Consider container vs. presentational components.

3. State Identification

List all state variables, determine where they are needed, and categorize them as local, shared, or server state. Identify derived state and avoid duplication.

4. State Management Strategy

Choose appropriate tools and patterns for each state category (e.g., useState/useReducer for local, Context or Redux for global, React Query for server). Explain trade-offs.

5. Data Flow and Updates

Describe how state updates propagate, how components subscribe, and how you handle side effects (e.g., API calls, caching, optimistic updates).

Key Points to Mention

Component composition and reusability
Local vs. global state trade-offs
Server state management (caching, synchronization)
State normalization and avoiding duplication
Performance optimizations (memoization, lazy loading)
Testing and maintainability considerations

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.