Goldman Sachs Assessment & Interview Preparation
HireVue, HackerRank OA & Superday Interviews
Guide country context: United States · Finance / Banking
Hiring processes can vary by country, role, business unit, and year.
Goldman Sachs operates one of the most competitive recruitment processes in global finance, with acceptance rates often between 1-2%. The process features high-pressure timed video interviews, rigorous coding assessments for tech roles, and intensive multi-round Superday final interviews.
Hiring Process
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1Online Application officialSubmit application through Goldman Sachs careers portal→ Ensure flawless academic credentials and tailored cover letter
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2Recorded Video Interview officialAsynchronous video interview with 30 seconds prep and up to 2 minutes per answer. Assesses behavioral and commercial awareness.→ Practice delivering structured answers under extreme time pressure
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3HackerRank Online Assessment officialFor engineering/tech roles: a timed coding test, or a mixed assessment combining coding with math and probability→ Drill data structures and algorithms; practice arrays, strings, BFS/DFS
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4First-Round Interviews commonly reportedPhone or video interviews with team members assessing technical and behavioral fit→ Prepare technical knowledge and STAR stories mapped to Business Principles
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5Superday official3-5 back-to-back 45-60 minute interviews with senior staff. An endurance test requiring flawless technical, valuation, or system design knowledge.→ Prepare for marathon interviewing with deep technical and market knowledge
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6Offer officialDecision communicated after Superday review→ Follow up with recruiter within the stated timeline
Assessments
Asynchronous video interview where candidates receive 30 seconds of prep time and up to 2 minutes to record answers to behavioral and commercial awareness questions. Highly pressurized format testing composure under time constraints.
Measures: Communication clarity, commercial awareness, composure under pressure, alignment with Goldman Sachs culture
- Practice with the exact time constraints (30s prep, 2min answer)
- Structure answers using a mini-STAR format
- Demonstrate market awareness and current events knowledge
- Speak confidently and concisely — don't waste seconds on filler
Common mistakes
- Rambling without structure due to time pressure
- Not demonstrating commercial awareness
- Poor eye contact with camera
- Not practicing with the exact time format beforehand
For engineering/technology roles. Expect either a timed coding test or a longer mixed assessment combining coding with math and probability questions. Goldman Sachs does not publish the exact length or format.
Measures: Data structures and algorithms proficiency, problem-solving under time pressure, code quality, mathematical reasoning
- Focus heavily on arrays, string manipulation, and BFS/DFS patterns
- Practice under strict time constraints
- Write clean, well-structured code with comments
- For the mixed format, allocate time between coding and math sections
Common mistakes
- Spending too long on one problem
- Not handling edge cases
- Poor time management between sections
- Ignoring the probability/math section in mixed assessments
Interviews
The definitive final stage at Goldman Sachs. An endurance test requiring sustained performance across multiple consecutive interviews. Finance candidates face valuation, accounting, and market questions. Tech candidates face coding and system design. All face behavioral questions.
Format: 3-5 back-to-back interviews, each 45-60 minutes, with senior staff
What interviewers look for
- Deep technical mastery in your domain
- Intimate knowledge of the 14 Business Principles
- Commercial awareness and market opinions
- Sustained energy and composure across all rounds
- Client-first mentality
Focus areas to practise
- Walk me through a DCF
- Pitch me a stock/trade
- Tell me about a time you put client interests first
- Design a system that handles X at scale
- What's happening in markets today and why?
- Prepare for marathon performance — energy management is critical
- Have strong market views ready to articulate
- Practice explaining complex concepts clearly and concisely
- Map behavioral stories directly to Business Principles
Initial interviews assessing fit, motivation, and baseline technical competency before Superday invitation.
Format: Phone or video, 30-45 minutes with team members
What interviewers look for
- Genuine motivation for Goldman Sachs specifically
- Basic technical competence in your area
- Cultural alignment with the firm's intensity and standards
- Clear communication
Focus areas to practise
- Why Goldman Sachs?
- Why this division?
- Walk me through your resume
- Tell me about a challenging situation
- Research the specific division you're applying to
- Have a clear answer for 'Why Goldman Sachs?'
- Demonstrate awareness of the firm's recent deals/projects
- Be concise and direct
How this differs by role
The process is not the same for every role. Find the closest match to the job you applied for — the assessments and interviews below are the ones reported for that role family.
Investment Banking / Finance
Assessments
- Recorded video interview
Interviews
- Technical finance interviews (valuation, accounting, financial statements)
- Market awareness questions
- Behavioral interviews mapped to 14 Business Principles
- Superday (3-5 rounds)
Engineering / Technology
Assessments
- HackerRank Online Assessment (coding + probability)
Interviews
- Technical coding interviews
- System design (senior)
- Behavioral interviews
- Superday (3-5 rounds)
Operations / Risk / Analyst Programs
Assessments
- Recorded video interview
- Game-based assessment (role-dependent)
Interviews
- Behavioral interviews
- Case-based analytical questions
- Superday (3-4 rounds)
Values & Framework
Originally drafted in 1979, the 14 Business Principles define Goldman Sachs's culture and expectations. They emphasize client service, professional excellence, integrity, and teamwork. Candidates must demonstrate intimate understanding of these principles.
- Reference specific Business Principles when structuring behavioral answers
- Show how your past actions align with 'client interests first'
- Demonstrate the 'unusual effort' principle through your preparation
- Show team contribution alongside individual achievement
Recommended Practice Modules
Preparation Plans
- Read and internalize the 14 Business Principles
- Practice 2-3 recorded answers (30s prep, 2min recording)
- Review current market news and prepare one stock/trade pitch
- If tech: solve 3-4 LeetCode Medium problems focusing on arrays and strings
- Complete 5+ practice recordings with strict time constraints
- Prepare 4 STAR stories mapped to key Business Principles
- If tech: complete 10+ coding problems covering BFS/DFS, arrays, strings
- Build deep market awareness — read FT/Bloomberg daily
- Research Goldman Sachs recent deals and news in your target division
- Daily recorded-answer practice with self-review of recordings
- Prepare 6+ STAR stories covering all major Business Principles
- If tech: daily coding practice (15+ problems), focus on medium-hard difficulty
- If finance: practice valuation concepts, DCF, and financial statements
- Build comprehensive market awareness across equities, fixed income, M&A
- Practice 'Why Goldman?' and 'Why this division?' answers
- Conduct mock Superday simulations with back-to-back practice
- Systematic HireVue mastery with diverse question types
- Deep preparation for Superday format — practice 4-5 hour interview marathons
- If tech: complete 30+ coding problems, including hard difficulty
- If finance: master valuation, accounting, and market awareness deeply
- Prepare comprehensive STAR story bank (8+ stories) mapped to all 14 Principles
- Study Goldman Sachs's recent quarterly results and strategic priorities
- Practice explaining complex concepts clearly under time pressure
- Conduct multiple full mock interview days to build endurance
- Refine weakest areas based on practice feedback
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & verification status
3 sources · 2 from the employer or another primary publisher · 1 being replaced
We are still verifying parts of this guide
- Source 'HackerRank OA patterns and Superday format' has no URL, so it cannot be inspected (data rated it Unverified)
Until that is done, treat the details below as reported rather than confirmed. If you have an invitation, the Assessment Decoder will identify your specific test from its wording.
See each source and how far it goes
- Employer site Goldman Sachs - Prepare for Interviews Primary source, published by the employer
- Employer site Goldman Sachs - Purpose and Values Primary source, published by the employer
- Candidate reports HackerRank OA patterns and Superday format Could not be checked — being replaced — Aggregated candidate reports; no single citable source. Cannot support a definitive claim.
Confidence is calculated from each source, not assigned to the page. A source that cannot be opened, or that does not describe what we cited it for, cannot support a claim here regardless of how it was previously labelled.
How this guide was put together
Published by Job Tests Portal. It is compiled from the public sources listed above and has not been independently reviewed by a recruitment or assessment specialist. We are not affiliated with Goldman Sachs and this guide is not endorsed by them.
We label where each statement comes from, and we would rather say “we could not verify this” than state something we cannot show you the source for. Hiring processes change often and vary by role, country and year, so treat everything here as a starting point and let your invitation be the final word.