Common Puzzles Asked in Freshers Interview - Episode #1

Common Puzzles Asked in Freshers Interview - Episode #1

8 Balls Problem - Interview Puzzle
Puzzle: You are provided with 8 identical balls and a measuring instrument. 7 of the eight balls are equal in weight and one of the eight given balls is defective and weighs less. The task is to find the defective ball in exactly two measurements.

3 switches and Fan Puzzle
Your room has three switches. One of these switches is for a fan in the next room. You cannot see whether the fan is on or off unless you come out of the room. What is the minimum number of times you may go in a room to identify the correct switch in another room?

Grandma and Cake – Logical Puzzle
You are on your way to visit your Grandma, who lives at the end of the valley. It’s her anniversary, and you want to give her the cakes you’ve made. Between your house and her house, you have to cross 5 bridges, and as it goes in the land of make-believe, there is a troll under every bridge! Each troll, quite rightly, insists that you pay a troll toll. Before you can cross their bridge, you have to give them half of the cakes you are carrying, but as they are kind trolls, they each give you back a single cake. How many cakes do you have to leave home with to make sure that you arrive at Grandma’s with exactly 2 cakes?

Puzzle | Form Three Equilateral Triangles
Suppose you have a regular hexagon made up of matchsticks with three diagonals in it. The task is to convert the given hexagon into three equilateral triangles by moving only 4 matchsticks.

The Burning Candles - Given two candles. Each of them burns for one hour. They burn unevenly in different parts though. In addition, let’s have a box of matches. Measure 45 minutes and 15 minutes.

A job interview is an opportunity to impress your potential employers by showcasing your talent and skill set. Apart from asking questions related to your experience and qualification, an interviewer may ask interview puzzles to test your lateral thinking and problem-solving skills. Preparing and answering these puzzles can increase the likelihood of getting hired for a desirable job.

commonly asked interview puzzles

What Are Interview Puzzles?
Interview puzzles are critical-thinking and logical reasoning problems that make candidates use their problem-solving and analytical skills to find a solution. Interviewers prefer to ask these puzzles because it helps them understand your thought process, and your ability to solve complex problems using strategies, and high-order thinking. Usually, candidates applying for software development, data science, or engineering roles may encounter such puzzles. Much like brain teasers and logical reasoning questions, puzzles for interviews may not directly relate to your job role.

By practicing commonly asked puzzles during an interview, you can increase your chances of answering the question correctly. Additionally, how you approach a problem may impress the interviewer and give them evidence of your ability to solve real-world problems.

How To Answer Puzzles For Interviews

Here are a few steps to follow to answer puzzles for interviews:

1. Take some time to think about the problem
Before answering a puzzle in haste, take a moment to think about the puzzle and its category. For instance, an interviewer may ask you a riddle, brain teaser, or a number trick puzzle. Once you understand the puzzle, you can use different problem-solving strategies to find the correct answer.

2. Seek clarification and ask questions
Puzzles and riddles can be confusing and you may misinterpret a part of your puzzle. Rather than finding the solution based on your misinterpretation, it is always good to seek clarification from the interviewer. Asking intelligent and meaningful clarifications tells an interviewer that you are not hesitant to seek information or resources to complete a task. It also shows that you are thorough and curious.

3. Use strategies you know
Most of the puzzles an interviewer asks may involve the use of basic mathematical concepts. So, instead of inventing a new formula, use strategies and concepts you already know to find a solution to your interview puzzle. This can help you ensure you find the correct solution.

4. Explain your answer
As you work through the puzzle, you can show the process and reasoning to the interviewer. This can help an interviewer understand your thought process, your ability to plan and execute problem-solving under pressure. Even if you fail to get the answer, the interviewer knows how you approach a problem and use your analytical mind to solve it.

5. Provide a solution
Usually, an interviewer does not ask puzzles to get the right answer. They ask puzzles to gauge your logic, reasoning and critical thinking abilities. So, even if you know your answer is wrong, provide a solution to every interview puzzle during your face-to-face interaction.

[SimplyLogical]

Common Puzzles Asked in Freshers Interview - Episode #1

8 Balls Problem - Interview Puzzle
Puzzle: You are provided with 8 identical balls and a measuring instrument. 7 of the eight balls are equal in weight and one of the eight given balls is defective and weighs less. The task is to find the defective ball in exactly two measurements.

3 switches and Fan Puzzle
Your room has three switches. One of these switches is for a fan in the next room. You cannot see whether the fan is on or off unless you come out of the room. What is the minimum number of times you may go in a room to identify the correct switch in another room?

Grandma and Cake – Logical Puzzle
You are on your way to visit your Grandma, who lives at the end of the valley. It’s her anniversary, and you want to give her the cakes you’ve made. Between your house and her house, you have to cross 5 bridges, and as it goes in the land of make-believe, there is a troll under every bridge! Each troll, quite rightly, insists that you pay a troll toll. Before you can cross their bridge, you have to give them half of the cakes you are carrying, but as they are kind trolls, they each give you back a single cake. How many cakes do you have to leave home with to make sure that you arrive at Grandma’s with exactly 2 cakes?

Puzzle | Form Three Equilateral Triangles
Suppose you have a regular hexagon made up of matchsticks with three diagonals in it. The task is to convert the given hexagon into three equilateral triangles by moving only 4 matchsticks.

The Burning Candles - Given two candles. Each of them burns for one hour. They burn unevenly in different parts though. In addition, let’s have a box of matches. Measure 45 minutes and 15 minutes.