Stop Asking AI for LeetCode Answers. Use This Tutor Prompt Instead

You paste a LeetCode problem into ChatGPT. You get a clean solution, it passes, you move on.

A week later, an interviewer gives you the same problem with one small change, and your mind goes blank.

That happened to me. The problem wasn't the AI. It was how I was using it.

Answer machine vs tutor

When AI gives you the answer, it does the thinking for you. You remember the code for a day, not the idea.

When AI acts as a tutor, it asks you questions, gives hints and corrects you. It's slower, but the idea stays with you.

The "Guide Me" prompt

This is the prompt I use for every new problem:

I'm trying to solve [PROBLEM NAME].
Don't give me the answer directly.
First, help me understand the problem with a small example.
Then ask me what I think the approach is.
Guide me step by step.
Correct me when I'm wrong.
Also, help me understand the intuition deeply.

Why each line matters:

• "Don't give me the answer directly" sets the rule. Without it, most AI tools jump straight to code.
• "A small example" makes you trace the problem by hand before you think about code.
• "Ask me what I think the approach is" forces you to commit to an idea, even a wrong one. Wrong guesses teach you the most.
• "Correct me when I'm wrong" turns the chat into feedback instead of a lecture.
• "The intuition" means you leave knowing why the approach works. That's what you need in an interview.

What it looks like: Two Sum

AI: Take nums = [2, 7, 11, 15] and target = 9. Which two numbers add up to 9?

You: 2 and 7.

AI: How did you find them? If you check every pair, how many checks is that for n numbers?

You: About n squared.

AI: Right. When you're at 7, what number do you need to have seen already?

You: 2. So I could store the numbers I've seen... in a hash map?

AI: Exactly. Try writing it.

You got to the hash map yourself. That's the part you'll remember.

One more step: change a constraint

After you solve a problem, ask:

Change one constraint of this problem. How does my approach change?

For example, if the array in Two Sum is sorted, you can use two pointers with O(1) extra space instead of a hash map.

Interviewers do exactly this. They change one detail to see if you understand the idea or just remember the code.

If you're really stuck

Ask for the next step only, not the full solution:

Give me only the next hint. Don't write any code yet.

Try it on your next problem

I turned this method into a short free course (under an hour), with a fillable prompt template you can reuse on any problem:
https://superprofile.bio/course/ai-for-dsa-free-course

What's the last LeetCode problem you solved without really understanding it? 👇