Mastering the Amazon Writing Exercise: Your Complete Assessment Guide

The Importance of Writing in Amazon's Unique Culture

At Amazon, the ability to present ideas clearly and concisely in writing is not just a skill—it's a fundamental element of the company's operational ethos. Unlike many other corporate environments where PowerPoint reigns supreme, Amazon almost exclusively uses long-form written documents to share ideas and support the decision-making process. This method involves crafting detailed documents that are meticulously reviewed and discussed in meetings. Whether it's a business review, a product development plan, or a strategic proposal, the written test of your ideas is the format they use.

Amazon's writing culture means that anyone who has ever worked there would know that writing is the only way Amazon communicates when it comes to sharing business information, storing expertise, and making decisions. The famous six-page memos and email-heavy culture necessitate strong written communication skills for even minimal effectiveness at Amazon. Every executive knows that transforming thoughts into writing is essential for success.

Why You Need a Writing Sample for Amazon Interviews

If you're applying for a mid to senior level role, you're likely to be asked to submit a writing sample as part of the hiring process. This usually applies to L6+ roles, though some L5s may be asked to provide a writing sample for roles that are document production heavy, like Product Management. This requirement underscores the importance Amazon places on written communication and your ability to complete the assessment successfully.

The Amazon writing assessment essentially serves as a litmus test for your ability to convey complex ideas effectively—a critical skill for navigating the document-centric culture at Amazon. The writing exercise typically offers candidates the option to answer one of two writing prompts, though some job families such as Legal are asked to provide different types of writing assignments. As a top candidate, you'll need to demonstrate that you can complete answers that meet Amazon's high standards.

Sample Amazon Writing Exercise Questions

How to Ace Your Amazon Writing Assessment

Understanding the Amazon Written Interview Process

The Amazon writing exercise is a pass-or-fail assessment that's part of the interview process. There are no scores—it's literally whether the candidate knows how to write or they don't. The writing sample will be reviewed by the hiring manager, bar raiser, and potentially other interviewers, making it absolutely essential to get it right. It's shocking how often a writing sample demonstrates a gap in a candidate's communication abilities, eliminating otherwise qualified individuals from consideration.

When Amazon asks candidates to submit a writing sample, they have very clear guidelines that you should complete it by yourself. You shouldn't ask for anyone else to write it for you or help with the actual writing assignment. Take time to think through your response and time to write it properly.

Essential Elements of a Strong Amazon Writing Sample

1. Answer Questions Directly

Your writing exercise needs to respond clearly to the prompt you're given. It needs to be focused on acing interview questions because Amazon uses writing as a communication tool for recommendations and business decisions. Make sure your writing sample directly addresses what's being asked and provides complete answers to all aspects of the writing prompt.

2. Keep It Crisp

Crispiness is a term you hear a lot at Amazon regarding documents and writing. Your narrative needs to be crisp, meaning it should have the least amount of words with the most important details to communicate your point in a clear way. Essentially, it needs to be without fluff or hot air.

Avoid pure emotive language, adjectives without facts behind them, claims without evidence, and redundant verbal garbage that isn't adding value. When Amazonians want to make a document crisper, they "scrub" it by trimming all non-value-adding language. Each paragraph should serve a purpose.

3. Create a Flowing Narrative

Your writing sample needs to tell a story with clear flow. Amazon will often prompt you with questions that require narrative responses because this is what you'd be doing at Amazon—writing stories and narratives. The famous six-page memo is sometimes called a six-page narrative.

Your narrative needs to flow with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Whether you use the STAR format or another narrative framework, ensure all sections connect logically and that you're able to explain your journey through the story.

4. Structure Your Thoughts with the STAR Method

The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) offers a robust framework for organising your Amazon writing exercise. This approach ensures clarity and coherence while aligning with the structured thinking Amazon values. Don't write these headers down, but use them to mentally structure your writing sample and guide how you transform your thoughts into writing.

5. Support Your Main Point with Logical Arguments

Your writing sample needs to make a clear point, and this point needs to rest on a logical sequence of arguments. Amazon is a truth-seeking organisation, so any point you present needs to be argued and supported with evidence.

Think of it like the point-evidence-explanation structure: start with a clear point, back it up with evidence, then explain how the evidence supports your point. Mind the leadership principles as you craft your arguments—they should subtly reflect Amazon's values.

Amazon Writing Exercise Format and Length Guidelines

Keep It Concise

We recommend no more than one and a half pages for your writing assignment. There simply isn't an Amazon writing sample story that needs to be longer than this. Remember, the purpose of your exercise is to demonstrate that you can write well enough to step up to Amazon's writing standards when hired. Following tips from experienced Amazonians, keep each paragraph focused and impactful.

Many candidates mistakenly treat the writing assessment as part of their behavioral interview, producing massive narratives trying to demonstrate functional competence. The writing exercise is only trying to evaluate whether you can write effectively.

Don't Agonise Over Font

The font you choose doesn't really matter, but opting for Calibri size 10—the standard font for Amazon documents—can make your writing sample appear more familiar to reviewers. While not a game-changer, if you have to choose a font, you may as well use the one Amazonians recognise.

Critical Quality Standards for Your Writing Sample

Perfect Grammar and Spelling

Your spelling and grammar need to be fully checked before you submit your writing exercise. Use Grammarly, built-in Microsoft Office tools, or other grammar checkers. There's absolutely no excuse for poor grammar, spelling, or punctuation in today's world of readily available tools.

We're emphasising this because of how many writing samples with poor grammar and spelling we've reviewed over the years. It's shocking how often a writing sample demonstrates a gap in basic writing mechanics.

Be Specific and Data-Driven

Amazon values specificity and data in all writing assignments. Vague statements don't impress in a culture that values precise information. Incorporating specific data points and metrics demonstrates analytical thinking and alignment with Amazon's data-centric approach.

For example, rather than writing "Customers responded very positively to the change, increasing conversion rate," write "Customer conversion rate increased 10 basis points from 12% to 22%." Avoid what Amazon terms "weasel words."

Clarity of Thought and Language

Your Amazon writing exercise needs clarity of thought and clarity of language. There should be a central idea in your narrative that's developed throughout your entire submission. Everything you write needs to support that central idea in a clear way.

The main enemy of clarity is trying to stuff your writing sample full of thoughts unrelated to your main argument, or including narrative chunks that contradict or are irrelevant to your main point.

For clarity of language, use simple business English and avoid jargon without explanation. Avoid academic vocabulary or unclear vocabulary for its own sake. Use active voice rather than passive voice, as passive voice takes agency away from your story and makes writing less clear.

What to Avoid in Your Amazon Writing Assessment

Don't Use AI Tools to Write For You

Given how proliferated tools like ChatGPT are today, you might be tempted to use them for your writing exercise. We caution against this because AI-generated language is easily detectable, and Amazon, being one of the most capable tech companies in the world, likely has tools to identify AI-generated content.

Amazon specifically asks candidates to avoid getting help when producing writing samples because clarity of writing indicates clarity of thinking—something absolutely essential for Amazon's culture and the hiring process.

Avoid These Common Mistakes

• Making your writing assignment too long
• Using passive voice excessively
• Including irrelevant information without relevant context
• Forgetting to proofread thoroughly
• Using jargon without explanation
• Failing to directly answer the prompt
• Not allowing enough time to think and plan

Getting Help with Your Amazon Writing Sample

If you want comprehensive preparation for your Amazon interview, including guidance on writing exercises, Day One Careers offers detailed courses and one-to-one coaching with ex-Amazon professionals who understand exactly what recruiters and hiring managers look for in writing assessments.

The Bottom Line on Amazon Writing Exercises

The writing sample isn't graded with scores—it's a straightforward pass or fail exercise that doesn't have a specific weighted contribution to the final hire decision. However, it's absolutely critical because if you can't write effectively, you simply won't last long at Amazon's writing-heavy culture.

We've reviewed hundreds of writing samples over the years, and very few have been so poor that we've raised them as issues. That said, there's no reason not to deliver the strongest writing assignment possible as part of your interview preparation.

Remember: Amazon's writing assessment is your opportunity to demonstrate that you can communicate clearly and think logically—skills that are fundamental to success in Amazon's unique business culture. Take the time to write thoughtfully, and you'll be well-positioned to join the ranks of successful Amazon employees.