Goldman Sachs Interview Puzzles

The following Goldman Sachs Interview Puzzles will enable the students to practice and be more confident while giving the interview.

1. Goldman Sachs Interview Puzzle - Famous Probability Puzzle

This is a famous probability puzzle in which you have to choose the correct answer at random from the four options below. 

Can you tell us whats the probability of choosing correct answer in this random manner.

1) 1/4
2) 1/2
3) 1
4) 1/4

Solution:

0%

Explanation:
1) why cant be 1/4 : If the answer is 1/4, then as we know two out of four answer choices is '1/4', the answer has be 1/2.
This is a contradiction, so the answer cannot be 1/4.

2) why cant be 1/2 : If the answer is 1/2 then because answer:"1/2" is 1 out of 4 answer choices, the answer must be 1/4. This is also a contradiction. So the answer cannot be 1/2.

3) why cant be 1 : If the answer is 1 then because answer:"1" is 1 out of 4 answer choices, the answer must be 1/4. Again the same contradiction and therefore answer cannot be 1.

2. Goldman Sachs Interview Puzzle - Weight Balance Riddle

You can place weights on both side of weighing balance and you need to measure all weights between 1 and 1000. For example if you have weights 1 and 3,now you can measure 1,3 and 4 like earlier case, and also you can measure 2,by placing 3 on one side and 1 on the side which contain the substance to be weighed. So question again is how many minimum weights and of what denominations you need to measure all weights from 1kg to 1000kg.

Solution:

For this answer is 3^0, 3^1, 3^2... That is 1,3,9,27,81,243 and 729.

3. Goldman Sachs Interview Puzzle  - Birbal Brain Teaser

Birbal is a witty trader who trade of a mystical fruit grown far in north. He travels from one place to another with three sacks which can hold 30 fruits each. None of the sack can hold more than 30 fruits. On his way, he has to pass through thirty check points and at each check point, he has to give one fruit for each sack to the authorities.

How many mystical fruits remain after he goes through all the thirty check points?

Solution:

25 Fruits

Remember we told you that Birbal is a witty trader. So his sole motive is to get rid of the sacks as fast as he can.

For the first sack:
He must be able to fill fruits from one sack to other two sacks. Assume that he is able to do that after M check points. Now to find M,

(Space in first sack) M + (Space in second sack) M = (Remaining fruits in Third Sack) 30 – M
M = 10

Thus after 10 checkpoints, Birbal will be left with only 2 sacks containing 30 fruits each.

Now he must get rid of the second sack.
For that, he must fill the fruits from second sack to the first sack. Assume that he manages to do that after N checkpoints.

(Space in First Sack) N = (Remaining fruits in second sack) 30 – N
N = 15

Thus after he has crossed 25 checkpoints, he will be left be one sack with 30 fruits in it. He has to pass five more checkpoints where he will have to give five fruits and he will be left with twenty five fruits once he has crossed all thirty check points.

4. Goldman Sachs Interview Puzzle- Awesome Clock Puzzle

Time 12:21 is a palindrome as it reads the same forwards or backwards.

Whats the Whats the shortest interval between two palindromic times ?

example => 11:11 and 12:21 has interval of 1 hr 10 minutes.

Solution:

2 minutes (duration between 9:59 and 10:01)

5. Goldman Sachs Interview Puzzle- Crossing Bridge Brain Teaser

Four friends need to cross a dangerous bridge at night. Unfortunately, they have only one torch and the bridge is too dangerous to cross without one. The bridge is only strong enough to support two people at a time. Not all people take the same time to cross the bridge. Times for each person: 1 min, 2 mins, 7 mins and 10 mins. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge?

Solution:

17 mins

The initial solution most people will think of is to use the fastest person as an usher to guide everyone across. How long would that take? 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 21 mins. Is that it? No. That would make this question too simple even as a warm up question.

Let’s brainstorm a little further. To reduce the amount of time, we should find a way for 10 and 7 to go together. If they cross together, then we need one of them to come back to get the others. That would not be ideal. How do we get around that? Maybe we can have 1 waiting on the other side to bring the torch back. Ahaa, we are getting closer. The fastest way to get 1 across and be back is to use 2 to usher 1 across. So let’s put all this together.

1 and 2 go cross
2 comes back
7 and 10 go across
1 comes back
1 and 2 go across (done)

Total time = 2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17 mins

6. Coin Puzzle

You have a thousand Re. 1 coins with you. You have ten bags with you and you can put any number of coins in each of the bags. The condition is that if someone asks you for any amount between 1 and 1000, you must be able to give that amount by just giving the bag (you are not allowed to open the bag and give coins).

How will you do it ?

Solution: 

First Bag = 1 Coin
Second Bag = 2 Coins
Third Bag = 4 Coins
Fourth Bag = 8 Coins
Fifth Bag = 16 Coins
Sixth Bag = 32 Coins
Seventh Bag = 64 Coins
Eighth Bag = 128 Coins
Ninth Bag = 256 Coins
Tenth Bag = Remaining Coins.

Now think of any amount between 1 and 1000 and you will be able to give it by using bags (without opening them)