How to Answer Puzzle Questions in a Job Interview?

October 7, 2023

How to answer puzzle questions in an interview?

These days –“How to answer puzzle questions in a Job Interview?” is the most searched keyword on the Internet. Interview puzzles are logical thinking questions that allow the interviewees to use their creative thinking and problem-solving skills, similar to brain teasers.

Types of Puzzles asked in an Interview.

A recruiting manager will test your problem-solving and lateral thinking skills. Interview puzzles are mostly for people applying for jobs in information technology, such as software engineering and designers, computer programmers and coders.

Listed below are different types of puzzles which can be asked in an interview :

  • Cryptic Puzzles
  • Logic Puzzles- sudoku, grid puzzles
  • Mathematical puzzles-
  • Implicit puzzles-
  • Mechanical Puzzles-Jigsaw, Cubes
  • Trivia Puzzles
  • Word Puzzles-crosswords
  • Pattern guessing puzzles
  • Riddles

Tips and Tricks to answer Puzzles in an Interview

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Sample Puzzles Asked in Interview

Question 1:-

There are 25 horses, among which you have to find the fastest 3 horses. At one time you can conduct a race with five horses, but you have no way to time them.

What is the least number of races required to find the three fastest horses?

Answer:-

The minimum number of races we can conduct is 7.

Question 2:-

In Crossing the Bridge Puzzle, a bridge will collapse in 17 minutes. 4 people want to cross it before it will collapse. It is a dark night and there is only one torch between them. Only two people can cross at a time. “A” takes a minute to cross. “B” takes 2 minutes, “C” takes 5 minutes and “D” takes 10 minutes. How do they all cross before the bridge cross?

Answer:-

A, B, C, and D four will cross the bridge within 17 mins.

Question 3:-

In this problem, there are mislabeled three jars, where one Jar contains apples, one contains oranges and the third one contains the mixture of both. In how many minimum number of withdrawals one can label the jars correctly.

Answer:-

Pick just one fruit from the jar labelled as Apple and Oranges to correctly label the jars.

Question 4:-

How can you cut the rectangle into two equal parts with one straight line cut of a knife? (The cut is of any size and any orientation, the removed piece can be one of the layers of the cake)

Answer:-

We can cut the cake by the line joining the center of the original cake and the center of the removed piece, which will divide the rectangular cake into exactly two pieces.

Question 4:-

Aman is given the task to arrange 10 coconuts in a particular structure. The premise, rule, and objective for the Arrangement of 10 coconuts are given below. Read them properly and find the solution for the same.

Premise – The task is to arrange coconuts as a Line.

Rule – Each line contains 4 coconuts.

Objective – To arrange the coconuts in 5 lines such that each line contains 4 coconuts.

Answer:-

  • Draw a star with pentagon in the middle of it.
  • Now arrange coconuts on the intersection points of the two lines.
  • This way we have arranged first five coconuts.
  • Now, put each coconut on the vertices of the star or the extended vertices of a pentagon.
  • Now, all the 10 coconuts are arranged in the form of lines.
  • Now if you see any line, each line consists 4 coconuts.
  • Therefore, we have arranged our task of arranging 10 coconuts in 5 lines in such a manner that each line has 4 coconuts.

Question 5:-

Premise – You have a bag that contains 20 blue balls and 13 red balls. 

Rules – 1 – The task is to pick two balls in succession.

                2 – If the balls are the same color then you remove them and replace them with a blue ball.

                3 – If the balls are of a different color then you remove them and replace them with a red ball.

Objective – What is the last ball’s color?

Answer:-

The last ball is red in color.

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FAQ on - "How to answer puzzle questions in a Job interview?"

QUES: What do you say when you can't answer a question?

When you come across a strange question, it’s acceptable if you ask for sometime to think about it and then answer. It’s a better option than saying something unacceptable. 

QUES : What are some good brain teaser questions?

There are different types of Puzzle Questions that are asked during an interview. Some lean towards your cognitive skills while some assess your lateral thinking.

Here are different  types of puzzles that can be asked in an interview.

  • Cryptic Puzzles
  • Logic Puzzles- sudoku, grid puzzles
  • Mathematical puzzles-
  • Implicit puzzles-
  • Mechanical Puzzles-Jigsaw, Cubes
  • Trivia Puzzles
  • Word Puzzles-crosswords
  • Pattern guessing puzzles
  • Riddles

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