Goldman Sachs interview experience Real time questions & tips from candidates to crack your interview
Quantitative Strategist
Goldman Sachs
3 rounds | 5 Coding
problems
Selected Interview preparation journey
Journey
My journey has always been driven by curiosity and a love for exploring new things. I had a basic understanding of coding from school but didn’t dive into competitive programming early on. Instead, I spent my initial years in college exploring clubs, doing web development internships, working on startups, and even contributing to a blockchain research project. I began practising competitive programming more seriously in 2023, not just to secure an internship but out of genuine interest. Starting in the summer, I fully committed to DSA preparation, dedicating almost 10 hours a day, and was able to complete the entire DSA in a month. I had also completed a few machine learning projects earlier. I’ve always been fascinated by financial concepts as well. This dedication led to my internship with Goldman Sachs, where I was able to turn my passion into a career.
Application story
I had been actively applying to both software and quant companies, but my preference was always for quant roles. I’ve always been drawn to opportunities that sit at the intersection of technology and research, even though such roles are relatively rare. When Goldman Sachs offered a position that aligned perfectly with my interests, I saw it as an ideal fit. The application process began with an online assessment, followed by technical and behavioural interviews. Throughout the process, I found myself excited about the role, as it combined the analytical rigour of quantitative work with the technological aspects I enjoy, and I was fortunate to secure a placement there.
Why selected/rejected for the role?
I believe I was selected for the role because I’ve always enjoyed analytical and critical thinking, which provided a strong foundation for coding and problem-solving. My interest in the financial domain also aligned well with the quant aspect of the role. Additionally, my background in engineering physics made it easier to tackle advanced math and statistics questions. Beyond the technical side, I think my conversational skills helped me connect with the interviewers and convey my thought process, which made a difference in the final decision.
Preparation
Duration: 6 months
Topics: Data Structures, Algorithms, Statistics, Machine Learning, Finance
Tip 1: Do at least 3 projects.
Tip 2: Practice questions on coding platforms for each topic thoroughly.
Tip 3: Participate in contests regularly.
Application process
Where: Campus
Eligibility: No criteria, (Salary Package - 18 LPA)
Tip 1: Have at least 3 projects.
Tip 2: Use bullet points instead of full sentences.
Interview rounds
01
Round
Medium
Online Coding Interview
Duration60 minutes
Interview date26 Jul 2023
Coding problem2
It was at around 4 PM in the evening. The test was having 3 sections. It consisted of 3 sections for both roles.
Section A - MCQ: Probability, Statistics, Calculus and Linear Algebra.
Section B - 3 coding questions
Section C - Situational/behavioural question
1. Fill The Matrix
Hard
45m average time
50% success
0/120
Asked in companies
You are given an n×n matrix A, which can contain floating-point numbers. Write a function to find its inverse. If the matrix is singular (i.e., it doesn't have an inverse), return None.
Problem approach
1. Input matrix A.
2. Check if A is square.
3. Calculate the determinant of A.
4. If determinant ≠ 0, compute inverse.
5. Return the inverse or None.
2. Matrix Multiplication
Moderate
15m average time
85% success
0/80
Asked in companies
You are given two matrices A and B where: Matrix A has dimensions m x n (i.e., it has m rows and n columns). Matrix B has dimensions n x p (i.e., it has n rows and p columns). Write a function that multiplies these two matrices and returns the resulting matrix C.
Problem approach
1. Initialize Matrix C: Create a matrix C of dimensions m x p, and initialize all elements to 0.
2. Loop through rows of A: For each i from 0 to m-1 (iterate over the rows of A).
3. Loop through columns of B: For each j from 0 to p-1 (iterate over the columns of B).
4. Compute dot product for C[i][j]: For each k from 0 to n-1:
5. Multiply A[i][k] by B[k][j].
6. Add the result to C[i][j].
7. Return Matrix C: Once all rows and columns are processed, return the matrix C as the final result.
02
Round
Medium
Face to Face
Duration40 minutes
Interview date29 Jul 2023
Coding problem2
The interviewer began with my introduction and then asked me to briefly discuss my resume. We had a very thorough discussion about one of my projects.
Next, she moved on to some coding questions—one on binary search and the other on dynamic programming. I was asked to write the pseudocode on paper, explaining the logic and thought process behind it.
Following that, there were aptitude and mathematical questions. The topics included:
- Conditional Probability
- Uniform Probability Distribution
- A question about a rod of a particular length that has to be cut into three parts: What is the probability that after two cuts, it forms a triangle?
Lastly, we had some general discussions about my interests and preferences.
1. Square Root of a number
Easy
15m average time
80% success
0/40
Asked in companies
You are given a positive integer ‘n’.
Your task is to find and return its square root. If ‘n’ is not a perfect square, then return the floor value of sqrt(n).
Example:
Input: ‘n’ = 7
Output: 2
Explanation:
The square root of the number 7 lies between 2 and 3, so the floor value is 2.
Problem approach
Started with the brute force approach and then the optimized approach using binary search.
2. Rod cutting problem
Moderate
40m average time
75% success
0/80
Asked in companies
We are given a rod of size ‘N’. It can be cut into pieces. Each length of a piece has a particular price given by the price array. Our task is to find the maximum revenue that can be generated by selling the rod after cutting( if required) into pieces.
Problem approach
1. Express the problem in terms of indexes.
2. Try out all possible choices at a given index.
3. Return the maximum of take and notTake.
03
Round
Easy
Face to Face
Duration40 minutes
Interview date29 Jul 2023
Coding problem1
Round 3 began with a detailed discussion of all my projects. Since my branch is Engineering Physics, I was asked some core physics questions, particularly on thermodynamic equations with boundary conditions. There were also a few mathematical questions on Taylor expansion and Gaussian distribution. I don’t explicitly remember all the questions, but they were quite challenging. In some cases, when I got stuck, the interviewer was kind enough to guide me through. There was also a question on the Newton-Raphson method. After this, we discussed the role at the firm and the expectations from me.
1. Puzzle
Consider a heat-conducting rod of length L with its ends maintained at fixed temperatures. The temperature distribution along the rod at steady state is described by the differential equation:
^2()/^2 = 0
where T(x) represents the temperature at position x along the rod, and x is the distance from one end of the rod.
If the boundary conditions are (0)=0 and ()=
how would you determine the temperature distribution () along the rod?
Problem approach
Tip 1: Think out loud.
Tip 2: Don't hesitate to ask for clarification and hints.
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Skill covered: Programming
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