Optum 2026 aptitude
Quantitative, reasoning, and verbal drills with solutions
Optum 2026 Pattern Details
Overview
This page collects Optum placement papers from 2026 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 Optum patterns and recent shifts.
Download / jump links
Optum 2026 coding
DSA practice aligned to Optum online assessments
Optum interview experience
Round structure and tips from student reports
Optum prep guide
Study plan and weekly schedule
Optum 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.
Quantitative
A person covers a certain distance at a speed of 50 km/h and returns at 30 km/h. What is the average speed for the entire journey?
Let distance = D km Time forward = D/50 hours Time return = D/30 hours Total time = D/50 + D/30 = D(3+5)/150 = 8D/150 = 4D/75 hours Total distance = 2D km Average speed = 2D / (4D/75) = 2D × 75/4D = 37.5 km/h
Quantitative
The price of a product is increased by 25%. By what percentage should the consumption be reduced so that the expenditure remains the same?
Correct answer: 20%
Verbal
Problem: Choose the synonym for "Ephemeral": a) Eternal b) Transient c) Permanent d) Perpetual
"Ephemeral" means lasting for a very short time, temporary. "Transient" has the same meaning.
Reasoning
In a row of 30 students, A is 10th from the left. Rank from the right is:
From right = 30-10+1 = 21.
Reasoning
In how many ways can 4 books be arranged on a shelf?
Correct answer: 24 ways
Quantitative
Select 3 people from 10 for a committee. How many ways?
Correct answer: C(10,3) = 10!/(3!×7!) = 120
Reasoning
Find the next number: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
Differences +4, +6, +8, +10, +12 → next is 42.
Verbal
Find the synonym of "Benevolent".
Correct answer: Kind
Quantitative
Compound Interest - Yearly vs Half-Yearly
Correct answer: ₹3.93 (approximately)
Verbal
Choose the correctly spelled word:
Correct spelling is Accommodation.
Verbal
Neither the teacher nor the students _____ present.
Verb agrees with nearer subject (students) → were.
Reasoning
Find the missing number: 5, 11, 23, 47, 95, ?
Correct answer: 191
Quantitative
The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 3:2. If there are 30 students, how many are girls?
Correct answer: 12 girls
Quantitative
If "ACCENTURE" is coded as "ERUTNECCA", how is "SYSTEM" coded?
Pattern: Letters are reversed ACCENTURE → ERUTNECCA (reversed) SYSTEM → METSYS (reversed)
Your score
0/15(0%)
Review
Optum exam pattern 2026
| Section | What shows up | Prep focus |
|---|---|---|
| Online assessment | Coding and/or MCQ filter | Weekly timed mocks |
| Technical rounds | DSA, CS fundamentals, projects | Live problem solving |
| HR / hiring manager | Motivation and communication | Specific, evidence-based answers |
First round: Optum Online Assessment
Skills emphasized: Coding, SQL, healthcare domain basics
Languages: Java, Python, SQL
Sample Optum questions with solutions
These are practice-style questions aligned to patterns students report for Optum drives around 2026. They are not leaked live papers. Work them timed, then read the solutions only after you have an answer.
Quantitative aptitude (2026)
Q1: 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
Q2: 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
Q3: 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
Q4: 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°
Q5: 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
Q6: 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
Q7: 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
Q8: Profit on a pen
Problem: If the cost price of a pen is ₹40 and it is sold at a 25% profit, what is the selling price?
Solution: Profit = 25% of 40 = ₹10. Selling price = 40 + 10 = ₹50.
Or SP = CP × 1.25 = 40 × 1.25 = ₹50.
Answer: ₹50
Coding practice (2026)
Coding Q1: First unique character
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
Optum 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: Stack with min
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
Optum 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: 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
Optum 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: 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
Optum 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: 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
Optum 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: 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
Optum 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: 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
Optum 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: 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
Optum 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 Optum
How the Optum Online Assessment usually feels
Students usually say the first round is time-tight - easy marks vanish if you sit too long on one hard question. For Optum, skim the paper in a couple of minutes, mark what you can finish cleanly, and protect accuracy. Languages people commonly use: Java, Python, SQL.
Topic weight hints
| Area | Why it matters at Optum |
|---|---|
| Coding | What usually helps you clear the first round |
| Core CS (OOPs / DBMS / OS) | Technical interview depth |
| Health Tech (UnitedHealth) 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 2026 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