Latest 150 Goldman Sachs Interview Questions

Introduction
Goldman Sachs is like a giant in the world of finance. Imagine a place where big decisions about money are made, and big dreams are turned into reality. That’s what Goldman Sachs does! They are a global company that helps businesses, governments, and individuals with their money matters.
Why would an IT professional want to join this place? Well, Goldman Sachs isn’t just about numbers and money; they need talented people to create the technology that makes everything work smoothly. It’s like building the engines for a gigantic ship that sails through the financial oceans. If you love solving puzzles, creating new things, and being part of something big, then Goldman Sachs might be the place for you.
They use the latest technology and offer exciting opportunities for growth and learning. They even have special programs to teach you new skills, like their Technology Apprenticeship Program. Joining Goldman Sachs could be like playing for the champions’ league in the tech world, so if you have the passion and talent, this might be the next big step in your career!
Goldman Sachs Recruitment Process
1. Interview Process
The Goldman Sachs recruitment process consists of several stages:
a. Online Assessment Test
- Quantitative Aptitude: Questions related to Numerical Computations and Reasoning.
- Reasoning: Logical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, and Diagrammatic Reasoning.
- Verbal: Reading Comprehension.
- Technical section: Coding, Aptitude, Computer science, Competitive Programming, etc.
b. Technical Interview
- Technical Abilities Assessment: Specific to the role, problem-solving talents, previous projects, and job experiences.
- Programming Language Proficiency: Strong understanding of at least one programming language like C/C++, Java, Python, or JavaScript.
c. HR Interview
- Personality Assessment: Examines personality, background, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Resume Review: Questions based on your resume.
- Interest and Motivation: Explain your interest in the profession and what motivates you.
2. Interview Rounds
- Online Assessment Test: Divided into sections like Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, Verbal, Technical section.
- Technical Interview: Face-to-face technical interview to assess technical abilities.
- HR Interview: To examine personality and fit for the post.
3. Goldman Sachs Technical Interview Examples
Here are some examples of technical interview questions that might be asked during the process:
- Multithreading in Java: How are threads formed?
- hashCode() and equals() in Java: Explanation.
- Final keyword in Java: Usage and explanation.
- Difference between StringBuffer and StringBuilder: Context in Java.
- Internal architecture of Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
- Garbage Collection in Java: Explanation.
- Difference between an interface and abstract class in Java.
- Static and dynamic polymorphism in C++: Implementation.
- Differences between pointers and reference variables in C++.
- Can a constructor be private in C++?: Explanation.
- Red-Black Tree in context to data structures: Explanation.
- Explain BFS (Breadth First Search): Explanation.
Relevant Links
Exploring Goldman Sachs Culture
1. Teamwork and Client Service
The Goldman Sachs culture emphasizes teamwork, client service, and community engagement. These values are considered the foundation of the firm’s success.
2. Global Expansion
The firm has expanded its footprint in emerging markets since the 1990s, reflecting the growth and integration of global financial markets. This includes opening offices in various emerging markets and strengthening commitments to regions like Germany and Europe.
3. Diversity and Inclusion
In 2019, Goldman Sachs expanded hiring targets to increase the diversity profile of its workforce, recognizing the many benefits of a more inclusive workplace.
4. Culture of Giving Back
Goldman Sachs has a strong culture of giving back to the community. In 2007, they launched a donor-advised fund, Goldman Sachs Gives, where partners recommend nonprofit organizations to receive grants.
5. Leadership Development
The firm has initiatives like Pine Street, created after Goldman Sachs’ initial public offering in 1999, to foster the development of exceptional leaders and ensure that its culture of leadership excellence remains a competitive advantage.
6. Support for Working Parents
In 1993, Goldman Sachs opened its first onsite child care center at the New York headquarters, providing essential support for working parents.
7. Sustainability and Environmental Consciousness
The Bengaluru campus is a model of sustainability, featuring clean energy sources and outdoor parkland.
8. Business Standards and Ethics
In 2010, Goldman Sachs initiated a comprehensive review of business principles and practices through the newly-formed Business Standards Committee.
9. Evolving Partnership
The firm’s evolving partnership is reflected in the diverse backgrounds of its partners, including the first woman partner, the first black partner, and pioneers in quantitative risk management.
Exploring Exciting Opportunities: Goldman Sachs Programs for Students
Goldman Sachs, a prestigious global investment banking and financial services firm, offers a range of exceptional opportunities for students to learn, grow, and excel in the financial industry. Whether you’re an 8th grader or a college student, Goldman Sachs has various internships, programs, and competitive events tailored to suit your interests and aspirations. Let’s delve into the details of each opportunity.
1. Summer Analyst Program
The Summer Analyst Program at Goldman Sachs is a fantastic opportunity for college students to gain real-world experience in various divisions such as Investment Banking, Securities, and more. During the 10-week program, you’ll work on challenging projects, collaborate with professionals, and participate in training sessions. This program not only enhances your industry knowledge but also helps you develop valuable skills.
2. Engineering Practicum
If you’re passionate about technology, the Engineering Practicum is the right fit for you. This program is designed for first and second-year undergraduate students interested in software engineering. Over the course of the 12-week program, you’ll work on technical projects, receive mentorship from experienced engineers, and gain insight into the tech-driven world of finance.
Links: Summer Analyst Program | Engineering Practicum
3. Explore GS
The Explore GS program is a one-day event that provides high school students with the chance to learn about careers in finance. Through workshops, panels, and interactive sessions, you’ll gain insights into the financial industry and discover the diverse roles within Goldman Sachs. This program is a great way to kickstart your journey toward a rewarding career.
4. Women’s Possibilities Summit
For young women interested in finance, the Women’s Possibilities Summit is an empowering experience. This two-day event features networking opportunities, skill-building workshops, and discussions on topics relevant to women in the industry. By connecting with successful women professionals, you’ll be inspired to pursue your ambitions.
Links: Explore GS | Women’s Possibilities Summit
5. Goldman Sachs Global CodeSprint
The Global CodeSprint is a coding competition that challenges students to solve real-world problems using their coding skills. It’s a great opportunity to showcase your programming abilities and creativity. Participating in this event gives you a taste of the innovative problem-solving required in the finance industry.
6. HackGS
HackGS is a hackathon where students work in teams to develop innovative solutions to business challenges. You’ll collaborate, brainstorm, and create prototypes under time pressure. It’s a chance to apply your creativity and technical skills in a fast-paced, real-world scenario.
Links: Goldman Sachs Global CodeSprint | HackGS
Top 150 Questions Asked in Goldman Sachs Interview
Arrays and Strings
- Two Sum – LeetCode Link
- Container With Most Water – LeetCode Link
- 3Sum – LeetCode Link
- Four Sum – LeetCode Link
- Remove Duplicates from Sorted Array – LeetCode Link
- Next Permutation – LeetCode Link
- Product of Array Except Self – LeetCode Link
- Maximum Subarray – LeetCode Link
- Missing Number – LeetCode Link
- Maximum Product Subarray – LeetCode Link
- Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters – LeetCode Link
- Valid Parentheses – LeetCode Link
- Longest Palindromic Substring – LeetCode Link
- ZigZag Conversion – LeetCode Link
- Group Anagrams – LeetCode Link
- Longest Common Prefix – LeetCode Link
- Valid Palindrome – LeetCode Link
- Count and Say – LeetCode Link
- StrStr (Implement strStr()) – LeetCode Link
- String to Integer (atoi) – LeetCode Link
Linked Lists
- Reverse Linked List – LeetCode Link
- Merge Two Sorted Lists – LeetCode Link
- Add Two Numbers – LeetCode Link
- Palindrome Linked List – LeetCode Link
- Linked List Cycle – LeetCode Link
- Intersection of Two Linked Lists – LeetCode Link
- Remove Nth Node From End of List – LeetCode Link
- Copy List with Random Pointer – LeetCode Link
- Odd Even Linked List – LeetCode Link
- Flatten a Multilevel Doubly Linked List – LeetCode Link
- Rotate List – LeetCode Link
- Design Linked List – LeetCode Link
- LRU Cache – LeetCode Link
- Reverse Nodes in k-Group – LeetCode Link
- Reorder List – LeetCode Link
- Add Two Numbers II – LeetCode Link
- Palindrome Linked List II – LeetCode Link
- Insertion Sort List – LeetCode Link
- Sort List – LeetCode Link
- Remove Duplicates from Sorted List – LeetCode Link
- Intersection of Two Linked Lists II – LeetCode Link
- Flatten Binary Tree to Linked List – LeetCode Link
- Convert Sorted List to Binary Search Tree – LeetCode Link
- Delete Node in a Linked List – LeetCode Link
- Reverse Linked List II – LeetCode Link
- Add Two Polynomials Represented as Linked Lists – LeetCode Link
- Merge k Sorted Lists – LeetCode Link
- Linked List Cycle II – LeetCode Link
- Remove Linked List Elements – LeetCode Link
- Design Front Middle Back Queue – LeetCode Link
Stacks and Queues
- Valid Parentheses – LeetCode Link
- Min Stack – LeetCode Link
- Evaluate Reverse Polish Notation – LeetCode Link
- Next Greater Element I – LeetCode Link
- Longest Valid Parentheses – LeetCode Link
- Implement Queue using Stacks – LeetCode Link
- Sliding Window Maximum – LeetCode Link
- Design Circular Queue – LeetCode Link
- Implement Stack using Queues – LeetCode Link
- Design Circular Deque – LeetCode Link
- Trapping Rain Water – LeetCode Link
- Daily Temperatures – LeetCode Link
- Decode String – LeetCode Link
- Largest Rectangle in Histogram – LeetCode Link
- Implement Queue using Stacks II – LeetCode Link
Trees:
- Validate Binary Search Tree – LeetCode Link
- Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum – LeetCode Link
- Invert Binary Tree – LeetCode Link
- Symmetric Tree – LeetCode Link
- Lowest Common Ancestor of a Binary Tree – LeetCode Link
- Binary Tree Level Order Traversal – LeetCode Link
- Construct Binary Tree from Inorder and Postorder Traversal – LeetCode Link
- Subtree of Another Tree – LeetCode Link
- Balanced Binary Tree – LeetCode Link
- Binary Tree Zigzag Level Order Traversal – LeetCode Link
- Recover Binary Search Tree – LeetCode Link
- Populating Next Right Pointers in Each Node – LeetCode Link
- Binary Tree Level Order Traversal II – LeetCode Link
- Serialize and Deserialize Binary Tree – LeetCode Link
- Kth Smallest Element in a BST – LeetCode Link
Graphs:
- Number of Islands – LeetCode Link
- Course Schedule – LeetCode Link
- Clone Graph – LeetCode Link
- Word Ladder – LeetCode Link
- Graph Valid Tree – LeetCode Link
- Word Ladder II – LeetCode Link
- Pacific Atlantic Water Flow – LeetCode Link
- Cheapest Flights Within K Stops – LeetCode Link
- All Paths From Source to Target – LeetCode Link
- Network Delay Time – LeetCode Link
- Critical Connections in a Network – LeetCode Link
- Island Perimeter – LeetCode Link
- Find the Town Judge – LeetCode Link
- Word Search II – LeetCode Link
- Accounts Merge – LeetCode Link
Hashing
- Two Sum – LeetCode Link
- Four Sum – LeetCode Link
- Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters – LeetCode Link
- Group Anagrams – LeetCode Link
- Valid Anagram – LeetCode Link
- Isomorphic Strings – LeetCode Link
- Word Pattern – LeetCode Link
- Longest Consecutive Sequence – LeetCode Link
- Subarray Sum Equals K – LeetCode Link
- Longest Subarray with Sum K – LeetCode Link
- Contains Duplicate – LeetCode Link
- Contains Duplicate II – LeetCode Link
- Intersection of Two Arrays – LeetCode Link
- Intersection of Two Arrays II – LeetCode Link
- Most Common Word – LeetCode Link
Dynamic Programming
- Climbing Stairs – LeetCode Link
- Coin Change – LeetCode Link
- Longest Increasing Subsequence – LeetCode Link
- Unique Paths – LeetCode Link
- Maximum Subarray – LeetCode Link
- House Robber – LeetCode Link
- Word Break – LeetCode Link
- Edit Distance – LeetCode Link
- Longest Palindromic Substring – LeetCode Link
- Palindrome Partitioning II – LeetCode Link
- Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock – LeetCode Link
- Maximum Product Subarray – LeetCode Link
- Unique Binary Search Trees – LeetCode Link
- Minimum Path Sum – LeetCode Link
- Decode Ways – LeetCode Link
- Longest Common Subsequence – LeetCode Link
- Jump Game II – LeetCode Link
- Paint House – LeetCode Link
- Wildcard Matching – LeetCode Link
- Largest Divisible Subset – LeetCode Link
Sorting:
- Merge Intervals – LeetCode Link
- Insert Interval – LeetCode Link
- Meeting Rooms – LeetCode Link
- Meeting Rooms II – LeetCode Link
- Sort Colors – LeetCode Link
- Largest Number – LeetCode Link
- H-Index – LeetCode Link
- Kth Largest Element in an Array – LeetCode Link
- Sort an Array – LeetCode Link
- First Missing Positive – LeetCode Link
- Valid Anagram – LeetCode Link
- Merge k Sorted Lists – LeetCode Link
- Top K Frequent Elements – LeetCode Link
- Sort List – LeetCode Link
- Counting Elements – LeetCode Link
Searching:
- Search in Rotated Sorted Array – LeetCode Link
- Search in Rotated Sorted Array II – LeetCode Link
- Find First and Last Position of Element in Sorted Array – LeetCode Link
- Find Peak Element – LeetCode Link
- Median of Two Sorted Arrays – LeetCode Link
- Find Minimum in Rotated Sorted Array – LeetCode Link
- Search Insert Position – LeetCode Link
- Search a 2D Matrix – LeetCode Link
- Search a 2D Matrix II – LeetCode Link
- Find K Closest Elements – LeetCode Link
- Minimum Size Subarray Sum – LeetCode Link
- Find the Duplicate Number – LeetCode Link
- Minimum Number of Arrows to Burst Balloons – LeetCode Link
- Search a 2D Matrix II – LeetCode Link
- Peak Index in a Mountain Array – LeetCode Link
Interview Preparation Tips
Preparing for a Goldman Sachs interview requires a combination of technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and the ability to effectively communicate your thoughts. Here are some tips to help you succeed:
- Understand the Company: Research Goldman Sachs thoroughly. Understand their culture, values, recent news, and the specific roles they offer. Tailor your answers to demonstrate your alignment with the company’s values.
- Review Basics: Ensure you have a strong grasp of data structures, algorithms, and coding. Practice implementing common algorithms and solving coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and CodeSignal.
- Problem-Solving: Focus on problem-solving techniques rather than memorizing solutions. Understand how to approach different types of problems, break them down, and design efficient algorithms.
- Coding Practice: Practice coding regularly. Aim for clarity, correctness, and efficiency in your solutions. Practice different languages if you’re comfortable, as some interviews may allow language flexibility.
- Complexity Analysis: Understand time and space complexity. Analyze your solutions to determine their efficiency and scalability. This is often crucial in technical interviews.
- Behavioral Questions: Prepare answers to common behavioral questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method. Be ready to discuss your experiences, achievements, teamwork, and challenges.
- Resume Review: Be ready to discuss every item on your resume. Highlight your accomplishments, responsibilities, and how they relate to the role you’re interviewing for.
- Communication Skills: Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely. Interviewers want to understand how you approach problems and work through challenges.
- Whiteboard Coding: If your interview includes whiteboard coding, practice solving problems on a whiteboard or paper. Walk through your thought process step by step.
- Mock Interviews: Practice mock interviews with peers, mentors, or using online platforms. This helps you get used to interview dynamics and receive feedback.
- Ask Questions: Prepare thoughtful questions for your interviewers. Asking about the team, projects, and company culture shows your interest.
- Stay Calm: Interviews can be nerve-wracking, but stay calm and focused. Take a moment to understand the problem before jumping into solutions.
- Follow Up: After the interview, send a personalized thank-you email to your interviewer. Mention something specific from the interview to reinforce your interest.
- Stay Updated: Keep up with industry news, trends, and recent advancements. This knowledge can come in handy during technical and behavioral discussions.
- Mock Coding Interviews: Practice mock coding interviews using platforms like Pramp, Interviewing.io, or LeetCode’s mock interview feature. This helps you simulate real interview conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Can students from different educational backgrounds apply? Yes, Goldman Sachs welcomes students from various educational backgrounds to apply for their programs.
- How can I prepare for competitive events at Goldman Sachs? Practice your technical skills, collaborate effectively in teams, and familiarize yourself with the company’s values and industry trends.
- Are these programs open to international students? Yes, many of Goldman Sachs’ programs are open to international students. Check individual program pages for specific eligibility details.
- What qualities does Goldman Sachs look for in candidates? Goldman Sachs values diverse perspectives, strong analytical skills, teamwork, and a genuine interest in finance and technology.
- How do these experiences benefit my future career? Participating in Goldman Sachs’ programs and events exposes you to industry professionals, helps you develop relevant skills, and enhances your understanding of the financial sector.
- Is there a specific GPA requirement to apply for Goldman Sachs’ programs? While a strong academic record is favorable, Goldman Sachs evaluates candidates holistically, considering skills, experiences, and potential alongside GPA.
- Do I need to have prior finance knowledge to participate in the programs? No, many programs are designed to provide you with a foundation in finance. However, having a basic understanding of financial concepts can be advantageous.
- Are there networking opportunities during these programs? Yes, networking is a key component of Goldman Sachs’ programs. You’ll have the chance to connect with professionals, mentors, and fellow participants.
- What support is provided to participants during the programs? Participants receive mentorship, training, and guidance throughout the programs to ensure a meaningful and enriching experience.
- Can I apply for multiple programs at once? Yes, you can apply for multiple programs that align with your interests and qualifications. However, ensure that you tailor each application accordingly