I don't know how typical Google is, but it expressly tries to maintain a consistent bar for a given ladder/level[*] and L5 -> L6 SWE promos are pretty tough. I

I don't know how typical Google is, but it expressly tries to maintain a consistent bar for a given ladder/level[*] and L5 -> L6 SWE promos are pretty tough. It's often said that L6 SWE is a different job and not just L5++, and I think there's a lot of truth in that. [*] Consistency is a great goal, but is clearer getting harder and harder to achieve as the company is getting bigger and more diverse in terms of product areas, engineering and other skills etc.