Skip to content

Goldman Sachs Placement Papers 2025

This page contains actual Goldman Sachs placement papers from 2025 with latest HackerRank assessment questions.

Round Duration Content
HackerRank OA 90 min 2 coding + 10 aptitude MCQs
Technical 1 60 min DSA + live coding
Technical 2 60 min System Design basics + CS
HR 45 min Behavioral + finance knowledge

Goldman Sachs Placement Papers 2025 - actual questions & solutions

Section titled “Goldman Sachs Placement Papers 2025 - actual questions & solutions”

This section contains practice questions styled on Goldman Sachs placement papers 2025 (recent-cycle pattern), with worked solutions. Use them as timed sectional drills - from student reports drives vary by college and role, so treat this as a high-signal practice bank, not an official paper dump.

Q1: A number is increased by 10% and then decreased by 10%. Find the net percentage change.

Solution:

Let original = 100. After +10% → 110. After −10% → 110 − 11 = 99.

Net change = 100 − 99 = 1. Net % = 1% decrease (always a loss of (10/10)² %).

Answer: 1% decrease

Q2: Average of 6 numbers is 18. If one number 12 is replaced by 24, what is the new average?

Solution:

Old sum = 6 × 18 = 108. New sum = 108 − 12 + 24 = 120. New average = 120/6 = 20.

Answer: 20

Q3: The ratio of ages of A and B is 3:5. After 10 years, the ratio becomes 5:7. Find A’s present age.

Solution:

Let ages be 3x and 5x.

(3x + 10)/(5x + 10) = 5/7 7(3x + 10) = 5(5x + 10) 21x + 70 = 25x + 50 x = 5 A’s age = 3×5 = 15 years.

Answer: 15 years

Q4: A and B together finish a job in 8 days. B alone takes 24 days. How many days does A alone take?

Solution:

Together rate = 1/8. B’s rate = 1/24.

A’s rate = 1/8 − 1/24 = (24−8)/(8×24) = 16/192. Days for A alone = 192/16 = 12 days.

Answer: 12 days

Q5: Which number does not belong: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 14?

Solution:

Pattern: Pairs (2,3)(6,7) then 8 breaks; or primes vs composites - common key 8 (only even composite in a mixed set framed as n,n+1 pairs)

Odd one out = 8.

Answer: 8

Q6: In a row of 50 students, A is 12th from the left and B is 9th from the right. How many students are between A and B if A is to the left of B?

Solution:

Positions from left: A = 12, B = 50 − 9 + 1 = 42. Students between = 42 − 12 − 1 = 29.

Answer: 29

Q7: Choose the antonym of ‘Optimistic’.

Solution:

‘Optimistic’ means roughly the opposite of Pessimistic.

Answer: Pessimistic

Q8: Choose the synonym of ‘Abundant’.

Solution:

In placement verbal sections, ‘Abundant’ is closest in meaning to Plentiful among common options.

Answer: Plentiful

Show solution

Problem Statement: Given a string of brackets, determine if it is valid.

Example:

Input: "()[]{}"
Output: true

Solution (Java):

public boolean isValid(String s) {
Deque<Character> st = new ArrayDeque<>();
Map<Character, Character> pair = Map.of(')', '(', ']', '[', '}', '{');
for (char c : s.toCharArray()) {
if (pair.containsValue(c)) st.push(c);
else if (st.isEmpty() || st.pop() != pair.get(c)) return false;
}
return st.isEmpty();
}

Time Complexity: O(n)
Space Complexity: O(n)

Show solution

Problem Statement: Merge two sorted linked lists and return a new sorted list.

Example:

Input: 1→2→4 , 1→3→4
Output: 1→1→2→3→4→4

Solution (Java):

public ListNode mergeTwoLists(ListNode a, ListNode b) {
ListNode dummy = new ListNode(0), cur = dummy;
while (a != null && b != null) {
if (a.val <= b.val) { cur.next = a; a = a.next; }
else { cur.next = b; b = b.next; }
cur = cur.next;
}
cur.next = (a != null) ? a : b;
return dummy.next;
}

Time Complexity: O(n + m)
Space Complexity: O(1)

Show solution

Problem Statement: Return true if the linked list has a cycle.

Example:

Input: 3→2→0→-4→(back to 2)
Output: true

Solution (Java):

public boolean hasCycle(ListNode head) {
ListNode slow = head, fast = head;
while (fast != null && fast.next != null) {
slow = slow.next;
fast = fast.next.next;
if (slow == fast) return true;
}
return false;
}

Time Complexity: O(n)
Space Complexity: O(1)

  1. Finance Emphasis: More questions on time value, expected value, bonds
  2. Live Coding: Interview rounds include live coding with discussion
  3. System Design: Added for experienced candidates
  4. DP Focus: Dynamic programming problems are common
  5. Clean Code: Emphasis on production-quality code

JP Morgan · Morgan Stanley · Deutsche Bank · Bank of America · Capital One · Wells Fargo


Master DSA + finance basics for Goldman Sachs!