Ola Placement Papers 2024 - Previous Year Questions, OA Pattern & Solutions

Company Overview

This page contains Ola placement papers from 2024 with previous year questions, solutions, and exam patterns. Use these papers to understand the OA pattern and prepare effectively for Ola placement drives.

2024 OA Pattern

The 2024 Ola Online Assessment followed a similar pattern to previous years with 2-3 coding problems focusing on arrays, trees, and graphs. Key trends included increased emphasis on dynamic programming problems and system design discussions in interviews.

Ola OA 2024 Exam Pattern

Section	Questions	Time	Difficulty	Focus Areas
Coding Problems	2-3	60-90 min	Medium-Hard	DSA, Algorithms
Debugging	1-2	15-30 min	Medium	Code Analysis

Total: 2-3 coding problems, 90-120 minutes

Key Changes in 2024:

• Increased emphasis on dynamic programming problems
• More system design discussions in technical interviews
• Focus on optimal time and space complexity
• Enhanced evaluation of code quality and communication

2024 OA Questions & Solutions

Data Structures & Algorithms (2024)

Q1: Maximum Sum Subarray (2024)

Problem: Given an array of integers, find the maximum sum of a contiguous subarray (Kadane’s Algorithm).

Solution:

def max_subarray_sum(arr):
    max_sum = float('-inf')
    current_sum = 0
    for num in arr:
        current_sum += num
        if current_sum > max_sum:
            max_sum = current_sum
        if current_sum < 0:
            current_sum = 0
    return max_sum

Time Complexity: O(n)
Space Complexity: O(1)
Answer: Returns maximum subarray sum

Q2: Lowest Common Ancestor in Binary Tree (2024)

Problem: Find the lowest common ancestor (LCA) of two nodes in a binary tree.

Solution:

def lca(root, p, q):
    if not root or root == p or root == q:
        return root
    left = lca(root.left, p, q)
    right = lca(root.right, p, q)
    if left and right:
        return root
    return left if left else right

Time Complexity: O(n)
Space Complexity: O(h) where h is height
Answer: Returns LCA node

Q3: Shortest Path in Weighted Graph (2024)

Problem: Find the shortest path between two nodes in a weighted graph using Dijkstra’s algorithm.

Solution:

import heapq
def dijkstra(graph, start, end):
    dist = {node: float('inf') for node in graph}
    dist[start] = 0
    pq = [(0, start)]
    while pq:
        d, node = heapq.heappop(pq)
        if node == end:
            return d
        for neighbor, weight in graph[node]:
            new_dist = d + weight
            if new_dist < dist[neighbor]:
                dist[neighbor] = new_dist
                heapq.heappush(pq, (new_dist, neighbor))
    return -1

Time Complexity: O((V + E) log V)
Space Complexity: O(V)
Answer: Returns shortest distance

2024 Hiring Trends

Hiring Volume

• Total Hires: 500+ freshers across SDE-1 and other roles
• SDE-1 Selections: 300+ selections
• SDE-2 Selections: 150+ selections
• Growth: 15% increase from 2023

Salary Packages

• SDE-1: ₹18-20 LPA
• SDE-2: ₹24-28 LPA
• Senior SDE: ₹40-50 LPA
• Packages competitive with market standards

Process Changes

• Increased virtual interviews
• More focus on system design
• Enhanced behavioral round evaluation
• Faster offer processing (2-3 weeks)

2024 Question Trends

DSA Focus:

• Arrays: 30% of problems
• Trees: 25% of problems
• Graphs: 20% of problems
• Dynamic Programming: 15% of problems
• Strings: 10% of problems

Difficulty Distribution:

• Medium problems: 60%
• Hard problems: 40%

System Design:

• Increased focus on scalability and distributed systems
• More questions on ride matching algorithms
• Payment gateway design discussions

Key Insights from 2024 Ola Online Assessment

1. Coding Section is Critical: Must solve 2-3 coding problems correctly to advance
2. Strong DSA Preparation: Candidates solving all problems optimally had higher success rates
3. System Design Knowledge: Became more important - especially for SDE-1/2 roles
4. Behavioral Rounds: Focused heavily on Ola values - customer focus, innovation, ownership
5. Time Management: 2-3 problems in 90 minutes requires excellent speed and accuracy
6. Ride-Hailing Focus: Problems often relate to ride matching, routing, logistics
7. Success Rate: Only 10-15% cleared OA and advanced to interviews
8. Platform: HackerRank or Ola’s internal platform
9. Interview Rating: 4.1/5 based on candidate experiences
10. Difficulty: 66% moderate, 29% easy, 4% hard

Ola 2024 Interview Experiences

Based on candidate experiences from 2024 Ola interviews:

2024 Interview Process:

1. Online Assessment (90 minutes): 2-3 coding problems
2. Technical Phone Screen (45-60 minutes): Coding problems, algorithm discussions
3. Onsite Interviews (3-4 rounds, 45-60 minutes each):
   • Round 1: Problem-solving (DSA-based) - 1 hour
   • Round 2: High-Level Design (HLD) - 1 hour
   • Round 3: Managerial Round - 45 minutes (behavioral questions)

Common 2024 Interview Topics:

• Coding: Arrays, trees, graphs, dynamic programming, string manipulation
• System Design: Ride matching systems, payment gateways, scalability, notification systems
• Low-Level Design: SOLID principles, design patterns, class design
• High-Level Design: System architecture, microservices, database design
• Behavioral: Ola values (customer focus, innovation, ownership), strengths/weaknesses

2024 Interview Questions Examples:

• “Design and implement a logging library with multiple appenders” (LLD)
• “Design Ola’s internal notification system” (HLD)
• “Determine if a user is within a specific area to show available cabs” (Coding)
• “Sort an array containing 0s, 1s, and 2s while maintaining original order” (Coding)
• “Discuss your strengths and weaknesses” (Behavioral)
• “Explain your reasons for wanting to join Ola” (Behavioral)

Success Tips:

• Strong coding performance is essential - solve problems optimally
• Practice system design for ride-hailing systems - matching, routing, payments
• Learn SOLID principles and design patterns for LLD rounds
• Prepare examples demonstrating Ola values - customer focus, innovation, ownership
• Practice explaining your thought process clearly
• Focus on time management - 2-3 problems in 90 minutes
• Be ready for both HLD and LLD discussions

Interview Experience Rating: 4.1/5 (based on 321 experiences) Process Duration: 74% completed in less than 2 weeks

For detailed interview experiences, visit Ola Interview Experience page.

Preparation Tips for Ola 2024 Pattern

1. Master DSA Fundamentals: Focus on arrays, trees, graphs, and dynamic programming
2. Practice Optimal Solutions: Time and space complexity matter - optimize your solutions
3. Learn System Design Basics: Ride matching, payment systems, scalability, notification systems
4. Prepare Behavioral Stories: Align with Ola values using STAR format - customer focus, innovation, ownership
5. Practice Previous Year Papers: Solve Ola OA papers from 2020-2024 to understand patterns
6. Time Management: Practice completing 2-3 coding problems in 90 minutes
7. SOLID Principles: Master SOLID principles and design patterns for LLD rounds
8. LeetCode Practice: Solve 200+ LeetCode problems focusing on arrays, strings, trees, graphs (medium-hard difficulty)
9. Mock Tests: Take timed practice tests to improve speed and accuracy
10. Ride-Hailing Knowledge: Understand ride matching algorithms and logistics optimization

Download 2024 Placement Papers

Ola 2024 Paper 1

Complete Ola OA 2024 paper with 3 coding problems and solutions.

Download PDF →

Ola 2024 Paper 2

Ola OA 2024 paper with DSA problems and debugging questions.

Download PDF →

2024 DSA Examples

Collection of DSA problems from 2024 Ola OA.

View Examples →

Related Resources

• Ola Placement Papers 2025 - Latest questions and current year pattern
• Ola Placement Papers 2026 - Expected pattern and preparation guide
• Ola Placement Papers Main Page - Complete guide and overview
• System Design Guide - Learn system design fundamentals

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Practice 2024 papers to understand patterns and prepare effectively! Focus on DSA and system design for best results.