Audit log writer
Design an audit-log writer for an internal admin tool. Whenever an admin changes something important (edits a user, deletes a record, changes a permission), you need to record who did what, to which entity, and when — in a way that can be reviewed later and not quietly altered. Write volume is low to moderate; reads are occasional, usually filtered by actor or by entity. Describe the data model and how you guarantee entries aren't lost or tampered with.
What a strong answer looks like
Clarify scale and constraints first. Propose a clean component breakdown, then go deep on the hard parts (data model, bottlenecks, consistency, failure modes) and name the trade-offs you are making.
Clarify3:00 left
Estimate3:00 planned
Design8:30 planned
Deep dive6:30 planned
Failure4:00 planned
Which questions mattered is sealed until you submit. Telling you now would just be handing over the edge cases.
Run or narrate your approach, then ask the coach.