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Goldman Sachs Analyst Interview Questions and Answers
36 Interview questions
One of my strengths is my ability to analyze complex data and identify key insights.
Strong analytical skills
Ability to think critically and problem-solve
Experience with data analysis tools such as Excel or Tableau
Merge multiple sorted arrays into one sorted array
Iterate through each array and merge them into a single array
Use a priority queue or heap data structure to efficiently merge the arrays
Implement a merge sort algorithm to combine the arrays into one sorted array
Binary Search Tree is a data structure where each node has at most two children, with left child less than parent and right child greater.
Nodes have at most two children - left and right
Left child is less than parent, right child is greater
Allows for efficient searching, insertion, and deletion of elements
The problem involves finding an element in a matrix that is sorted both row-wise and column-wise.
Start from the top-right corner of the matrix
Compare the target element with the current element
If the target is smaller, move left; if larger, move down
Repeat until the target is found or the matrix boundaries are crossed
Options are financial contracts that give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a predetermined price.
Options can be used for hedging or speculation
There are two types of options: call options and put options
Call options give the buyer the right to buy the underlying asset at a predetermined price, while put options give the buyer the right to sell the underlying asset ...
Expected number of tosses of a fair coin to get 3 consecutive heads.
The probability of getting 3 consecutive heads is 1/8
The expected number of tosses to get 3 consecutive heads is 14
This can be calculated using the formula E(X) = 2^k + 2^(k-1) + 2^(k-2) + ... + 2^2 + 2^1 + 2^0, where k is the number of consecutive heads required
Number of ways to jump n stairs if a person can climb 1 or 2 stairs.
Use dynamic programming to solve the problem.
The number of ways to jump n stairs is equal to the sum of ways to jump n-1 stairs and ways to jump n-2 stairs.
Base cases: if n=0, return 1 and if n=1, return 1.
An LRU cache can be made using a doubly linked list and a hash map.
Create a doubly linked list to store the cache items.
Create a hash map to store the key-value pairs.
When a new item is added, check if the cache is full. If it is, remove the least recently used item from the linked list and hash map.
When an item is accessed, move it to the front of the linked list.
When an item is removed, remove it from both the l...
Searching an element in a sorted 2D matrix
Start from the top-right corner or bottom-left corner
Compare the target element with the current element
Move left or down if the target is smaller or move right or up if the target is larger
The most likely number to occur as the final sum is 100.
The sum of the outcomes of the dice rolls will keep increasing until it reaches or exceeds 100.
Since the dice have equal probabilities for each outcome, the sum will have a higher chance of reaching 100.
The probability of rolling a sum greater than 100 decreases as the sum gets larger.
Goldman Sachs Analyst Interview Experiences
75 interviews found
Srijith Rajagopalan
I applied via Campus Placement and was interviewed in Dec 2016. There were 5 interview rounds.
Interview Questionnaire
22 Questions
- Q1. Tell me about yourself?
- Ans.
I am a highly motivated individual with a passion for learning and a strong work ethic.
I have a degree in computer science and have worked as a software developer for 3 years.
I am proficient in multiple programming languages including Java, Python, and C++.
I am a quick learner and enjoy taking on new challenges.
In my free time, I enjoy hiking and playing guitar.
- Q2. Given a biased coin, how do you create an unbiased toss?
- Q3. Once you have done that, what is the expected number of turns you need to wait for getting the first unbiased toss
- Q4. Suppose a man starts at 0, and has to go to 20 on the number line. He can either move in steps of 1 or 2. How many number of ways can he do this? Extending this, if we know the number of ways for going fr...
- Ans.
Count number of ways to reach 20 on number line starting from 0 in steps of 1 or 2. Derive recursive formula for n+1.
Use dynamic programming to count number of ways for each step.
For each step, number of ways is sum of number of ways for previous 1 or 2 steps.
Recursive formula: ways[n+1] = ways[n] + ways[n-1]
- Q5. Have you applied to any PhD programs?
- Ans.
Yes, I have applied to several PhD programs in the past.
I have applied to PhD programs in [specific field] at [specific universities].
I have experience with the application process, including writing research proposals and obtaining letters of recommendation.
I am currently waiting to hear back from the programs I applied to.
- Q6. Given a number line, and we have a rod of length L. We drop the rod on the line, what is the probability that it covers an integer?
- Ans.
Probability of a rod of length L covering an integer on a number line.
The probability depends on the length of the rod and the distance between adjacent integers on the number line.
If the length of the rod is less than the distance between adjacent integers, the probability is zero.
If the length of the rod is greater than or equal to the distance between adjacent integers, the probability is (L - d)/d, where d is the d...
- Q7. Suppose there are N chocolates, and I pick a random one, and eat that chocolate and also everything to the right of it. I then continue this process with the remaining. How many ways are there to do this...
- Ans.
There are (N-1)! ways to eat chocolates from left to right.
The first chocolate can be chosen in N ways, the second in (N-1) ways, and so on.
However, since the order of chocolates eaten matters, we need to divide by the number of ways to order N chocolates, which is N!.
Therefore, the total number of ways to eat chocolates is (N-1)!
For example, if N=4, there are 3! = 6 ways to eat the chocolates.
- Q8. Supposed there is a party, with 9 people, each person wants to give gifts to 3 people and also wants a gift from them. Is this scenario possible? If not, when is this possible? Give me a general case
- Ans.
No, it is not possible for each person to give gifts to 3 people and receive a gift from them in a party of 9 people.
In this scenario, each person would need to receive 3 gifts, which is not possible if there are only 9 people.
This scenario would be possible if there were at least 10 people at the party.
In general, for a party of n people, each person can give gifts to n-1 people and receive gifts from n-1 people.
- Q9. Given a tank with liquid, and there are flows in and out, inflow is U and outflow is Kx, where x is current height of liquid in tank, all needed quantities given, what are the conditions for overflow and s...
- Ans.
Conditions for overflow and steady state in a tank with inflow and outflow
Overflow occurs when the inflow rate is greater than the outflow rate
Steady state is achieved when the inflow rate equals the outflow rate
Overflow can be prevented by adjusting the inflow rate or increasing the outflow rate
Steady state can be maintained by balancing the inflow and outflow rates
- Q10. What are your interests? (Be careful, align the interests to their profile)
- Ans.
I am interested in data analysis, technology, and staying up-to-date with industry trends.
Data analysis and visualization
Machine learning and AI
Technology advancements and innovations
Industry conferences and events
Networking with professionals in the field
- Q11. Given there are 2 kinds of coins spread all over the world, and we start picking coins, what is the expected number of coins to pick, to have both kinds of coins in hand?
- Q12. Given a window of 1 hour, and two friends want to meet, given that the arrival time follows a uniform distribution, what is the probability that they will arrive within ten minutes of one another
- Q13. Grilled me about my internship, (time series modeling) went in depth about why I did this, that, etc. If you have a time series or ML project, they will grill you on it
- Q14. Given we have a (un)biased die, with given probabilities, and we toss it till we get a sum of 100 or more (basically if the sum crosses 100), and we stop. What is the most probable number you will get on ...
- Ans.
The most probable number on the last toss is 6.
The probability of getting a sum of 100 or more is highest when the sum is 99.
The last toss will be made to reach the sum of 100, so the most probable number is the one that will take the sum closest to 100.
The sum of 94 can be achieved by rolling a 6 on the last toss, which is the most probable number.
- Q15. What do you think our team does. (I gathered this information by asking a lot of questions from other interviewers. It helps a lot)
- Q16. What do you know about options?
- Ans.
Options are financial contracts that give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a predetermined price.
Options can be used for hedging or speculation
There are two types of options: call options and put options
Call options give the buyer the right to buy the underlying asset at a predetermined price, while put options give the buyer the right to sell the underlying asset at a ...
- Q17. What is a call option? Why are call options bought?
- Ans.
A call option is a financial contract that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy an underlying asset at a predetermined price within a specified time period.
Call options are bought by investors who believe that the price of the underlying asset will rise in the future.
The buyer of a call option pays a premium to the seller for the right to buy the asset at a predetermined price, known as the strike ...
- Q18. If I have to buy fuel from you, what option would I buy?
- Ans.
You can buy fuel from us through our fuel card program.
We offer a fuel card program that allows you to purchase fuel from our network of stations.
Our fuel card program offers discounts and rewards for frequent users.
You can easily track your fuel expenses and usage through our online portal.
We also offer customized fuel solutions for businesses and fleets.
Our fuel is high-quality and meets all industry standards.
- Q19. If we increase the volatility of the stock, how does the price of a call option change?
- Ans.
Increasing stock volatility increases the price of a call option.
Higher volatility means higher potential for the stock to move in the option holder's favor, increasing the option's value
The option's delta and gamma will also increase with higher volatility
Example: If a call option on a stock with a strike price of $50 has a premium of $2 when the stock has a volatility of 20%, increasing the volatility to 30% may incr...
- Q20. How do you calculate the price of a call option?
- Ans.
The price of a call option is calculated using the Black-Scholes model which takes into account the underlying asset price, strike price, time to expiration, risk-free interest rate, and volatility.
Determine the current price of the underlying asset
Determine the strike price of the option
Determine the time to expiration of the option
Determine the risk-free interest rate
Determine the volatility of the underlying asset
Pl...
- Q21. Is the price of a barrier option more or less than a normal option?
- Q22. Do you have any questions?
Interview Preparation Tips
Experience: The resume shortlist, I feel, was slightly unfair. They had put a cut-off of 9 for branches outside EE/CS.
Tips: Don't worry, they might not follow this next year. Your resume should have a mix of probability, finance (courses on these are enough, though internships will really help)
They don't care about your PoRs in the interview, but this may matter for the resume shortlist (Assuming it's done fairly) So be sure to include them.
Round: Test
Experience: There were 30 MCQ questions, 10 each on the above mentioned sections. There is no dearth of time, so you can think clearly and solve the question. I found that quant was the hardest of the lot, followed by coding followed by ML.
ML questions will be on SVMs, ANNs, Ensemble learning methods, Hypothesis testing, Feature selection, Model selection etc. the standard topics you can find in "Elements of Statistical Learning" by Hastie, Tibshirani and Friedman.
The coding section was mostly on arrays, data structures (binary tree, mostly), recursion, and one subjective question.
For quant, you need to be really well versed in probability, definite integrals (Not kidding), and other JEE math.
Tips: You'll need to do really well in atleast one of the sections to be shortlisted. Even if you are non CS/EE, (assuming you don't have experience in coding) you can do really well in ML section. Aim for that and prepare in advance. Once you are through to the interview, you just need to give them a reason to hire you. :)
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Questions: 30
Round: Technical Interview
Experience: The lady who interviewed me was a chemE graduate from IIT Bombay. She was friendly and willing to help when asked about a problem. Overall, very good interview experience.
Tips: For all interviews, I'll say this. Ask a lot of questions. They are very interested in explaining what they do, and feel free to interrupt them if you don't understand something. Always try to relate what they say to your interest. That way you'll bring new perspective into the interview. And that's very useful, believe me. If they have shortlisted you, they want to hire you. You just have to give them a reason to. Always relate your experiences and your interests with what they do. if you do that, they will find a role for you, somewhere. Do not worry. I was interested in machine learning and I got a finance profile. (They have a team in that profile that does ML)
For quant questions, I would suggest thinking out loud and interacting each step of the way. They care more about your thinking than about the answer. They will point out the errors and you can correct them. Don't worry about silences, as long as you think out loud, it will not be a problem.
Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Again, very friendly interview. The interviewer will lead you on, and assist you if you're facing any difficulty. :) Just be sure to be jovial and interactive.
Tips: Same as above.
Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Very technical, serious interview. I think he was the senior guy. He still helped out a lot.
Tips: Be to the point, he was more interested in the technical knowledge.
Round: Technical Interview
Experience: The final interview I had. He was very helpful, and was very eager to talk about the company and what they do. He had an extensive knowledge of finance, options (obviously). The course on Mathematical Finance by the maths department was very useful. You need to have a good knowledge of options for getting through this.
Tips: Same as the first interview.
Skills: Quant+Math, Problem Solving Abilties, Probabiity, Internship Experience, Finance
College Name: IIT Madras
Ms. Pruthvi Alva
(1 Question)
- Q1. What prompted you to change your job?
- Ans.
I changed my job to seek new challenges and opportunities for growth.
Desire for new challenges and growth
Opportunity for career advancement
Seeking better work-life balance
Company restructuring or downsizing
Relocation to a new city
(1 Question)
- Q1. What platforms have you used for this process in the past?
- Ans.
I have used platforms such as Excel, Tableau, and Power BI for data analysis in the past.
Excel
Tableau
Power BI
(1 Question)
- Q1. Would you be willing to work for 14 hours if required?
- Ans.
Yes, I am willing to work for 14 hours if required.
I am dedicated and committed to my work
I understand the importance of meeting deadlines and delivering results
I am willing to put in extra hours when necessary to ensure success
Anonymous
Selected
Coding test in python
(1 Question)
- Q1. General qs regarding dcf, corp finance, valuation
(1 Question)
- Q1. Similar to previous rounds
I applied via Campus Placement and was interviewed in Sep 2024. There were 4 interview rounds.
Questions were asked on data interpretation
25 mins of gd
topic:AI boon or bane to jobs
(2 Questions)
- Q1. Sql queries on join
- Q2. Puzzle on probability
(1 Question)
- Q1. Finance questions , basic HR questions
Interview Preparation Tips
do a course on finance if possible
Selected
I applied via Recruitment Consulltant and was interviewed in Jun 2024. There were 3 interview rounds.
(2 Questions)
- Q1. Walk me through your resume
- Q2. Why goldman sachs
- Ans.
I admire Goldman Sachs for its innovation, global impact, and commitment to excellence in finance and client service.
Goldman Sachs is a leader in the financial industry, known for its innovative solutions and strategic insights.
The firm's commitment to diversity and inclusion resonates with my values, fostering a collaborative work environment.
I am drawn to the opportunity to work on high-impact projects that shape the...
(2 Questions)
- Q1. Take me through your profile
- Q2. What is trade life cycle
(1 Question)
- Q1. Basic behavioral questions
Interview Preparation Tips
- Resume
(2 Questions)
- Q1. Introduction and resume skills
- Q2. QUestions on understanding of derivatives
I applied via Campus Placement and was interviewed in May 2024. There were 3 interview rounds.
70 minutes test with 60mcqs based on mostly aptitude
The topic was AI in education 30 minutes round
(2 Questions)
- Q1. Gfg puzzles the ball question identify the odd ball
- Q2. Probablity questions also finance related questions on equity loans mortgages etc
Lengthy, 2 questions
Interview Preparation Tips
I applied via Company Website and was interviewed in Feb 2024. There was 1 interview round.
(2 Questions)
- Q1. Walk me through resume
- Ans.
Experienced analyst with expertise in data analysis, financial modeling, and market research.
Started career as a financial analyst at XYZ Company
Led team in developing complex financial models to forecast revenue
Conducted market research to identify new business opportunities
Presented findings to senior management to drive strategic decision-making
- Q2. What is a strength of yours
- Ans.
One of my strengths is my ability to analyze complex data and identify key insights.
Strong analytical skills
Ability to think critically and problem-solve
Experience with data analysis tools such as Excel or Tableau
I applied via Job Portal
(1 Question)
- Q1. Tell me about yourself
(1 Question)
- Q1. Based on my college experience
Interview Preparation Tips
Selected
I applied via Naukri.com
1 hr, multiple questions from my resume and two coding problems (medium)
Puzzles and a coding question
Interview Preparation Tips
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Goldman Sachs Interview FAQs
Some of the top questions asked at the Goldman Sachs Analyst interview -
The duration of Goldman Sachs Analyst interview process can vary, but typically it takes about less than 2 weeks to complete.
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Goldman Sachs Interviews By Designations
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