Goldman Sachs interview process

1. Step 1

   Video screen

   One video round, about 30 minutes total; reported as four to six preset questions, 30 seconds to prepare, two minutes to answer.

   • Mostly behavioral and motivation questions, with front-office divisions sometimes adding a light technical or markets prompt.
   • No live interviewer; you record answers to preset prompts within the time window.
   • “Why do you want to work at Goldman Sachs?”
   • “Tell me about yourself.”
   • “Describe a time you worked under extreme pressure.”

2. Step 2

   Final round

   Official: typically two to five final interviews depending on division; reported as roughly 30 minutes each with a mixed-seniority panel.

   • Candidates meet a cross-section of potential colleagues, from analyst through VP.
   • Reported content mixes resume walk-throughs, plain-language technical questions, and current market awareness.
   • Some divisions add a test, focus group, or case study alongside the standard interviews.
   • “Walk me through your resume.”
   • “How do you value a company for investment purposes?”
   • “Equity value versus enterprise value: what's the difference?”

Share of the 19 Goldman Sachs questions in our bank by topic. Each topic links to a worked example.

1. Behavioral questions58%
2. Valuation multiples11%
3. Three-statement questions5%
4. Enterprise value bridge5%
5. DCF questions5%
6. Paper LBO5%
7. Accretion and dilution5%
8. Mental math and markets5%

• A specific, Goldman-only reason for applying, not a generic banking answer.
• Composure and clarity answering on a recorded clock with no interviewer feedback.
• Plain-language technical fluency: DCF, valuation, and deal mechanics in under two minutes.
• A teamwork or pressure story with a concrete decision, action, and result.
• Consistency of your motivation and experience across every 30-minute conversation.

Real questions from the set. Open one to answer it with grading.

• Coverage vs product group: which fits and why?Behavioral questions|Advanced
• If EBITDA is $180M and the peer multiple is 8.5x, what is enterprise value?Valuation multiples|Advanced
• If depreciation rises by $10, walk through the three statementsThree-statement questions|Basic
• Enterprise value vs equity value and the bridgeEnterprise value bridge|Basic
• Walk me through a DCF (superday)DCF questions|Basic
• What makes a good LBO candidate?Paper LBO|Basic
• Accretion/dilution: is an all-stock deal accretive or dilutive?Accretion and dilution|Advanced
• How would rising interest rates affect M&A activity?Mental math and markets|Basic

• Build one evidence-based ownership story: what you decided, who relied on it, and what you checked before handing it off.
• Name a specific Goldman division responsibility from the posting and tie it to something you have actually done.
• Practice technical answers in three parts: conclusion, mechanism, limitation, since HireVue gives you no follow-up room to recover.
• Keep your reason for Goldman distinct from your reason for banking generally; interviewers probe the two separately.