How to use the DSA Roadmap
- 1. Tick what you knowOpen each stage and tick the topics you can already do confidently.
- 2. Pick your paceChoose how many hours a week you can study; the estimate updates for what's left.
- 3. Get your planSee time left per stage and your next three topics, and download the checklist.
Who this roadmap is for
This roadmap is for students preparing for coding rounds in placements and product-company interviews. It groups topics by pattern, such as two pointers, sliding window and BFS on grids, because interview problems are usually variations of a small set of patterns.
The milestone for each stage is a problem count. Aim to solve them without looking at solutions first; reading an answer after 30–40 minutes of honest effort is fine.
The 9 stages
Each of the 9 stages of the DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms) path ends with a milestone project, because building something is what turns topics into skills.
- Language and complexity (about 2 weeks): Master one language: C++, Java or Python, Big-O for time and space, Recursion and the call stack and more. Milestone: Solve 15 easy problems and state the complexity of each.
- Arrays and strings (about 3 weeks): Prefix sums and difference arrays, Two pointers, Sliding window and more. Milestone: 40 problems across these five patterns.
- Searching and linked lists (about 2 weeks): Binary search and binary search on the answer, Linked list operations and reversal, Fast and slow pointers and more. Milestone: 20 binary search and 15 linked list problems.
- Stacks, queues and heaps (about 2 weeks): Stack problems: brackets, next greater element, Monotonic stack and deque, Queues and BFS idea and more. Milestone: 25 problems including 5 using a monotonic stack.
- Trees (about 3 weeks): Traversals: inorder, preorder, postorder, level order, Binary search trees, Recursion on trees: height, diameter, LCA and more. Milestone: 30 tree problems; write each traversal from memory.
- Graphs (about 3 weeks): Representations: adjacency list and matrix, BFS, DFS and connected components, Topological sort and more. Milestone: 25 graph problems including grid BFS and Dijkstra.
- Dynamic programming (about 4 weeks): From recursion to memoisation to tabulation, 1-D DP: climbing stairs, house robber, Knapsack patterns and more. Milestone: 40 DP problems grouped by pattern.
- Greedy and backtracking (about 2 weeks): Greedy proofs by exchange argument, Interval scheduling, Backtracking: subsets, permutations, N-Queens and more. Milestone: 20 greedy and 15 backtracking problems.
- Interview ready (about 3 weeks): Timed contests every week, Mixed revision lists, Explaining your approach before coding and more. Milestone: Two mock interviews a week for three weeks.
How the time estimate works
Worked example: with nothing ticked and 10 hours a week, the plan shows about 24 weeks for all 39 topics. Choose 20 hours a week and it becomes about 12 weeks. Tick every topic in the first stage, Language and complexity, and that row shows "done" while the total at 10 hours a week drops by 2 weeks to about 22.
Week counts are our suggestion for steady self-study of the DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms) path, based on how much each stage covers. They are not survey data or a promise; use them to plan, not to judge yourself.
Tips for following it
- Keep a log of every problem: the pattern, the key idea and the mistake you made.
- Re-solve old problems after a week; spaced repetition beats grinding new ones only.
- Say the complexity of your solution before you submit it.
Frequently asked questions
Which language is best for DSA?
C++, Java and Python are all accepted almost everywhere. Use the one you know best; the roadmap's first stage is about mastering it.
How many problems should I solve?
The milestones add up to roughly 300 problems. Quality and pattern coverage matter more than the exact number.
Where are my ticks saved?
Your DSA Roadmap ticks are kept only in this browser on this device, so nothing you tick is sent anywhere. Clearing site data or switching browsers starts you fresh; download your checklist to keep a copy.
Is the DSA Roadmap free?
Yes. Reading the DSA Roadmap and ticking topics is open to everyone. Viewing your plan the first time asks for your name and WhatsApp number once; after that every Uncodemy tool is free and open to you.