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Interview Preparation

Rakuten Data Science Interview Questions and Answers (2026 Guide)

By Aniruddha Abhay Kalbande 3 min read

Rakuten Data Science Interview Questions and Answers (2026 Guide)

Quick answer: Rakuten India, in Bengaluru, is confirmed as Rakuten's largest R&D facility outside Japan. Candidate reports confirm a live Codility coding-test stage for data-science hiring, but genuine India-specific, role-specific interview detail is thin: the strongest first-person account we found was for an adjacent Data Engineer role, not Data Scientist or Data Analyst.

About Rakuten

Rakuten Group is a Japan-based e-commerce, fintech and telecom conglomerate. Rakuten India, established in Bengaluru in 2016, is confirmed as Rakuten's largest R&D and product-engineering facility outside Japan, a 20-storey campus of roughly 3 lakh square feet with about 2,000 staff and capacity for over 3,000, supporting e-commerce, fintech, advertising and AI or data-science work for the global group. (Analytics India Magazine; Business Standard)

Rakuten's Interview Process

  • A live Codility coding test is confirmed for Rakuten's Data Scientist hiring by two independent sources: a Glassdoor aggregate describing an online application, resume screening, then an online coding test on Codility covering data manipulation, statistical and algorithmic tasks, followed by video interviews mixing behavioural and technical questions; and a Blind post from a candidate describing "a Codility live test at Rakuten for data scientist position." (Glassdoor; Blind)

  • The single strongest India-specific, first-person account we found is a Medium post for a Rakuten Bangalore Data Engineer II role, not Data Scientist: 3 rounds, a Python, SQL and object-oriented-programming coding round with no classic data-structures-and-algorithms questions like linked-list reversal, a database schema-design round, and a behavioural round about motivation for joining Rakuten. (Medium)

What We Could Not Verify

The India office's scale is strongly sourced across multiple reputable outlets. The interview process for Data Scientist or Data Analyst roles specifically in India is thin: a broader Glassdoor description of a 5-round loop with classical ML, deep learning and Kubernetes-adjacent questions appears to describe a non-India (likely Japan or US-based) Rakuten loop, so we have not presented it as India-confirmed. No verbatim, Rakuten-specific quoted question, for example anything tied to its loyalty-points programme, was found in any source we could access.

How to Prepare

  • Practise on Codility specifically, since it is the confirmed testing platform for this stage.

  • Revise Python, SQL and object-oriented fundamentals over classic algorithm puzzles, based on the one detailed account we found.

  • Be ready to explain your motivation for joining Rakuten specifically, since a behavioural, culture-fit round is confirmed.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Rakuten have a data science team in India?

Yes. Rakuten India in Bengaluru is confirmed as Rakuten's largest R&D and product-engineering facility outside Japan, a roughly 3-lakh-square-foot campus with about 2,000 staff, supporting e-commerce, fintech, advertising and data-science work for the global group.

What testing platform does Rakuten use for data scientist interviews?

Codility, a live online coding test covering data manipulation, statistical and algorithmic tasks, confirmed independently by both a Glassdoor candidate summary and a Blind post from a candidate describing the same test.

What is Rakuten's interview process like in Bangalore?

The most detailed first-person account we found, for an adjacent Data Engineer role, describes 3 rounds: a Python, SQL and OOP coding round with no classic DSA problems, a database schema-design round, and a behavioural round on motivation for joining Rakuten.

Is Rakuten's interview data-science-specific process well documented for India?

Not thoroughly. We found strong sourcing for the India office's scale and the Codility test stage, but only one detailed India-based account, and it was for a Data Engineer role rather than Data Scientist or Data Analyst.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Rakuten Data Science interview process like?

It typically includes an online assessment, a technical round covering SQL, Python and statistics, a domain or case discussion, and a managerial or HR round. Exact steps vary by role, team and experience level, and not every candidate goes through every stage.

What topics should I prepare for a Rakuten interview?

Focus on SQL joins and aggregations, Python and Pandas for data manipulation, core statistics such as hypothesis testing and probability, and Machine Learning fundamentals like overfitting and model evaluation, alongside enough business context to reason through a case question.

What data roles does Rakuten commonly hire for?

Common roles include Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, Recommendation Systems Engineer and Product Analyst. Exact openings vary over time and by location.

How should I prepare for a Rakuten Data Science interview?

Build genuine SQL fluency, get comfortable with Pandas on messy real world data, revise the statistics that actually come up in interviews, and prepare two projects you can discuss in real depth rather than several you can only describe superficially.

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