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02 / Hiring process
Four stages, and one of them decides it
4 stages from application to offer. One way HireVue video interview is reported to be the one that decides it.
4stages
01
Online application resume and division fit
An online application through Goldman's own careers platform, reported to be the entry point across every division and level.
02
One way HireVue video interview 3 to 6 questions, no interviewer present
A recorded round with no live interviewer, reported to run three to six questions mixing behavioural prompts with a common opener like why you want to work in the specific business.
03
Technical screen (Engineering) HackerRank or a live coding round
Reported for engineering candidates specifically: either a HackerRank assessment with two to three coding problems, or a forty five to seventy five minute live coding session with a Goldman engineer, ahead of the Superday.
04
Superday 2 to 5 back to back rounds, then a decision
Reported to run two to five back to back interviews of forty five to sixty minutes each in a single day, covering technical depth, commercial awareness and behavioural fit, with the full process reported to take three to eight weeks from application to offer.
Ask before the interview: what will this round cover, who will I meet, and is there anything I should prepare?The question almost nobody asks
03 / Question library
Interview question practice library
The HireVue round, the Superday format and the Business Principles apply across every division, so the core set below covers that ground. Each division then adds the technical depth specific to it.
59questions
Asked in every interviewAsked in every Goldman Sachs interview
01 Why Goldman Sachs, and why this division specifically? Motivation Open guide
Find your angle. Screens out candidates whose interest in Goldman is really just an interest in prestige rather than the specific business they applied to.
Build your answer
- Name the actual division. Not just Goldman Sachs generally.
- Tie it to something concrete you've done. A trade, a project, a class that points at this specific business.
- State what you want to be doing there in two years. Concrete, not a vague career goal.
Bring the evidence
One specific fact about the division you applied to that most Goldman applicants wouldn't know.
What weakens it
Goldman Sachs is the top firm on Wall Street with unmatched opportunities.
Likely follow upWhich other banks are you interviewing with, and how does this compare?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.02 How would you make a strong impression in a recorded interview with no interviewer reacting to you in real time? HireVue Open guide
Find your angle. The one way HireVue round is reported to run with no live interviewer, a genuinely different skill than reading a room.
Build your answer
- Describe the format constraint. No visible reaction, a fixed time to answer.
- Explain what you'd do instead of reading the room. Since there's no room to read.
- Give a comparable past instance. Performing without live feedback before.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of performing or presenting without any real time feedback, and how you adjusted for it.
What weakens it
I present well on camera without much effort.
Likely follow upHow would you know if an answer landed if no one reacts to it?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.03 Tell me about the first time you got genuinely interested in markets, not just the idea of working in finance. Why banking/finance Open guide
Find your angle. A near-universal reported HireVue opener, testing for a real origin story over a rehearsed one about prestige or compensation.
Build your answer
- Name the actual moment. Specific, dated if possible.
- Explain what specifically caught your attention. Not a vague 'I found it fascinating'.
- Connect it to what you've done since. Concrete follow up action, not just interest.
Bring the evidence
A specific, dated moment of genuine interest in markets or finance, with a concrete action taken afterward.
What weakens it
I've always been interested in finance and the stock market.
Likely follow upWhat's something about markets you found out later that contradicted your first impression?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.04 Walk me through how you'd approach a coding problem you don't immediately know how to solve. Technical screen (Engineering) Open guide
Find your angle. Engineering candidates are reported to face a live coding screen, testing process under real time pressure, not just a memorized solution.
Build your answer
- Describe your first move when stuck. Not jumping straight to code.
- Explain how you'd narrow down an approach. A specific method, like starting with a brute force version.
- State what you'd do if you ran out of time. Communicating partial progress, not going silent.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of working through an unfamiliar technical problem under real time pressure, with an honest account of your process.
What weakens it
I would just try different approaches until something works.
Likely follow upWhat would you do if you realized halfway through that your approach was wrong?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.05 Describe a time you had to perform well in the fifth conversation of a long day, not just the first. Superday stamina Open guide
Find your angle. The Superday is reported to run two to five back to back rounds, testing sustained performance rather than a single strong interview.
Build your answer
- Describe the sequence. How many conversations, how close together.
- Explain how you managed your energy. A specific method, not just 'I pushed through'.
- State how the later ones actually went. Honest, even if they were harder.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of maintaining real performance across several consecutive high stakes conversations in one day.
What weakens it
I have a lot of stamina and stay sharp all day.
Likely follow upWhat would you do if you noticed your energy dropping by the third conversation?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.06 Tell me about a recent market event and why you think it happened. Commercial awareness Open guide
Find your angle. Commercial awareness is reported to be tested directly in Superday rounds, checking for genuine engagement with markets over memorized headlines.
Build your answer
- Name a specific, recent event. Not a vague 'the market went down'.
- Give your own explanation for why it happened. Your reasoning, not just a repeated headline.
- State what you'd watch next because of it. Shows ongoing engagement, not a one off fact.
Bring the evidence
A specific recent market event with your own reasoning for its cause, not a repeated headline.
What weakens it
The market has been pretty volatile lately due to macro factors.
Likely follow upWhat would change your view on why this happened?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.07 Describe a time an interviewer or evaluator disagreed with your answer and pushed back hard. Handling pushback Open guide
Find your angle. Superday interviewers are reported to press on answers to test composure, not just correctness.
Build your answer
- Describe the pushback specifically. What was actually challenged.
- Explain how you responded in the moment. Held firm, revised, or partially conceded.
- State the outcome. How it was received, honestly.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of being challenged directly on an answer, with an honest account of how you responded and how it landed.
What weakens it
I always stay calm and confident when challenged.
Likely follow upWhat would have made you actually change your answer under that pushback?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.08 Tell me about a time you put someone else's interest ahead of what was easiest for you. Clients first Open guide
Find your angle. Directly maps to Goldman's first Business Principle, testing a real cost, not a comfortable example.
Build your answer
- Name what would have been easier for you. The convenient option.
- Describe what you actually did instead. The harder, other-focused choice.
- State the real cost to you. Specific, not glossed over.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance where prioritizing someone else's interest carried a real personal cost.
What weakens it
I always try to help others whenever I can.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if there had been no way to serve both interests at all?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.09 Describe a time you held your own work to a higher bar than anyone actually required. Quality Open guide
Find your angle. Directly maps to Goldman's principle on professional quality, testing self-imposed standards beyond what was demanded.
Build your answer
- Describe the minimum that would have been accepted. What would have passed without complaint.
- Explain what you did beyond that. The extra standard you set for yourself.
- State why it actually mattered. Not just that it 'felt better'.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance where you exceeded a required standard on your own initiative, with a concrete reason it mattered.
What weakens it
I always do my best work no matter what.
Likely follow upHow did you know the extra effort was actually worth it?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.10 Tell me about a time you changed how you worked specifically to make a group's output better, not just to be a good teammate. Teamwork Open guide
Find your angle. Directly maps to Goldman's teamwork principle, which is framed around output, not general collegiality.
Build your answer
- Describe your original way of working. Before the change.
- Explain the specific change and why. Tied to a real gap in group output.
- State the measurable improvement. Concrete, not vague.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of adjusting your own working style to improve a group's actual output, not just team harmony.
What weakens it
I'm a great team player and always support my group.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the change you made hadn't actually helped?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.11 Describe a time being honest cost you something real. Integrity Open guide
Find your angle. Directly maps to Goldman's integrity principle, framed to resist an easy, costless honesty story.
Build your answer
- Name the actual cost. Specific, not vague.
- Describe the honest action itself. What you actually said or did.
- State whether you'd do it again. An honest reflection.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance where telling the truth actually cost you something concrete, not a version where it was easy all along.
What weakens it
Honesty matters to me more than the consequences.
Likely follow upWould you make the same choice again knowing what it cost you?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.12 What's something about how you work that would show up in your first month here, not in this interview? Weakness Open guide
Find your angle. A direct weakness question framed to resist a rehearsed non-answer, since Goldman interviewers have heard 'I work too hard' many times.
Build your answer
- Name something concrete and current. Not a resolved weakness from years ago.
- Describe the real friction it's caused. A specific instance.
- Explain what you're actively doing about it. In progress, not a finished transformation.
Bring the evidence
A specific habit you're still working on, with a real recent moment it got in the way, not an old flaw already resolved.
What weakens it
I'm a perfectionist and sometimes take too long on things.
Likely follow upCan you give a specific recent instance where that actually caused a problem?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.13 Tell me about a time you gave a wrong answer under pressure and had to recover in the moment. Handling failure Open guide
Find your angle. Superday rounds are reported to include direct challenges to test recovery, not just correctness on the first try.
Build your answer
- Describe the wrong answer and the pressure. What made it a real, live mistake.
- Explain how you noticed and corrected. The actual moment you realized.
- State the outcome after the correction. What happened once you fixed it.
Bring the evidence
A specific live mistake made under real pressure, with a concrete account of how you recovered in that same moment.
What weakens it
I take ownership of a mistake right away and correct it.
Likely follow upHow did the other people in the room react to you correcting yourself?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.Risk and Compliance6 to practise
6 questions
The questions this role actually gets asked
The core set above is asked whatever you applied for. These 6 are specific to Risk and Compliance, and they are usually what the decision turns on.
Create a free account14 Tell me about a time you had to push back on a decision because of a risk or compliance concern. Tradeoffs Open guide
Find your angle. Risk and compliance functions at a large financial institution are reported to need to hold a control line even when it costs the business real speed.
Build your answer
- Describe the decision and its urgency. Why speed mattered to the business side.
- Explain the compliance concern specifically. Not vague, a real risk.
- State how the tension was resolved. Held, compromised, or overridden, and by whom.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of raising a compliance or control concern against real pressure to move quickly, with an honest account of the resolution.
What weakens it
I make sure the compliance side of things gets done right.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if you were overruled?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.15 How would you approach learning to spot a pattern of suspicious activity you'd never seen before? Financial crime awareness Open guide
Find your angle. Financial crime compliance work is reported to require pattern recognition for evolving, previously unseen risk types.
Build your answer
- Describe how you'd study known patterns first. Before trying to spot new ones.
- Explain how you'd stay alert to genuinely new patterns. Beyond a fixed checklist.
- Give a comparable instance. Learning to spot a new type of problem before.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of learning to recognize a new type of problem or pattern you hadn't encountered before.
What weakens it
I would study the common patterns and apply them.
Likely follow upWhat would you do if you spotted something that didn't match any known pattern?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.16 Tell me about a time you identified a risk that wasn't on anyone's radar yet. Risk assessment Open guide
Find your angle. Risk work is reported to require proactive identification of risks before they're raised by anyone else.
Build your answer
- Describe how you noticed it. The specific signal, not a general instinct.
- Explain why it wasn't already flagged. What made it easy to miss.
- State what you did about it. The concrete action taken.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance where you were the one who noticed and named a risk before anyone else had.
What weakens it
Spotting risk early is just something I do out of habit.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if no one believed the risk was real?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.17 Describe a time you had to stay objective about a decision even though people you respected wanted a different answer. Independence under pressure Open guide
Find your angle. Risk functions are reported to require genuine independence even against pressure from respected colleagues.
Build your answer
- Describe the pressure and who it came from. Concrete.
- Explain how you maintained your independent judgment. A specific method, not just stubbornness.
- State the outcome. How your position was received.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of maintaining independent judgment against real pressure from people you respected, with an honest account of the outcome.
What weakens it
I always stay objective no matter who's involved.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if your independent judgment had been proven wrong?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.18 How would you explain a control weakness to someone without a risk background? Communication Open guide
Find your angle. Risk teams are reported to need to turn a technical control gap into something a non-specialist stakeholder can actually act on.
Build your answer
- State the weakness in plain terms first. Before technical detail.
- Tie it to a concrete business consequence. Something they'd recognize.
- Describe how you'd confirm they understood the urgency. Not just that you explained it.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of explaining a technical control gap to someone with no background to judge it on their own.
What weakens it
I'd lay out the risk in terms they'd understand.
Likely follow upWhat would you do if they didn't take the risk seriously after your explanation?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.19 Describe a time thorough documentation of a decision turned out to matter more than expected. Documentation discipline Open guide
Find your angle. Risk and compliance work is reported to depend heavily on documentation as evidence a control or decision actually functioned as intended.
Build your answer
- Describe the situation. Where documentation quality actually mattered.
- Explain the concrete impact. What happened because of it, good or bad.
- State what you did about it. A specific action, not just a lesson learned.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance where documentation quality had a concrete, observable impact on a decision's outcome.
What weakens it
I always document my work thoroughly.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if you'd inherited a decision with zero documentation?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.What you get
Less than the cost of one lunch, for a great deal more confidence.- Unlimited tailored interview preparation
- A massive database of actual questions and answer guides
Role specific
Pick your role and the list narrows to what that role tends to get asked.
A guide for every answer
What the question is testing, three steps to build your answer, and the evidence to bring.
Prepared, not guessing
You walk in knowing the shape of the round and which of your own stories fits it.
04 / In the news
Worth mentioning in the room
The strongest answer to why this company is something that happened last month.
4stories
Free account
What happened at this employer this month
Stories screened from everything published about this employer, chosen because they can be used in the room rather than because they are recent.
- Each one carries a line on how to use it in the answer
- Crime, recalls, litigation and share price moves are excluded outright
- Refreshed daily, so it is different the week of your interview
Recent, and usable
Stories to 18 Sept 2026How to use itNumbers you can quote. Name the direction, not the decimal, and say what it means for the team you would join.
How to use itDirectly relevant to you. Shows you researched Goldman Sachs as an employer, not only as a familiar name.
Goldman Sachs sees slightly softer fixed income, currencies, commodities business, higher costs
Reuters
How to use itRecent and specific. Use it once, inside why Goldman Sachs, then move on.
How to use itShows where Goldman Sachs is putting its money. Tie it to the part of the job that actually touches it.
05 / The six values
What is actually being scored
Goldman Sachs publishes fourteen Business Principles, written in 1979 and still referenced in interviews today. Bring one real story for each of the ones below rather than a general answer about wanting to work at a top bank.
6stories
Our clients' interests always come first
A time you chose the harder path because it served the person you were working for, not the easier path for you.
Our assets are our people, capital and reputation
A time you protected a reputation, yours or someone else's, even when a shortcut was available.
We take great pride in the professional quality of our work
A time you held your own work to a higher bar than anyone actually required of you.
We stress teamwork in everything we do
A time you changed how you worked specifically to improve what the group produced, not just to support the existing plan.
We stress creativity and imagination in everything we do
A time an unconventional approach beat the obvious first answer to a problem.
Integrity and honesty are at the heart of our business
A time honesty cost you something real, not a story where it happened to be free.
06 / Before you apply
Where candidates lose it
Pro
Where candidates lose this before anyone meets them
The part of the process that eliminates most people is not the interview. It is what happens around it, and almost none of it is written down anywhere.
- The assessment answers that read as dishonest rather than confident
- What the availability question is really deciding
- The application detail that cannot be edited once submitted
!
Four ways this goes wrong before anyone meets you
The HireVue round is a real cut, not a formality
It is reported to run with no interviewer present, ahead of any live conversation. Treating it as a warm up for the 'real' interview is a common and costly misread.
Engineering candidates face an added technical bar
A HackerRank or live coding screen is reported to run specifically for engineering candidates on top of the standard behavioural process, ahead of the Superday.
The Superday tests stamina, not just individual answers
Two to five back to back forty five to sixty minute rounds are reported to run in a single day. Candidates who peak in the first round and fade by the last are reported to lose ground that has nothing to do with the strength of any single answer.
Global Banking and Markets and Engineering are genuinely different interviews
A live sample shows Engineering dominated by systems, security and product engineering roles, while Global Banking and Markets centers on sales, trading and banking. Generic finance interview preparation undersells the technical depth Engineering candidates are reported to face.
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