Blackrock 2024 aptitude
Quantitative, reasoning, and verbal drills with solutions
This page collects BlackRock placement papers from 2024 with practice questions, worked solutions, and the exam pattern students reported that cycle. Use it when you want drive history: what the first round looked like, which topics repeated, and how to approach solutions. Work the sets below under a timer, then compare with newer material so your prep matches both established BlackRock patterns and recent shifts.
Blackrock 2024 aptitude
Quantitative, reasoning, and verbal drills with solutions
Blackrock 2024 coding
DSA practice aligned to BlackRock online assessments
Blackrock interview experience
Round structure and tips from student reports
Blackrock prep guide
Study plan and weekly schedule
Timed placement-style MCQs with score and explanations after you submit. Use it to check speed and accuracy before the real test.
Quantitative
A sum of money amounts to ₹9800 after 5 years and ₹12005 after 8 years at the same rate of simple interest. Find the rate of interest per annum.
Let Principal = P, Rate = R% After 5 years: P + (P × R × 5)/100 = 9800 After 8 years: P + (P × R × 8)/100 = 12005 Subtracting: (P × R × 3)/100 = 12005 - 9800 = 2205 P × R = 73500 From first equation: P + (73500 × 5)/100 = 9800 P + 3675 = 9800 P = 6125 Rate R =
Reasoning
Which of the following is the next term in the series: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
Pattern: Differences are 4, 6, 8, 10 (consecutive even numbers) Next difference = 12 Next term = 30 + 12 = 42 Alternative pattern: n(n+1) where n starts from 1 1×2=2, 2×3=6, 3×4=12, 4×5=20, 5×6=30, 6×7=42
Quantitative
What does "Break the ice" mean?
"Break the ice" means to initiate conversation in a social setting.
Quantitative
A student scored 60, 70, and 80 in three subjects. If the weights are 2, 3, and 5 respectively, find the weighted average.
Correct answer: 73
Quantitative
Simple interest on ₹5,000 at 8% p.a. for 3 years is:
SI = PRT/100 = 5000×8×3/100 = ₹1,200.
Verbal
Problem: "She is allergic _____ peanuts." a) to b) from c) with d) by
"Allergic to" is the correct prepositional phrase.
Verbal
Choose the correctly spelled word:
Correct spelling is Accommodation.
Verbal
Synonym of "Candid":
Candid means frank or straightforward.
Reasoning
If A is brother of B, B is sister of C, C is brother of D, how is D related to A?
A, B, C, D share the same generation → siblings (gender of D unknown but sibling).
Quantitative
A person walks 6 km East, then 8 km North. How far is he from the starting point?
Correct answer: 10 km
Reasoning
In how many ways can 5 people be arranged in a row?
Correct answer: 120 ways
Reasoning
Statements: 1) All cups are plates, 2) All plates are tables Conclusions: I) All cups are tables, II) All tables are cups, III) Some tables are cups, IV) Some tables are plates.
Correct answer: Only I, III, and IV follow
Reasoning
Odd one out: Cat, Dog, Tiger, Car
Others are animals.
Quantitative
A number is increased by 20% and then decreased by 20%. The net percentage change is:
100 → 120 → 96. Net change = 4% decrease.
Verbal
The company's profits have been _____ steadily over the past year.
Correct answer: declining
Your score
0/15(0%)
| Section | What shows up | Prep focus |
|---|---|---|
| Aptitude / logical | Quant, reasoning, sometimes verbal | Timed sectional accuracy |
| Coding / programming logic | Easy-medium DSA or output-style MCQs | Handle tricky inputs |
| Technical interview | OOPs, DBMS, OS, projects | Explain aloud |
| HR | Fit, location, intent | A few real examples ready |
First round: BlackRock Online Assessment
Skills emphasized: DSA, systems, finance/quant basics
Languages: Java, Python, C++
These are practice-style questions aligned to patterns students report for BlackRock drives around 2024. They are not leaked live papers. Work them timed, then read the solutions only after you have an answer.
Problem: A shopkeeper marks goods 20% above cost and then gives a 10% discount. What is the profit percentage?
Solution: Let CP = ₹100. Marked price = ₹120. Discount = 10% of 120 = ₹12. SP = 120 − 12 = ₹108. Profit % = 8%.
Answer: 8%
Problem: A finishes work in 12 days, B in 15 days, and C in 20 days. Working together, how many days do they need?
Solution: Take total work = LCM(12,15,20) = 60 units. A = 5/day, B = 4/day, C = 3/day. Combined = 12 units/day. Time = 60/12 = 5 days.
Answer: 5 days
Problem: The ratio of ages of A and B is 3:5. After 8 years the ratio becomes 5:7. Find A’s present age.
Solution: Let ages be 3x and 5x. (3x+8)/(5x+8) = 5/7 7(3x+8) = 5(5x+8) 21x + 56 = 25x + 40 4x = 16 → x = 4 A’s age = 12 years.
Answer: 12 years
Problem: Pipe A fills a tank in 6 hours and pipe B in 8 hours. How long do they take together to fill it?
Solution: Combined rate = 1/6 + 1/8 = 4/24 + 3/24 = 7/24. Time = 24/7 hours ≈ 3 hours 26 minutes.
Answer: 24/7 hours
Problem: Find the simple interest on ₹8000 at 10% per annum for 2 years.
Solution: SI = (P × R × T) / 100 = (8000 × 10 × 2) / 100 = ₹1600.
Answer: ₹1600
Problem: If 30% of a number is 150, what is the number?
Solution: 0.3x = 150 → x = 150 / 0.3 = 500.
Answer: 500
Problem: The average of five numbers is 20. One number 30 is replaced by 10. What is the new average?
Solution: Old sum = 5 × 20 = 100. New sum = 100 − 30 + 10 = 80. New average = 80 / 5 = 16.
Answer: 16
Problem: Find the next term: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
Solution: Pattern: 1×2, 2×3, 3×4, 4×5, 5×6, 6×7. Next = 6 × 7 = 42.
Answer: 42
Problem: Statements: All engineers are graduates. Some graduates are managers. Conclusion: Some engineers are managers. Does it follow?
Solution: The ‘some graduates’ who are managers need not overlap with the engineers. The conclusion does not follow necessarily.
Answer: Does not follow
Problem: A person walks 5 km north, then 3 km east, then 5 km south. How far is he from the start, and in which direction?
Solution: North 5 and south 5 cancel. He is 3 km east of the start.
Answer: 3 km east
Problem: Find the next number: 3, 9, 27, 81, ?
Solution: Each term is multiplied by 3. Next = 81 × 3 = 243.
Answer: 243
Problem: Five friends sit in a row. A is to the left of B but right of C. D is to the right of B and left of E. Who is in the middle?
Solution: Order from left to right: C, A, B, D, E. The middle seat is B.
Answer: B
Problem: Find the first non-repeating character in a string and return its index, or -1 if none exists.
Approach: Count frequencies in one pass (hash map or array of 26 for lowercase). Second pass returns the first index with count 1.
Complexity: O(n) time
BlackRock tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Problem: Design a stack that supports push, pop, top, and getMin in average O(1) time.
Approach: Keep a parallel min-stack (or store pairs). When pushing, also push the new minimum. When popping, pop both stacks.
Complexity: O(1) per operation amortized
BlackRock tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Problem: Given an integer array, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum and return that sum. Example: [-2,1,-3,4,-1,2,1,-5,4] → 6 (from [4,-1,2,1]).
Approach: Keep a running sum. If the running sum drops below 0, reset it to 0 before taking the next element (or track the best ending-here value). Track the global maximum as you scan once from left to right.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) extra space
BlackRock tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Problem: Given a mutable character array representing a string, reverse it in place without allocating another array of the same size.
Approach: Use two pointers at the start and end. Swap characters, then move inward until the pointers meet. Watch empty and single-character inputs.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) extra space
BlackRock tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Problem: Write a function that returns true if n is prime and false otherwise. Handle n < 2 correctly.
Approach: Return false for n < 2. Trial-divide from 2 to floor(sqrt(n)). If any divisor divides n evenly, it is composite; otherwise prime.
Complexity: O(√n) time
BlackRock tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Problem: Given a string containing only ‘()[]’, decide whether the brackets are balanced and correctly nested.
Approach: Scan left to right with a stack. Push opening brackets. On a closing bracket, the stack top must be the matching opener. At the end the stack must be empty.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
BlackRock tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Problem: Given an array of integers and a target, return indices of two numbers that add up to the target. Assume exactly one solution and you may not use the same element twice.
Approach: Walk the array once. For each value x, check whether target − x was seen earlier in a hash map of value → index. If yes, return both indices; else store x.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
BlackRock tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Problem: Given a string s, find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters. Example: ‘abcabcbb’ → 3 (‘abc’).
Approach: Sliding window with a map (or last-seen index) of characters. Expand the right pointer; when a duplicate appears inside the window, move the left pointer past the previous occurrence.
Complexity: O(n) time
BlackRock tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Students usually say the first round is time-tight - easy marks vanish if you sit too long on one hard question. For BlackRock, skim the paper in a couple of minutes, mark what you can finish cleanly, and protect accuracy. Languages people commonly use: Java, Python, C++.
| Area | Why it matters at BlackRock |
|---|---|
| DSA | What usually helps you clear the first round |
| Core CS (OOPs / DBMS / OS) | Technical interview depth |
| Asset Management, Aladdin Tech awareness | Helps in managerial / HR conversations |
| Communication | Explain your approach clearly; keep a few real examples ready for HR |
Bloomberg · Goldman Sachs · JP Morgan · D. E. Shaw · Morgan Stanley