Goldman Sachs
Superday: Finance Technicals + Behavioral (Leadership Principles)
Interview Format
HireVue / Initial Screen
Async video interview. 30-second read time per question, 2.5-minute answer window, no retakes. Tests communication, structure, and composure under pressure.
First Round (1–2 interviews)
Mix of finance technicals and behavioral questions. Interviewers are typically analysts or associates.
Superday (4–6 back-to-back interviews)
Full day of interviews with VPs, MDs, and analysts. Heavy technicals in the morning, behavioral and fit in the afternoon. Typically an IB/Markets division-specific case at some firms.
What They Actually Test
- →Finance technicals — DCF, LBO mechanics, accretion/dilution, comparable company analysis, EV/EBITDA, working capital
- →Markets knowledge — interest rates, yield curves, credit spreads, current macro events
- →Walk me through a deal / pitch — can you explain a transaction from a financial and strategic lens?
- →Behavioral (Goldman 10 LPs) — leadership, client focus, integrity, innovation, partnership
- →Why Goldman / Why IB — conviction and knowledge of the firm's business
Real-Style Sample Questions
Walk me through a DCF model. What are its limitations and when would you not use it?
How does a $100 increase in depreciation affect the three financial statements?
What is accretion/dilution in an M&A context? Walk me through when a deal would be dilutive.
If interest rates rise 100bps, what happens to bond prices? To bank stocks? To high-growth tech stocks?
Tell me about a time you worked under extreme pressure to meet a deadline. What did you do?
Give me an example of a time you had to make an unpopular decision. How did you handle the pushback?
Scoring Philosophy
Goldman evaluates technical accuracy first — wrong answers on fundamentals are disqualifying in early rounds. Behavioral answers are scored on ownership, decisiveness, and resilience. Markets knowledge (current awareness of macro events, recent deals, rate environment) differentiates candidates at the Superday. Being 'banker-sharp' — concise, composed, confident — is a meta-criterion throughout.
Insider Tips
Nail the accounting walkthrough: three statements, adjustments for depreciation, goodwill, deferred taxes — every IB interview has this.
Know one recent deal (M&A, IPO, or debt issuance) in detail: rationale, valuation, market reaction. Goldman interviewers will ask about it.
For the HireVue screen, speak at 70% of your normal pace. Nervousness accelerates speech — slow down deliberately.
Goldman values intellectual curiosity. Ask one substantive question per interviewer — about their deal experience, the group's strategy, or market dynamics they find interesting.
Ready to practice?
Start a finance technical session calibrated for Goldman.