D. E. Shaw 2025 aptitude
Quantitative, reasoning, and verbal drills with solutions
D. E. Shaw Placement Papers 2025
Overview
This page collects D. E. Shaw placement papers from 2025 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 D. E. Shaw patterns and recent shifts.
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D. E. Shaw 2025 coding
DSA practice aligned to D. E. Shaw online assessments
D. E. Shaw interview experience
Round structure and tips from student reports
D. E. Shaw prep guide
Study plan and weekly schedule
D. E. Shaw Aptitude Mock Quiz
Timed placement-style MCQs with score and explanations after you submit. Use it to check speed and accuracy before the real test.
Questions15
Time10 min
Reasoning
All pens are books. Some books are papers. Conclusion: Some pens are papers.
No definite overlap between pens and papers.
Reasoning
If in a code, CAT = 24 and DOG = 26, then BAT = ?
Sum of positions: B+A+T = 2+1+20 = 23.
Quantitative
A can do a job in 10 days, B in 15. Days together:
1/10+1/15=1/6 → 6 days.
Quantitative
$10,000 invested at 8% CI for 2 years. Final amount?
Correct answer: 10000 × (1.08)² = $11,664
Reasoning
Odd one out: 8, 27, 64, 100, 125
Others are perfect cubes; 100 is not.
Quantitative
If 3x + 5 = 20, then x equals:
3x = 15 → x = 5.
Reasoning
In how many ways can 5 people be arranged in a row if two particular people must sit together?
Treat the two people as one unit: 4 units to arrange = 4! ways The two people can be arranged among themselves in 2! ways Total = 4! × 2! = 24 × 2 = 48 ways
Verbal
The idiom "a piece of cake" means:
It means: very easy.
Reasoning
Find the missing number: 5, 11, 23, 47, 95, ?
Correct answer: 191
Verbal
One who loves books is a:
Bibliophile = lover of books.
Quantitative
A train 150m long passes a platform 200m long in 14 seconds. Find the speed of the train.
Correct answer: 90 km/hr
Verbal
"The committee have decided": correct form is:
Collective noun "committee" as one unit takes singular "has".
Quantitative
LCM of 12 and 18 is:
LCM(12,18) = 36.
Quantitative
Divide ₹1200 in the ratio 2:3:5.
Correct answer: ₹240, ₹360, ₹600
Verbal
Find antonym of "Benevolent"
Correct answer: Malevolent
Your score
0/15(0%)
Review
D. E. Shaw exam pattern 2025
| 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: D. E. Shaw Online Test
Skills emphasized: Hard DSA, math, puzzles
Languages: C++, Python, Java
Sample D. E. Shaw questions with solutions
These are practice-style questions aligned to patterns students report for D. E. Shaw drives around 2025. They are not leaked live papers. Work them timed, then read the solutions only after you have an answer.
Quantitative aptitude (2025)
Q1: SI three years
Problem: Find simple interest on ₹5000 at 8% per annum for 3 years.
Solution: SI = 5000 × 8 × 3 / 100 = ₹1200.
Answer: ₹1200
Q2: Boat upstream
Problem: A boat’s speed in still water is 15 km/h and the stream is 3 km/h. How long to cover 36 km upstream?
Solution: Upstream speed = 15 − 3 = 12 km/h. Time = 36 / 12 = 3 hours.
Answer: 3 hours
Q3: Mixture milk
Problem: A mixture has milk and water in the ratio 4:1. If 5 litres of water are added to 20 litres of mixture, what is the new milk:water ratio?
Solution: In 20 L: milk = 16 L, water = 4 L. After adding 5 L water: milk 16, water 9. Ratio = 16:9.
Answer: 16:9
Q4: CI vs SI hint
Problem: Find compound interest on ₹10,000 at 10% per annum for 2 years, compounded annually.
Solution: Amount = 10000 × (1.1)² = 10000 × 1.21 = ₹12,100. CI = 12100 − 10000 = ₹2100. (SI for same period would be ₹2000; the extra ₹100 is interest on first-year interest.)
Answer: ₹2100
Q5: Clock angle
Problem: What is the angle between the hour and minute hands at 3:00?
Solution: At 3:00 the hands are exactly 90° apart (one quarter of the circle).
Answer: 90°
Q6: Permutation basic
Problem: In how many ways can 5 different books be arranged on a shelf?
Solution: Arrangements of 5 distinct items = 5! = 120.
Answer: 120
Q7: Consecutive integers
Problem: If the sum of three consecutive integers is 72, what is the smallest of these integers?
Solution: Let the integers be x, x+1, and x+2.
x + (x+1) + (x+2) = 72 3x + 3 = 72 3x = 69 x = 23
So the integers are 23, 24, and 25.
Answer: 23
Q8: Train and pole
Problem: A train 150 meters long passes a pole in 15 seconds. What is its speed in km/h?
Solution: Distance = 150 m = 0.15 km. Time = 15 s = 15/3600 h = 1/240 h. Speed = 0.15 ÷ (1/240) = 0.15 × 240 = 36 km/h.
Faster check: 150/15 = 10 m/s → 10 × 18/5 = 36 km/h.
Answer: 36 km/h
Logical reasoning (2025)
Q1: Series multiply
Problem: Find the next number: 3, 9, 27, 81, ?
Solution: Each term is multiplied by 3. Next = 81 × 3 = 243.
Answer: 243
Q2: Seating hint
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
Q3: Analogy
Problem: Book is to Reading as Fork is to ?
Solution: A book is used for reading; a fork is used for eating.
Answer: Eating
Q4: Odd one out
Problem: Find the odd one out: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
Solution: 3, 5, 7, and 11 are prime. 9 = 3×3 is composite, so it is the odd one out.
Answer: 9
Coding practice (2025)
Coding Q1: Maximum subarray sum (Kadane)
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
D. E. Shaw 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.
Coding Q2: Reverse a string in place
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
D. E. Shaw 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.
Coding Q3: Check prime
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
D. E. Shaw 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.
Coding Q4: Valid parentheses
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
D. E. Shaw 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.
Coding Q5: Two Sum
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
D. E. Shaw 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.
Coding Q6: Longest substring without repeating characters
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
D. E. Shaw 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.
Coding Q7: Merge overlapping intervals
Problem: Given a list of intervals [start, end], merge all overlapping intervals and return the non-overlapping set that covers the same ranges.
Approach: Sort by start time. Walk once, merging into the last interval in the result when the next start is ≤ current end; otherwise append a new interval.
Complexity: O(n log n) time from the sort
D. E. Shaw 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.
Coding Q8: Top K frequent elements
Problem: Given an integer array and an integer k, return the k most frequent elements. Order among equals can be arbitrary unless the problem says otherwise.
Approach: Count frequencies with a hash map, then use a heap of size k (or bucket sort by frequency) to extract the top k keys.
Complexity: O(n log k) with a heap
D. E. Shaw 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.
Deep prep notes for D. E. Shaw
How the D. E. Shaw online test usually feels
Students usually say the first round is time-tight - easy marks vanish if you sit too long on one hard question. For D. E. Shaw, skim the paper in a couple of minutes, mark what you can finish cleanly, and protect accuracy. Languages people commonly use: C++, Python, Java.
Topic weight hints
| Area | Why it matters at D. E. Shaw |
|---|---|
| Hard DSA | What usually helps you clear the first round |
| Core CS (OOPs / DBMS / OS) | Technical interview depth |
| Quantitative Investment awareness | Helps in managerial / HR conversations |
| Communication | Explain your approach clearly; keep a few real examples ready for HR |
14-Day sprint
- Days 1-3: Learn the 2025 pattern and take two sectional mocks
- Days 4-7: Closed practice on weak topics from your error log
- Days 8-10: Full mocks every other day; review the same day
- Days 11-14: Practice explaining projects out loud, light revision, sleep and IDs ready
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