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Interview Experience - Logical Test

 
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Dear All,

Recently, I had undergone the recruitment process of a services company [hints removed]. I completed telephonic interview and code assignment. They invited me for other rounds of recruitment process.

The first thing I faced at their office was the analytical test, where I couldn't succeed and they suggested me to apply after six months.

I am very keen on joining that company. The kind of puzzles they gave me are very challenging to solve. A typical puzzle will have many boxes and each box contains a number. Box in number indicates the number inside the box and box number indicates the number of the box. I had to follow various steps to arrive at an answer. The typical step like...

1. (Number in box 1) + (Number in box 7). Put result in box 10.
2. (Number in box 10) - (Number in box 8). Put result in box 1.
3. ...
4. ...

Finally, I will have to find out the value of a particular box. Like, "what will be value of box 10?".

If you guys knows any information on where can I get this kind of puzzles to practice, please do share with me. Ofcourse, I am also searching at various sources for these.

Thanks in advance,
[ August 02, 2007: Message edited by: David O'Meara ]
 
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were you allowed to write on a piece of paper?
That question doesn't sound hard as long as you can write down the path
 
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No hints on companies please, it is not allowed.
 
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Try for Shakantula Devi's Book (both parts) and Puzzle book Goerge Saumus (spelling might be wrong).
Some good quantitative book.Quite a few companies follow this procedure of testing once quantitative and analytical ability.
 
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Any self respecting MBA entrance test guide should give you lots of such questions.
 
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One similar sounding problem is the one labeled "Einsteins's Problem". I found one example of that here

Regards, Andrew
[ August 02, 2007: Message edited by: Andrew Monkhouse ]
 
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There are lots of puzzle and game books out there; you might want to TAKE A LOOK AT "How Would You Move Mount Fuji?: Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle -- How the World's Smartest Companies Select the Most Creative Thinkers" specifically.

This puzzle by the way, seems to simply be linear algebra. You can put it into a matrix and apply row reduction (assuming the system of equations isn't over or under specified). I would argue that this is not a good interview question because either you know/remember linear algebra (and recognize when to apply it) or you don't. You can brute force it by hand, but it will take time.

--Mark
 
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Originally posted by Manish Hatwalne:
Any self respecting MBA entrance test guide should give you lots of such questions.



I've taken the GMAT and it does not have these types of question on it; I can't imagine good MBA guides would cover it given the lack of relevance.

--Mark
 
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Originally posted by Mark Herschberg:
There are lots of puzzle and game books out there; you might want to TAKE A LOOK AT "How Would You Move Mount Fuji?: Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle -- How the World's Smartest Companies Select the Most Creative Thinkers" specifically.

This puzzle by the way, seems to simply be linear algebra.
--Mark



I'd say that's overkill: you don't need matrix algebra for a problem like that, unless they're moving systems of boxes, and mapping them to another plane: besides, you don't want to get into mapping their boxes to matrix o-ordinates, then translating back.

Yucko.

they probably just wanted to see if the guy could create an algebraic expression with multiple variables.

It's a tricky question, to be honest. I don't really like these sorts of hazing questions, and think you're probably better off not working for a company like that.General logic questions are fine: but not this, out of the blue. How could you possibly know what arcane area of knowledge that particular interview in the mood to show-off with today?
 
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How could you possibly know what arcane area of knowledge that particular interview in the mood to show-off with today?



haha ! agree. And I would be willing to bet that some people who are hired in that company cannot solve the puzzle. It happens.
 
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Originally posted by Max Habibi:


I'd say that's overkill: you don't need matrix algebra for a problem like that, unless they're moving systems of boxes, and mapping them to another plane: besides, you don't want to get into mapping their boxes to matrix o-ordinates, then translating back.




It's actually the same thing. You don't need advanced matrix techniques but rather the stuff covered in the first 2 weeks. Basically each equation becomes a row in the matrix; row reduction is the equivalent of adding two equations together. (Maybe I'm misunderstanding the problem.)

--Mark
 
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