Interview Questions That Test Your IQ

(With Example Answers)

1. What months have 28 days?

This question aims to test the candidate's ability to listen closely to a question and
avoid drawing the wrong conclusion. A candidate's first instinct may be to figure out
the number of days in each month and then answer that only February has 28 days.
However, the question didn't specify 28 as a limit of days in the month. It asked how
many months include at least 28 days. All months of the year have at least 28 days.

Example answer: “All months of the year have 28 days, January to December.”

2. You need to enter a dark room and only have one match. What do you light
first: an oil heater, an oil lamp or a candle?

This IQ question tests the candidate's ability to envision a series of events and the
steps they need to take to accomplish a goal. With the goal of lighting the dark room
in mind, the candidate may say that they would light the candle or the oil lamp.
However, the first thing they need to light, in any situation, is the match.

Example answer: “I would light the match and then use it to light the candle.”

3. A bat and a ball cost a total of $1.10. The bat is more expensive than the ball
by exactly $1. What's the price of the ball?

This question tests the candidate's ability for analytical problem-solving. At first
glance, many candidates instinctively answer that the ball costs 10 cents, but the
mathematical equation shows that the only answer can be that the ball costs 5 cents
and the bat costs $1.05. Those who answer 10 cents tend to be intuitive thinkers,
while those who answer 5 cents are usually analytical thinkers.

Example answer: “If the difference between them is $1, we can determine the price of
the ball by subtracting the dollar from the total amount of $1.10 and dividing by two.
Therefore, the ball costs 5 cents.”
4. A patch of lily pads covers an area within a lake, and the patch doubles its
size every day. If it takes 48 days for the lilies to cover the entire lake, how long
does it take to cover half the lake?

This question tests the candidate's ability to avoid mathematical errors in judgment.
Because the brain sometimes tends to subconsciously provide instant answers to
simple mathematical equations, many candidates answer that it would take half of
the 48 days to cover half the lake. A closer look at the question reveals that because
the patch doubles in a single day, it would take 48 days minus one for half the lake
to be covered.

Example answer: “If the lily pads covered the entire lake in 48 days, and the patch
doubles in size every day, it means that on day 47 it covered half the lake.”

5. A red house is made of red bricks, and a blue house is made of blue bricks.
What's a greenhouse made of?

This question tests the candidate's general awareness and how prone they are to
come up with an answer to a question quickly and without analysis. Many candidates
instantly answer that the greenhouse is made with green bricks, when in fact it's
common knowledge that a greenhouse is made of glass.

Example answer: “A greenhouse isn't usually made with any kind of bricks. It's made
of glass, so the sun can get in.”

6. Assume you're driving the bus from New York to Boston. Fifteen people get
on the bus in New York, and only one person gets off the bus when you reach
your destination in Boston. What's the name of the bus driver?

This question assesses whether the candidate is a good listener and can pick up all
details of a conversation. Asking to name the bus driver apparently makes no sense,
but if the candidate remembers the entire question, they know the interviewer
began by stating that the candidate is the driver.

Example answer: “You initially mentioned that I am driving the bus, so the name of the
driver is my name.”
7. A house has only four walls and each of them face south. Each wall has its
own window, and suddenly a bear enters the house through a window. What
color is the bear?

This question assesses the candidate's ability to make logical deductions. Because
all four walls of the house face south, the only location for the house is the exact
North Pole, because the only direction you can look from the North Pole is south.
And the only bears at the North Pole are polar bears, so the bear is definitely white.

Example answer: “If all four walls face south, it must mean that the house doesn't face
any other direction. The only place it could do that is at the North Pole, so the bear is a
white polar bear.”

8. How much is half of 2 + 2?

This question tests both the candidate's ability to perform basic math and properly
understand directions. A rushed answer would be two, as half of 2 + 2 is half of four.
However, upon listening to the question carefully, you notice that the first operation
is not 2 + 2, but calculating half of two. The second operation is then adding this half
of two, which is one, to two.

Example answer: “Half of 2 is 1, and 1 + 2 = 3. So the answer is 3.”

9. You're in a house that has two rooms, and there's no way to see from one
room to the other. One room has three light switches, and the other room has
three corresponding light bulbs. You don't know which switch triggers which
bulb and can only make a single trip between the two rooms. How do you find
out?

This question tests the candidate's ability to come up with a logical solution to a
practical problem. The fact that a light bulb gets heated a few minutes after turning
it on is common knowledge, so using this information can help you correlate the
switches with the bulbs.

Example answer: “I would turn on one switch and leave it on for a few minutes. I would
then turn it off, turn another one on and quickly get into the other room. The lit bulb
connects to the second switch, which I left on. The warm bulb connects to the first switch,
because after turning it off, it stays warm for a few minutes . Finally, by logical deduction,
the bulb that isn't warm or lit connects to the third switch.”
1. What do you put in a toaster?

The answer to this question is the bread to check the presence of the
mind and not toast.

Source: thewebgangsta

2. Say ‘silk’, now spell the word ‘silk’, tell me what

do cows drink?

The answer is that cows drink water. If the candidate says milk, then
he is wrong.

Source: thewebgangsta

3. If a red house is made from red bricks, a pink

house made from pink bricks, a blue house is made
from blue brick and a black house is made from
black bricks, then what is greenhouse made from?

The answer is that greenhouses are made from glass and not green
bricks.

Source: thewebgangsta
4. Twenty years back, there was a plane which
crashed from nearly 20,000 feet over Germany. It
is important to remember that Germany at that
period was partitioned as East Germany and West
Germany. In that incident where would you bury
the survivors? In East Germany? West Germany?
Or no man’s island?

The answer is that survivors aren’t buried if you said anything else as
an answer then you are wrong.

5. On a concrete floor; without cracking, how do

you drop a raw egg?

The answer is that concrete floors are very hard and do not crack.

Source: braingle

6. Assume that you’re driving a bus from Mumbai

to Pune, in Mumbai, 17 people get on the bus and
in Pune 1 person got off the bus. Name the driver?

The answer is your name as the question says you are driving the bus.

7. If some of the months have 31 days and some

have 30 days, then how many months have only 28
days?

The answer is that all months have 28 days.

 Source: bhavinionline

8. A man gave 10 and 15 cents to his first and

second sons. What is the time now?

The man gives a total of 25 cents which he has divided into two people.
This means he gave a quarter to two. Hence, the answer is 1.45. If it’s
the UK the 1.35 which means twenty-five to two.

Source: goodriddlesnow

9. You have just one match and you are entering a

room where you have a kerosene lamp, a wood-
burning stove, an oil heater. Which one among
those would you light first?

The answer match stick.

Source: madlogics

10. There was a house that had four walls where

each wall faces the south. In each wall, there is a
window. Into one of the windows, a bear walks.
Can you mention the color of the bear?

Square shaped houses that have walls facing south are found in the
North Pole, hence, the answer is a white polar bear.
11. It took about ten hours for eight men to
construct build a wall, then how much time will it
take for 4 men to construct the wall?

The answer is no time as the wall is already constructed.

Source: bhavinionline

12. Half of 2+2 will equal to two or three?

The answer is three, where half of 2 is 1 plus 2 is 1+2=3.

Source: engineering

13. How many birthdays’ do Japanese women have

on average?

The answer is one as all others are anniversaries.

Source: onemillionquestionsandanswers

14. When on the one hand, if you have four

oranges and three apples and three oranges and
four apples on the other hand, then what would
you have?

The answer is big hands.

Source: allinterview
15. Do they have a 4th of July in England?

The answer is yes and after the 3rd of July.

Source: wrensworld

16. How many animals of each species did Moses

take aboard the ark with him?

The answer is 0 because it was Noah and not Moses who took the
animals.

Source: goodriddlesnow

17. Can you lift an elephant with one hand?

The answer is that there is no elephant with one hand and hence no
problem.

18. Can a man go eight days without sleep?

The answer would be that he sleeps at night.

Source: dailybrainteaser

19. Is it possible to send a telegram to Washington

today?

The answer is not possible as he is dead.

 Source: anvari

20. Mention the significance in the following

question. It is 34 minutes past noon in the year
1978, on the 6th of May.

The answer is 12.34 5-6-78 (12345678)

Source: chacha

21. Divide 30 by ½ and then add ten to it, the

answer is

70

Source: riddleministry

22. When a blue stone is thrown into a red sea,

what would happen?

The answer is that the stone would become wet.

Source: jewlicious

23. The one that often falls but does not get hurt?

The answer to check the presence of the mind would be rain.

24. Assume that you’re participating in a race, you
overtake the second position. What position are
you in?

When you overtake the second position, then you would take the
second place. Hence, the second position is the answer.

25. Mary’s father had five daughters who were 1)

Nana 2) Nene 3) Nini 4) Nono. Tell me the name of
the fifth daughter?

The name of the fifth daughter is Mary. those who gave the wrong
answer are to read the question again.

Source: hewebgangsta

26. There is a mute person who wanted to buy a

toothbrush. He went to the shop, imitated actions
by brushing teeth and somehow made the
shopkeeper understand that he wanted a
toothbrush and purchases it. The question is that
when a blind man goes to a shop how would he
express himself to buy a pair of glasses?

The answer is simple, he just needs to open his mouth and ask that he
needs sunglasses.

Source: thewebgangsta
27. Name something that looks like half apple?

The answer would be the other half.

Source: allinterview

28. Name three letters that change a girl into a

woman?

The answer is age.

Source: huntclues

29. To which state does the Bay of Bengal belong

to?

It belongs to the liquid state.

Source: allinterview

30. Where would you see yourself five years from

now?

The employer would like to know if you’re a dreamer or a practical

person. By this question, the employer would check your planning
skills. It is suggested to avert providing answers such as becoming the
CEO or becoming the HOD of the organization. Mention that you
would like to be at the managerial level after 5 years of work.
31. You take a sheet of paper; there are now two
surfaces on it. Now you are locked in a room where
nothing is available. The two surface sheets must
be converted into a single surface.

The only way to make a single surface is to make a paper ball out of the
same.

32. In a field, a farmer has 4 haystacks and 5

haystacks in another field. If he combines all the
stacks in the center of the field, how many
haystacks would he possess?

When combined the answer would be 1.

Source: angelfire

33. Something that goes up and down but cannot

move?

Temperature is the answer.

34. What is it when you have three you have three

when you have two you have two and when you
have one there is none?

The answer is choice.

Source: braindare
35. You are provided with a circular paper, you just
have to make 8 pieces by making just 3 cuts. How
would you make it possible?

The solution is simple; the candidate needs to cut the diameter. Now
by placing one piece on another, he has to make two more cuts by
crossing each other.

36. How many hairs are on your head?

This is a question to judge your smartness and hence do not offer

vague answers. Mention with a smile as many numbers as the stars in
the sky.

37. Suppose you work for bidding for a project

which is considered very important in any
organization. Would you accept bribing so that the
decision favors you?

With this type of question, the employer tests the diplomacy of the
candidate. This question shows how you would handle tricky
situations. You can answer that you are an individual who is brought
up with good moral values. Suppose when such obstinate situations
pop up, you can mention that you would solve it in a good-natured
manner.
38. Suppose you’re not selected for the day what
would be your next move?

Your approach towards failure is analyzed by asking such a question.

You can answer that you’re a person who learns from your mistakes.
Suppose if you aren’t selected today, you would ask the interviewer for
the shortcomings. In this way, you can work on your failures and come
back again by turning failure into success.

39. Johnny’s mother had 3 children wherein, the

1st son’s name was April, the second son’s name
was May and what was the 3rd son’s name?

The answer would be Johnny for the ones who read the question
carefully.

Source: braillebraingle

40. A clerk found in a butcher shop where he

stands to be 5 feet 10” tall and wears shoes of size
13; tell me what does he weigh?

The answer would be that he weighs meat and not some other
calculation.

Source: woodstermangotwood
1) Do you have an IQ more than 130?

This question is put to check “Intellectual Humility” and “Yes” could be the worst
answer to this. Remembering your IQ score sends a wrong message of your
insecurity and self-aggrandizement.

2) What shall we have for dinner this evening?

Don’t give an answer like “whatever you like”, “I don’t mind” ,“what would you
like”, etc. This will hide your quality of leadership or taking stand, when your
opinion is asked. This will show your willingness to take charge and when not.

3) Are you incompetent and Lazy?

Interviewer only wants to hire people who are competent, but that does not
mean you should say yes to what you are not. So “clever and active”, would be
the right answer to avoid this question.

4) Do you have a track record of doing something really well?

Try to give a smart answer by answering like, it usually does not happen with me;
there will be something always standing to re-solve at the end of the day. This
will highlight your problem solving skills.

5) Mention what is the weight of the empire state building?

This question was actually asked by google employers to check the thought
process of the employee. It is to see how well employee can do “guestimate” that
is what is referred for such question. It is a little tricky but if you good at numbers
and height width calculation, you will surely come up with some answer. Anyway
the answer to this question was something 750,000 tons or 1.5 billion pound of
weight, after considering all the parameters like single floor widthXheight, weight,
etc.
6) How much should you charge to wash all the windows in NewYork?

The answer will not be on estimation as we did in the previous question, but
rather it is very simple. You have to answer “$500” a week.

7) Why are manhole covers round?

Manhole covers round, so that man does not fall through the manhole as the
plane, or square shape ordinarily flush with the plane of the street goes
perpendicular to the street.

8) Mention how many times a day do a clock’s hands overlap?

Clock hands overlap about 22 times a day.

9) Explain the significance of “dead beef”?

Usually, people respond this question with an answer like “Beef is always dead” –
Wrong Answer. The correct answer is that “DEADBEEF” is a hexa-decimal value
that was used in debugging back in the mainframe/assembly days as such it was
easy to see when marking and finding specific memory in pages of hex dumps.
Most computer engineers are aware of this term.

10) Tell me what happened when a man pushed his car to the hotel and lost
his fortune?
He landed on the boardwalk- that is the answer

11) Out of eight balls, seven balls weigh equal while the one ball is slightly
heavier than the others how would you figure out which one is the heavier
by using a balance and only two weighing?

• Take 6 balls out of 8 balls

• Put 3 balls on each side of weighing machine, if they weight equal you
know that the heavier ball is in the remaining two which is left out
• But if they don’t weigh equal, then the heavier ball is in one of those
triplets
• Out of those 3 balls that have heavier ball, pick any 2 and put them on the
scale and keep doing until you get your heavier ball

12) Explain what is database to an eight year old kid?

A database is a machine that memorizes lot of information about lots of things.

People use them to remember that information.

13) Some months have 30 days, and some have 31, how may months have
28 days?

Answer to this question is 12 months, as each month has 28 days. So don’t

answer 1 or Feb.

14) What number comes next 10, 9, 60, 90, 70 and 66?

Forget the numbers, here the trick is how you spell the numbers like

• Ten -3
• Nine -4
• Sixty – 5
• Ninety- 6
• Seventy-7
• Sixty-six-8
• ?

The next probable number would be anything that has 9 letters in it, i.e., ninety-
six or ninety-one.
15) Suppose Tom is 16 year old, and he is four times older than his brother
Robert. How old Tom would be when he is twice as old as her brother?

If Tom is 16 year old and he is 4 times older than his brother Robert, then
currently his brother age would be 16/ 4 = 4. So his brother is 4 year old.

This makes Tom 12 years older than her brother

Now, Tom will be double his brother age when Robert is 12 year old.

i.e 12X2 = 24. Which means when Tom will be 24 year old his brother age will be
12.

16) Which number does not belong to this series 1,1,2,3,4,5,8,13,21?

Your answer is 4. Let see how

This question is based on adding the adjacent number in the series.

1+1=2

1+2=3

2+3=5, there you go

3+5=8

5+8= 13

8+13=21 and so on

17) What will be the next number 5,10,19,32,49,70 ….?

The next number will be 95. How? Let see

This time the difference between the adjacent number is calculated like

10-5 = 5

19-10 = 9
32-19=13

49-32= 17

70-49=21

?- 70= 25

For each answer 5, 9, 13 there is a difference or increase of 4, so our next

increment will be 25.

So, ? -70 = 25

25+70= 95

18) There are about 13 caves arranged in a circle, and one of these caves has
treasure of Each day the treasure keepers can move the treasure to the
adjacent caves or keep it in the same cave. Every two-day treasure keepers
visit the place and have enough time to enter any two caves of their choice
__ So how do the treasure seekers can find a treasure in minimum possible
days?

Answer: Seven days. If one of the treasure seeker moves clockwise every day and
one of the seeker’s moves anti-clock wise, they will find a treasure in minimum
seven days.

19) There are six drinking glasses standing in a row, with first three full of
juice and the next three empty? How can you arrange those glasses so
empty and full glasses alternate by moving only one glass?

Pour the second glass in the fifth glass, and you can arrange them in alternate
order.

20) Brother and sisters I have none but this man’s father is my father’s son?
Who is the Man?

The man is my son.

21) A red house is made of red bricks; a blue house is made up of blue bricks
than what does the green house is made up of?

Green house is made up of Glasses

22) Explain how five minus two equal 4?

If you take f and e from five what remain is Roman numeral iv.

23) The day before the day before yesterday is three days after Saturday.
What day is today?

Answer is Friday. -> Three days after Sunday is Tuesday, and then the day before
yesterday was Wednesday (Tuesday being the day before the day before
yesterday), therefore, today is Friday.

24) Who will be the shortest among all of them?

1. Roger is as tall as Oliver

2. Binny is shorter than Tony
3. Tony is taller than Oliver
4. Roger is shorter than Binny

Answer: There is no answer, because Roger and Oliver are equally tall.

25) A trader buys sugar for $1200 and sell it for $1500, per sack of sugar he
makes a profit of $50. How many sacks of sugar did he have?

He might have 6 sacks of sugar,

$1500- $1200 = 300

300/50 = 6

26) Mention which lamp is brightest than all?

1. Lamp A is less brightest than Lamp B

2. Lamp B is brighter than Lamp C
3. Lamp C is as bright as Lamp D
4. Lamp B is brighter than Lamp D
 5. Lamp D is brighter than Lamp A

The correct answer is B.

27) How can you get a total of 1000, by adding eight 8?

888+88+8+8+8=1000

28) There is a casino and it has 4 gates, let say A, B, C and D. Now the
condition is that every time you enter casino you have to pay $5 and every
time you leave the casino, you again have to pay $5. Also, whenever you
enter the casino whatever amount you have with you will get double. Now
you enter the casino through gate A and come out through gate B, again
you go inside casino from gate C and come out of gate D, at the end of this
process you should be left with no money? So calculate how much money
you should carry with you when you enter the Casinp?

Ok, we have to work out some math’s over-here,

• Let say when you enter a casino you had the amount “”
• When you enter the gate A you spend $5, so the amount becomes (X-5)
• But there is a condition, your amount will get double when you enter the
casino and becomes 2(x-5), e., (2X-10)
• Now you leave the casino through gate B, and you pay $5, which makes
the amount (2X-15)
• Again you enter a casino through gate C, and you pay $5, so the amount
you have now (2x-15) which becomes (2X-20)
• Now you are in the casino; your amount will get double e., 2(2x-20) which
is (4x-40)
• At last you are making your final exit through gate D by paying $5, which
will make your amount (4x-40-5) e., (4x-45)
• So now the condition is when you finally leave casino you should have 0
amount of money left with you
• For that, we will have equation 4x-45=0, and we solve this to get the
answer 11.25
• You should carry the amount of $11.25 inside the casino so that you must
not leave with any money at the end
29) By using number 7,3,7,3 can you get number 24 by using any
mathematical signs (+, – , x, /)?

Answer: 7x ((3/7) +3) = 24

30) Now we have a committee of 10 members, where age of all 10 members

is same as it was 4 years ago, because an old member is replaced by young
member? Find out how much younger is the new member?

• Let say the sum of nine member = X and age of old man = Z
• So its average 4 years before = (x+z)/10
• After 4 years let Z be replaced by Y
• So now avg=(x+4×10+y)/ 10
• Now, (x+z)/10 = (x+40+y)/10
• So in the end you will get z=y+40
• So young committee member is 40 years younger than old member

31) Find a 8 digit number that if multiplied with 9 or any of its multiples (
18, 27, 36, 45,…) it will get the multiplication factor repeated (n) number of
times like 111111, 22222, 333333 and so on?

That eight digit number is 12345678

12345678 x 9 = 111111111111

12345678 x 18 = 222222222222

12345678 x 27 = 333333333333 and so on

32) If you have a piece of paper that have a thickness of 0.1 mm, how many
times you have to fold the paper in half to become tall enough to reach the
moon?

With every fold of paper, the thickness of paper gets double, after two folds it will
get 2mm thick. In order to reach a height of the moon, you require only 42 folds
of paper as it will be cover the distance of 4,39,804 km.

33) If a car is driving at 100mph down straight road, then what is the speed
of each of its wheels at the point where they touch the ground?
Answer is zero, when the wheel rolls, it is moving in two ways; rotationally around
its center and horizontally in the direction of the travel. At its point of contact
with the ground, both of these motions cancel each other out, leaving a net
speed (with respect to the road) of zero.

34) An airplane crashed into a field and every single person died except two
how come?

Because they were married and not single.

35) A man predicts that he can predict the exact score of every foot ball
game before it begins, and he is always right, how come?

Because the score he predicts before the match begin is “ 0-0 ”.

Problem Solving

1. Give me an example of when you used

logic to solve a problem
Answering Tip: Employ a Situation/ Task→ Action→ Result format.

2. Explain a time when you took the

initiative on a project.
Answering Tip: Tempting as it may be to focus only on yourself, don’t
forget to give credit to your team, too. Try to use examples where you
went beyond your day role to take on extra responsibility.

3. Describe how you used your problem-

solving skills to benefit a team or company.
Answering Tip: Demonstrate how you look for solutions for the greater
good of the company. Not just solutions for your own good and your
team’s good.

Bonus Example: According to Bosmat, Engineering Manager at

Facebook, the best way to demonstrate your problem solving skills
(particularly if you’re applying for a software engineering role) is to think
aloud. The interview at Facebook for software engineering roles is part
behavioural and part technical, and interviewers love to know how you
think, so share your thought process openly, while using the tips the
interviewers give you. Facebook also recommend familiarizing yourself
with the company’s core values and vision, and joining their online talent
community to network with hiring managers and other peers.

4. Tell me about a time when you used

creativity to overcome a dilemma.
Answering Tip: Think about a way that you surprised yourself with an
unexpected idea. Did you follow a ‘creative process’? Or was your
creativity more spontaneous in the situation?

5. What’s the best idea you’ve come up

with on a team-based project?
Answering Tip: Brainstorm at least three different ideas and be
prepared to discuss one during your interview. Focus on the ones that
had the biggest impact.

6. How do you approach problems? What’s

your process?
Answering Tip: Focus on the approach you use to solve problems.
How do you break them down into steps in order to solve them? What
tools and techniques do you use to work through a problem?
7. Tell me about a time when you were
consulted for a problem.
Answering Tip: The interviewer wants to know what you are
known/remembered for among the people who know you. Do your
friends come to you for relationship advice, professional advice or to
brainstorm solutions? Do they ask you for places to visit around town?
Think about what you know a lot about, and what your friends know &
think about you too!

“We look for candidates who have a wider lens in understanding the
impact of their own function, and most of all able to operate in a high
growth environment with a desire to grow.”
Monica Watt, General Manager, Elmo Talent Learning

8. Name three improvements you made in

your most recent position.
Answering Tip: Make a list so that you’re not stumbling over your
words during the interview. Focus more on the result you achieved for
this question, and have the ‘3 things’ ready to discuss.

Bonus Example: Think of a time when you’ve used an approach like

Design Thinking Or Lean Startup methodology to come up with solutions
to a problem. This demonstrates that you’re well versed in typical
problem solving approaches used by advanced tech folks out
there. Kevin Lee, Founder at PMHQ recommends asking clarifying
questions and focusing on the end user, especially for Product
Management Interviews at companies like Google. Who is it that you
made the improvements for and why? What difference did your
improvements make to your end users lives?

Working in a Team

9. Have you ever worked with a team

before?
Answering Tip: Don’t just answer “yes” or “no,” but also describe your
role(s) within any team you’ve worked within. Explain the focus of your
team, the objectives you had and give detail on the size and growth
during your time in the role.

10. Are you better at working with a team or

working on your own?
Answering Tip: To answer that you’re a team player is almost always
the right response.

11. Give me an example of when you

worked well with a team.
Answering Tip: Make a list of these examples ahead of your interview
so that you’re comfortable with these ideas. Focus on the times where
you were able to deliver a business result, rather than just hanging out at
the pub on a Friday.

12. What role do you assume when you

work within a team?
Answering Tip: Although you may have assumed many different roles,
focus on the one that showcases your skill set. Give a response that
aligns with the current role you’re interviewing for

– for example, if the interview is for a leadership role then talk about your
style in that capacity.

13. Have you worked on different types of

teams? What was your favorite?
Answering Tip: Describe the benefit of each team you’ve worked
within. Focus on the reasons why you enjoyed that team – if it was a
personality and culture alignment, or you delivered an awesome project
together, both work well.

14. What do you do if you disagree if

another team member?
Answering Tip: Choose a time when you disagreed about a work-
related issue, not a personal one, and explain how you tackled the case.
Focus on your communication and negotiation skills. Try not to let your
ego get in the way.

“To play sports at a competitive level you need to have a competitive

mindset, be a real team player, have discipline and be open to new
ways of getting better. If someone has played top-level sports I often a
see them striving for the same success in their role.”
James Bergl, Sales Director at Datto

15. Describe a time when you disagreed

with a team member. How did you resolve
the problem?
Answering Tip: Explain how you worked through the issue – show off
your communication skills, it’s ok if you didn’t come out of the
disagreement on top, your interviewer is looking for your ability to handle
conflict.

16. Tell me about a time when you failed in

a team project, and how you overcame it.
Answering Tip: Be honest and show how you can learn from failures.
Don’t blame your team members for your failure, focus on the objective
reasons that led to team failure and what you learned.

Bonus Example: Using examples of a time when you’ve participated in

a Hackathon usually works well for questions like this, especially if you
had a good idea and got some recognition for it. This is a time where
you would’ve generated a lot of ideas in collaboration with a team, in a
short span of time and solved lots of problems. A great way to
demonstrate that you can work well with a team in a ‘tech’ environment
while also generating positive outcomes for your team.

Biggest Failures

17. Tell me about a time when you failed.

Answering Tip: Everybody fails sometimes, and it shows humility to
admit it. Always highlight the takeaway and what you learnt from the
experience.

18: Have you ever made a mistake?

Answering Tip: Of course you have! Be honest and describe the
mistake and what you learned from it. This can be a personal mistake
you made and learned from. The interviewer is wanting to know more
about your attitude towards how you handle mistakes.

19. Tell me about a big mistake you’ve

made on the job and how you handled it.
Answering Tip: Choose a mistake from when you first started working
on a job and describe your progression.
20. Tell me of a time when you didn’t meet
your goals.
Answering Tip: Choose a story with an acceptable solution. It’s ok to
not always meet your goals, as long as you had valid reasons and
achieved something at the end.

21. What is your biggest regret at work?

Answering Tip: Keep it goal focused and don’t insert anything personal.
The lighter you keep this, the better.

22. Are you someone who learns from

failures?
Answering Tip: Describe why you enjoy feedback, even in the form of
failures. Present failures as lessons.

23. Tell me about a time when you tried

something risky and failed.
Answering Tip: Bring humor into it. This is a great way to also be
honest and transparent about your failures!
24. Tell me about a decision that you’ve
regretted and how you overcame it.
Answering Tip: Allow the interview to see your vulnerable side and
your attitude towards overcoming bad decisions.

Bonus Example: Don’t be afraid to talk about your failures, as long as

you can present them in a way that you learned something from them.
Go to tech communities like “F**k Up Nights” where people tell stories
about failure and get some ideas on how to frame your failures.

Leadership

25. Give me an example of when you had to

assume leadership for a team.
Answering Tip: Describe your initial uncertainty and how you were able
to overcome it. What did you do to step up as a leader in the situation?
Did you speak up? Did you facilitate?

26. Have you ever had to set goals for a

team?
Answering Tip: Discuss how you set goals and which goals are the
most important for you. Having an approach to set goals that’s easy to
explain is great.
27. Give me an example of when you set a
goal and how you achieved it.
Answering Tip: Describe how you go about setting goals. Make it
sound as realistic as possible, and describe the specific actions you take
to get there.

“We ask a lot of situational type questions to uncover how they have
dealt with particular scenarios in the past to gain insight into their
approach. Our guiding light always comes back to our values.”
– AdRoll

28. Describe a time when you were able to

motivate unmotivated team members.
Answering Tip: Focus on your team-building skill set. What do you do
to inspire those around you?

29. Tell me of a time when you postponed

making a decision.
Answering Tip: Tie it into professional event. Ensure the decision is
about something that wasn’t too important.
30. Give me an example of when you
delegated work across an entire team.
Answering Tip: Focus on how you’re able to see the unique skills of
each team member.

31. How do you juggle multiple projects?

Answering Tip: Describe your process for handling multiple tasks at the
same time.

32. Have you ever had to counsel a difficult

team member? Tell me about that time.
Answering Tip: Pick a time when you had to deliver uncomfortable
counsel to a team member.

Bonus Example: Here, you need relevant examples where you stood
out for the right reasons as a leader. You need to demonstrate that you
know when to lead, when to follow and how to pick the right reasons to
strive for. Talk about a time when you’ve communicated a vision, led a
team, fought for the right reasons, done something in service of others,
or motivated and developed others.
Personal Stress

33. Tell me about a time when you worked

well under pressure.
Answering Tip: Make a list of three times and choose the best one. The
more important thing is to talk about your mindset when you’re in a
pressure situation. Are you mindful about the pressure you’re facing? Or
do you just crumble under pressure?

34. What is the most difficult/ challenging

situation you’ve ever had to resolved in the
workplace?
Answering Tip: Include the takeaway. Ensure it’s a very challenging
situation. Grab the interviewer’s interest by building a credible story
around your experience.

35. How do you handle unexpected

changes or challenges?
Answering Tip: Focus on your personal growth, your attitude towards
change, your flexibility of mindset and your willingness to embrace
change with an open mind.
36. Have you ever been lied about? How
did you handle that situation?
Answering Tip: Describe a work-related situation. Was it a customer
who lied to you about something? Or a colleague? How did you handle
the situation? Ensure you reveal how you realized that you’d been lied to
through the power of intelligent questioning.

37. Tell me about a time when you

disagreed with a supervisor.
Answering Tip: Focus on an event with an amicable solution. Present
your disagreement as a time for mutual growth.

“Our industry is so dynamic, in such an early state of maturity and is so

specialized that to excel the most important trait for us is a genuine thirst
for knowledge, a true hunger to learn and an ability to think on one’s
feet.”
– Accordant

38. Tell about a conflict at your job.

Answering Tip: Keep it focused on a work-related conflict, and what
you learned from it.
39. Tell me a time when you had to work
unexpectedly on your own.
Answering Tip: Describe how you were able to use existing skills or
learn skills to work by yourself. Demonstrate that you are comfortable in
your skin and can work independently when required.

40. Describe a time when you faced a block

at work and how you solved it.
Answering Tip: Work through your process of resolving blocks.

Bonus Example: It’s effective to talk about strategies you use to

manage stressful situations. What is your internal dialogue when you’re
going through a stressful situation? How do you work through a stressful
problem?