General Tips for Group Discussion

8/2/2019 General Tips for Group Discussion

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General Tips for Group Discussion

A good level of general awareness will come in handy so that you aren't at a loss of words on certain

issues. Understand the topic and analyse it mentally before speaking. Be clear about the purpose and

content of your viewpoint.

One should be able to communicate his views in an effective manner to everyone. Be clear in speech,

audible but not too loud and above all remain confident.

Remember the six C's of effective communication -- Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence,

Correctness and Courtesy. You should mantain eye contact with all others in the group and not focus on

a particular person for he may benefit from that. Be responsive to ideas from other people and seem to be

very receptive and open-minded but don't allow others to change your own

viewpoint..

Starting the discussion is considered to be good however it isn't that important; what is important is that

you speak for a period long enough for you to be able to communicate your viewpoint. Always mantain

your calm and never get aggresive. If you haven't been able to talk then one can cut in saying "Excuse

me, but what I think is .........." or something of that sort.

Never lose your temper and never attack anyone on a personal front.

Your attitude should be one of cooperation and not one of conflict.

Don't lose sight of the goal of the discussion.

Listen to any criticisms and give them a thought before trying to defend your views.

How is Evaluation Done in a Group Discussion

Winners' skills Group discussion is an important dimension of the selection process. Any institute requires

students to work with others for effective functioning. Therefore, people skills are an important aspect of

any MBA program.

In today's context, the educational institutes and organizations are interested in team players rather than

individual contributors. During the Group Discussion, the panel essentially evaluates the candidate's

potential to be a leader and also his/her ability to work in teams. Remember that institutes are typically on

the look out for candidates who will inspire to lead and succeed and for that you need to be a good team

player.

Here is a sample list of skills assessed during a group discussion:

Leadership skills:

Ability to take leadership roles and ability to lead, inspire and carry the team along to help them achieve

group's objectives. http://www.ChetanaS.comExample: To be able to initiate the group discussion, or to be able to guide the group especially when the

discussion begins losing relevance or try to encourage all members to participate in the discussion.

Communication skills:

The participating candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought, expression and aptness of

language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a willingness to accommodate others views.

Example: To be able to use simple language and explain concepts clearly so that it is easily understood

by all. You actually get negative marks for using esoteric jargons in an attempt to show-off your


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knowledge.

Interpersonal skills:

Is reflected in the ability of the individual to interact with other members of the group in a brief situation.

Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal relationships. The person has to be more

people centric and less self-centered.

Example: To remain cool even when someone provokes you by with personal comment, ability to remain

objective, ability to empathize, non-threatening and more of a team player.

Persuasive skills:

Ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple perspectives without hurting the

group members.

Example: While appreciating someone else's point of view, you should be able to effectively communicate

your view without overtly hurting the other person.

Problem solving skills:

Ability to come out with divergent and offbeat solutions and use one's own creativity.

Example: While thinking of solutions, don't be afraid to think of novel solutions. This is a high- risk high-return strategy.

Conceptualizing skills:

The ability to grasp the situation, take it from the day to day mundane problem level and apply it to a

macro level.

Example: At the end of the discussion, you could probably summarize the findings in a few sentences that

present the overall perspective. Don't be disheartened if you don't make it after your first group

discussion. The best possible preparation for a group discussion is to learn from one's past mistakes...

Frequently Asked Questions / Doubts on GD

What is the normal duration of a GD?

A GD is generally of 15-20 minutes duration.

How many panel members are there to evaluate?

There are usually 3-4 panel members to evaluate.

Is there time given for preparation after the topic is given and before starting the GD?

Usually some time (2-5 minutes) is given to collect one's thoughts, but there could be instances when this

does not happen, so it is best not to bank on this.

Should I address the panel or the group members?Don't ever make the mistake of addressing the panel members. The GD is between you and the other

members, not the panel members. You must avoid even looking at the panel members while the GD is in

progress. Just ignore their existence.

What is the seating arrangement like?

It could be semi-circular, or circular, or seating along side a rectangular table, depending upon the venue.

It is best not to bother about trivial issues like this, which you have no control over.


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How should I address the other group members?

If you are initiating the discussion, you could do so by collectively addressing the group as "Friends".

Subsequently, you could use names (if the group has had a round of self-introduction prior to starting the

discussion and you remember the names) or simply use pronouns like "he" or "she".

Suppose I have a lot to say on the topic, should I say all of it?

You would not be looked upon favourably if you kept speaking all the time and did not listen to anyone

else. Contrary to the misconception, the person who talks the most is not necessarily the one who is

judged the best. The quality and not the quantity of your contribution is the success factor.

Should I encourage others to speak up?

Do not directly put someone who is consistently silent on the spot by asking him/her to speak up. If

someone has been trying to speak and has a good point but is cut off constantly, you may encourage

him/her to continue with her point as you would like to hear her out.

http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com

Are the group members supposed to keep track of the time or will the panel keep track?

It would be good if you are conscious of the time, but not to the point of getting so distracted looking at

your watch that you do not contribute to the discussion.

Dos & Donts of Group Discussion

Be as natural as possible. Do not try and be someone you are not. Be yourself.

A group discussion is your chance to be more vocal. The evaluator wants to hear you speak.

Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of what you are going to say.

Seek clarification if you have any doubts regarding the subject.

Don't start speaking until you have clearly understood and analyzed the subject.

Work out various strategies to help you make an entry: initiate the discussion or agree with someone

else's point and then move onto express your views.

Opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and recognition. If you do not give

valuable insights during the discussion, all your efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.

Your body language says a lot about you - your gestures and mannerisms are more likely to reflect your

attitude than what you say.

Language skills are important only to the effect as to how you get your points across clearly and fluently.

Be assertive not dominating; try to maintain a balanced tone in your discussion and analysis.

Don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to stay objective: Don't take the

discussion personally.

Always be polite: Try to avoid using extreme phrases like: 'I strongly object' or 'I disagree'. Instead try

phrases like: 'I would like to share my views on...' or 'One difference between your point and mine...' or "I


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beg to differ with you" Ch etanaS

Brush up on your leadership skills; motivate the other members of the team to speak (this surely does not

mean that the only thing that you do in the GD is to say "let us hear what the young lady with the blue

scarf has to say," or "Raghu, let us hear your views" - Essentially be subtle), and listen to their views. Be

receptive to others' opinions and do not be abrasive or aggressive.

If you have a group of like-minded friends, you can have a mock group discussion where you can learn

from each other through giving and receiving feedback.

Apart from the above points, the panel will also judge team members for their alertness and presence of

mind, problem-solving abilities, ability to work as a team without alienating certain members, and

creativity

Common Mistakes in a Group Discussion

Wise men learn from others mistakes, while the less fortunate, from their own.Here's a list of the most common mistakes made at group discussions:

Emotional outburst

Rashmi was offended when one of the male participants in a group discussion made a statement on

women generally being submissive while explaining his point of view. When Rashmi finally got an

opportunity to speak, instead of focussing on the topic, she vented her anger by accusing the other

candidate for being a male chauvinist and went on to defend women in general. What Rashmi essentially

did was to

* Deviate from the subject

* Treat the discussion as a forum to air her own views.

* Lose objectivity and make personal attacks.

Her behaviour would have been perceived as immature and demotivating to the rest of the team.

Quality Vs Quantity

Gautam believed that the more he talked, the more likely he was to get through the GD. So, he

interrupted other people at every opportunity. He did this so often that the other candidates got together

to prevent him from participating in the rest of the discussion.

* Assessment is not only on your communication skills but also on your ability to be a team player.

* Evaluation is based on quality, and not on quantity. Your contribution must be relevant.

* The mantra is "Contributing meaningfully to the team's success." Domination is frowned upon.

Egotism Showing off

Krishna was happy to have got a group discussion topic he had prepared for. So, he took pains to projecthis vast knowledge of the topic. Every other sentence of his contained statistical data - "20% of

companies; 24.27% of parliamentarians felt that; I recently read in a Jupiter Report that..." and so on so

forth. Soon, the rest of the team either laughed at him or ignored his attempts to enlighten them as they

perceived that he was cooking up the data.

* Exercise restraint in anything. You will end up being frowned upon if you attempt showing-off your

knowledge.

* Facts and figures need not validate all your statements.

* Its your analysis and interpretation that are equally important - not just facts and figures.


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* You might be appreciated for your in-depth knowledge. But you will fail miserably in your people skills.

Such a behavior indicates how self-centered you are and highlights your inability to work in an

atmosphere where different opinions are expressed.

Get noticed - But for the right reasons

Srikumar knew that everyone would compete to initiate the discussion. So as soon as the topic - "Discuss

the negative effects of India joining the WTO" - was read out, he began talking. In his anxiety to be the

first to start speaking, he did not hear the word "negative" in the topic. He began discussing the ways in

which the country had benefited by joining WTO, only to be stopped by the evaluator, who then corrected

his mistake. Che tanaS

* False starts are extremely expensive. They cost you your admission. It is very important to listen and

understand the topic before you air your opinions.

* Spending a little time analyzing the topic may provide you with insights which others may not have

thought about. Use a pen and paper to jot down your ideas.

* Listen! It gives you the time to conceptualize and present the information in a better manner. Some

mistakes are irreparable. Starting off the group discussion with a mistake is one such mistake, unless you

have a great sense of humor.

Managing one's insecurities

Sumati was very nervous. She thought that some of the other candidates were exceptionally good.

Thanks to her insecurity, she contributed little to the discussion. Even when she was asked to comment

on a particular point, she preferred to remain silent. http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com

* Your personality is also being evaluated. Your verbal and non verbal cues are being read.

* Remember, you are the participant in the GD; not the evaluator. So, rather than evaluating others and

your performance, participate in the discussion.

* Your confidence level is being evaluated. Decent communication skills with good confidence is a must

to crack the GDs.

Focus on your strengths and do not spend too much time thinking about how others are superior or

inferior to you. It is easy to pick up these cues from your body language.

Probable GD Topics

1. US war on Iraq-justified or not.

2. Role of UN in peacekeeping.

3. Position of Women in India compared to other nations.

4. Environment Management.

5. Is China better than India in software.

6.Should SONIA gandhi be made the PM

7. BPOs in INDIA

8. Govt contribution to IT


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9. Will punch lines rule the Advt

10. Prematial sex

11. Is China a threat to Indian industry

12. India or West , which is the land of opportunities

13. Water resources should be nationalised

14. Balance between Professionalism & Family

15. Effect of cinema on Youth

16. Education in India compared to Foreign nations

17. Is it necessary to ban COCOCOLA in India.

18. What is the effect of movies on youth.(is it good or bad)

19. Are studies more benifitial in India or in Abroad.

20.UN's peace activities and America's war on Iraq.

21.Environment-Whose Responisibility.

22.Is China a threat to the indian software industry.

23.Role of UN in Peace keeping

24.War on Iraq

25.About Hockey being the primary game in India.

26.Can America occupy Iraq

27.Cricket should be banned or not.

28.Is China a threat to India

29.Present state of Indian Cricket team.

30.Love marriage/Arranged marriage.

31.Advantages of Co-education.

Hot GD Topics


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1.How to deal with international terrorism.

2.Should we pursue our policy of dialogue with Pakistan?

3.Is peace and non-violence outdated concepts?

4.Are Mobile Phones Boon or Bane?

5.Love Marriage vs Arranged Marriage

1. Always be the initiator and concluder of the GD then being a participant.

2. But if you are particaipant always try to be the most vianl/key participant.

3. put points firmly and always try to get others support too.

4. if you find that the discussion os going offttrack then never loose an oppurtunity to bring it back tostraem this is the best point to score max.

5. try to keep latest information on the topic.

6. be very polite , people may try to provoke you to to get more points but try to keep cool.

7. most important don't wait for your turn to speak when discussion is on. inturrupt politely if you want toput forward your points. http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com

8. last but not the least keep atab on the time given for discussion. score points by wrapping up thediscussion if you feel that the discussion is heating but the time is going to be over.

9. during conclusion, do end with the conclusion note. that shows your leadership quality.

Best scoring points are:

1. initiation of discussion,

2.always keeping/trying tokeep discussion on track

3. conclusion on time

4. your capability to keep your cool and listen as well as putting your points.

Be a Leader.GD basically means searching your team player, leadership, communication capability

1. Indian cultural values have nothing to fear from globalization

2. The impact of economic reforms has been that rich people have become richer rich and poor

people poorer.

3. Management education is only for the rich.

4. Reservation in parliament for women.

5. The US dollar is no longer a stable currency.

6. The impact of Internet on India.

7. Behind every man there is a woman.


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8. Politicians are not interested in the future of our country.

9. Wisdom does not come with age.

10. Corruption is the main outcome of democracy.

11. Is the consumer really the King in India?

12. Globalization verses Nationalism.

13. Conditional access system for cable TV watchers: boon or bane?

14. If India is poorly governed, the reason is that we have designed our system of governance for

protecting if not encouraging corruption.

15. Commercialization of health care: good or bad?

16. Should agricultural subsidies be stopped?

17. Do we lag behind China? Che tanaS

18. Who says MNCs are superior to Indian companies?

19. Food comes first, ethics later!

20. To survive in the civilized world one needs to be a hypocrite.

21. Money is the sixth sense without which one can't enjoy the other five.

22. English language as a mode of instruction in primary level.

23. Men and Women are different.

24. Given the present state of affairs, India will remain a developing country forever.25. IIM's and IIT's encourage only brain drain.

26. Whether reservation to women is beneficial?

27. There is no alternative to Pokhran nuclear test in present scenario.

28. Modern cinema is a boon to Indian society.

29. Should youth indulge in politics?

30. US war on Iraq-justified or not.

31. Role of UN in peacekeeping.

32. Position of Women in India compared to other nations.

33. Environment Management.

34. Is China better than India in software?

35. Should SONIA Gandhi be made the PM

36. BPOs in INDIA

37. Govt contribution to IT

38. Will punch lines rule the Advertisements?

39. premarital sex

40. India or west , which is the land of opportunities

41. water resources should be nationalized

42. "BALANCE BETWEEN PROFESSIONALISM AND FAMILY"

43. Is it necessary to ban COCOCOLA in India?

44. About Hockey being the primary game in India.

45. Cricket should be banned or not.

46. Present state of Indian Cricket team.

47. Love marriage/Arranged marriage.48. Advantages of Co-education.

49. How to deal with international terrorism.

50. Is peace and non-violence outdated concepts?

51. A Unipolar World spells disaster for underdeveloped countries like India.

52. What shall we do about our ever-increasing Population?

53. Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy.

54. Foreign Television Channels are destroying our culture.

55. What India needs is a Dictatorship.


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56. With media publishing and telecasting trivia, censorship is the need of the hour.

57. Kaun Banega Krorepati is less about knowledge but more about money and personality.

58. Beauty contests degrade womanhood

59. The rise of regional blocs threatens independent nations like India

60. Six billion and one bronze!

61. Is dependence on computers a good thing?

62. Should the public sector be privatized?

63. Is India a Soft Nation?

64. Value based politics is the need of the hour

65. Religion should not be mixed with politics

66. How to deal with high oil prices

67. Our cricketers are not to blame for match fixing

68. Why can't we be world players in industry as we are in software?

69. Multinational corporations: Are they devils in disguise?

70. Should there be limits on artistic freedom (the controversy on Fire).

71. Should there be private universities?

72. Do banning fashion shows and New Year parties save our culture?

73. Are Big Dams Necessary? Che tanaS74. A Gandhian State selling liquor is an anomaly

75. Bride burning and dowry may look bad, but are an integral part of India.

76. The education system needs serious reforms

77. The impact of MTV on our psyche

78. Showing Violence and Crimes should not be allowed in films and on television.

79. Let us legalize gambling

80. The objective of Management is to maximize profits

81. Do professional managers have a chance in our family run businesses?

82. The Internet is an exercise in hype

83. Smaller businesses and start-ups have more scope for professional growth.

84. Dot com or doubt com?

85. The Wheel is Turning Round and Round

86. There is no right way to do a wrong thing

87. Group Task: How can we have Mount Everest in India?

88. Do Beauty and Brains Go Together?

89. Marriage is a social trap

90. Secularism has become a tool to justify the wrongs done by the minorities.

91. Media is a mixed blessing/How ethical is media?

92. To fight Aids, stop being coy about sex education.

93. What should India strive for- Westernization or modernization?

94. Developing countries need trade, not aid.

95. Flexibility of labor laws is the key to attracting more Foreign Direct Investment.

96. Voters, not, political parties are responsible for the criminalization of politics.97. The voters are required to be well informed and educated about their candidates so that they

can elect the right aspirant by their own assessment.

98. India should go for the presidential form of democracy.

99. In our economic matters, there is an excessive tendency towards the thinking rather than

doing. http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com

100. Government should clean its own hands before pointing finger at the private sector for

corruption.

101. Is the NPA ordinance too harsh?


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102. Reforms have to grow up.

103. Is the consumer really the king in India?.

104. If India is poorly governed, the reason is that we have designed our system of governance

for protecting, if not encouraging, corruption?

105. Commercialization of health care: Good or Bad?

106. Is the US economy headed the Japanese economy way?

107. Economic freedom not old fashioned theories of development will lead to growth and

prosperity.

108. Markets left to themselves encourage greed.

109. For globalization to succeed in India people must be able to see what is in it for them.

110. Should businessmen run the finance ministry

111. Should important services like transport be left to market forces?

112. Is there any point in having a business strategy when the world changes from month to

month?

113. Is the patents bill good for India?.

114. Globalization is good for developing countries

115. Public sector being a guarantor of job security is a myth

116. Is industry less growth here to stay?117. Capitalism is a very flawed system but the others are so much worse?

118. How can business get rid of the bad name that it has earned?

119. Government pumping money into the economy is not the solution for our economic problems

120. Business ethics are no longer a luxury for corporates but a necessity?

121. How should privatization proceeds be utilized?

122. Will Mumbai's film industry ever evolve into a truly modern corporatised one?

123. Why not use a brand index to measure national prosperity?.

124. What we need to reduce scams is better regulatory bodies.

125. War rhetoric is misplaced in a country like India which is trying to globalize its economy.

126. Trade can help the poor ?

127. Steal a few lakhs and you're a criminal. Steal a few hundred crores and you become an

industrialist.

128. Managerial skills learnt in the classroom can never match those learnt from experience

129. Democracy is hampering India progress http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com

130. Religion is a private affair and should be of no concern for the state

131. Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the need of the hour

132. Joint family is a blessing in disguise.

133. Higher education should be made possible only for those who can pay for it.

134. The weaker sex is the weakness of the stronger sex.

135. Women cannot successfully combine both career and home.

136. Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense.

137. Money is required to earn more money.

138. Classical Music Heritage And The Growing Pop-Culture139. Nice Guys Finish Last

140. All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy

141. Bullet For Bullet: Is It The Right Policy?

142. Should India Break Diplomatic Ties With Pakistan?

143. Age and Youth: Experience And Young Talent

144. East Is East & West Is Where All The Action Is': Mark Twain

145. India Needs Gujral Doctrine For Better International Relations

146. Doctors' Accountability To Improve Health-Care


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147. Universal Disarmament Is A Must

148. Indian Cricket Team Shouldn't Be Allowed To Play Abroad

2. Suggested GD Topics:3. 1.Is coalition politics here to stay?4. 2.Does India need a dictator?5. 3.Is India moving away from a secularist state?

6. 4.Education in India - or the lack of it7. 5.What ails Indian sports?8. 6.The Age of Information9. 7.Is Philosophy just an armchair theory? 10. 8.Success is all about human relations11. 9.Borderless worlds - Dream or reality?12. 10.Quality is a myth in India. 13. 11.Education and success - Is there a correlation?14. 12.We don't learn from history, we repeat it15. 13.Do we need a global policeman?16. 14.Indian villages - our strength or our weakness?17. 15.Agrarian Economy in India - boon or bane18. 16.if there were no armies in the world......19. 17.Indian customs - are we in a time warp? 20. 18."How green was my valley........". Is nature paying the price ?21. 19.Management Education - Is it necessary to succeed in business22. 20.The role of NGOs in economics and politics 23. 21.NGOs - Do they serve peoples interests or are they pressure groups? 24. 22.Death of Socialism25. 23.Role of women in development26. 24.Kids today are not what they used to be27. 25.Casteless India - A pipe dream28. 26.Should Trade Unionism be banned in India 29. 27.Repeated elections - Should taxpayers pay for it?30. 28.Indian bureaucracy - foundation strengths or colonial hangovers?31. 29.In India, the whole is less than the parts - Do we lack in team spirit?32. 30.Generation X - Drivers of our future or are they our lost souls?33. 31.Do we need a cut in the defence budget? 34. 32."Dot.com" companies - Is there room for everyone?35. 33.Artificial Intelligence - Will man be ever replaced by machines? 36. 34.if I were to choose my person of the millennium...37. 35.All the world is a stage....38. 36.when managers become Hamlets...39. 37.If Patel were our first Prime Minister.......40. 38.Materialism - Have we sold our souls to the Devil? 41. 39.You've come a long way, baby - The rise and rise of feminist power .42. 40.Role of ethics in tobacco industry, liquor industry etc.43. 41.Should gambling be legalised in India? 44. 42.Are we unfit for Democracy? 45. 43.Survival tools for the new millennium

46. 44.Examinations - has it killed education47. 45.Cultural Invasion through the air waves48. 46.Should doctors be tried in Consumer Courts49. 47.Abortion and Euthanasia - Is it morally right for society50. 48.Are beauty pageants neccessary?51. 49.The relevance of Gandhism today52. 50.India and the WTO53. 51. Did India handle the hijack issue properly?54. 52.Is E-Commerce the best thing for India55.


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56. Is coalition politics here to stay?57. The following points could be discussed under this topic:58. Nature of coalition politics.Indecisiveness of elections. No particular party is getting the peoples

mandate.Advantage of coalition politics in enabling formation of government. Flipside of coalitionpolitics- a party with a handful of seats become powerful.Government falls before tenure. Freshelections each time. Suggest a way out of this problem, for e.g.: once a party pledges support toa coalition, it will not withdraw its support until it has watched a governments performance foratleast three years...etc The future -will it only have coalitions, emerging political trends...etc...

59. Does India need a dictator?60. The following points could be discussed under this topic:61. The current political structure.Drawbacks of it.Bureaucracy, layers in decision making, anarchy.

Dictatorship would mean centralised power and faster decision making.But, country run on whimsand fancies of an individual.Freedom on individuals could be clamped ..etc.. Present a balancedargument for and against and take up your position on the issue. C h e t a n a S

62. Is India moving away from a secularist state?63. The following points could be discussed under this topic:64. Define secularism.Constitution calls our country such a state, but how things have changed over

the last 50 years.Spread of nationalism. Division into majority and minority groups-e.g. benefitsgiven to minority groups perceived as a threat by others. Role of non-tolerant neighbors in fuellingfundamentalism. It is a passing phenomenon. We have the national character to overcome this..

Points along these lines can be discussed.65. Education in India-or the lack of it.66. The following points could be discussed under this topic:67. Discuss current education system. Discuss our sociological structure.Poverty which forces kids to

drop out to supplement family income.Vicious circle-poverty due to lack of education and viceversa.Suggest solutions to get out of this-for e.g., governments are doing a commendable jobwith the midday meal schemes but we need more of such efforts. Going down further, why restrictit to government alone? why cant private people, NGOs and other voluntary bodies come forwardto do the same? How about tapping corporate funds for such causes .....etc.

68. What ails Indian sports?69. The following points could be discussed under this topic:70. A nation of 950 million, we fail to produce great champions barring the occasional Vishwanathan

Anand or Geet Sethi. Sports system steeped in bureaucracy. Overriding popularity of cricket

leading to neglect in other sports.Traditionally, sports not accorded much importance by us as acareer. Need to develop sports from the primary school level- "catch em young". Variousincentives to be given to budding sportsmen like academic credits, sports in lieu of a few othersubjects etc. Development of sports infrastructure, making it amenable and affordable...etc.....

71. The Age of Information.72. The following points could be discussed under this topic:73. Today a plethora of sources to provide information-Newspapers, radio, Television, Internet etc.

Information available at the touch of a button. Greater decision making power to the individual.Also easier decision making for the individual. Information is the key to ones success today. Onewho is more informed forges ahead. The flipside-information overkill. At times deciding is toughdue to too much information ...etc.....

74. Is Philosophy just arm chair theory?75. (This is an example of an abstract topic which is thrown up to students once in a while by the

examiners)76. The following points could be discussed under this topic:77. Talk what you know about this topic . Talk of its relevance in day to day life( or irrelevance if you

feel so..). Talk of its influence in literature e.g. Influence of Kant on the romantic poets especiallyWordsworth or of Bacon, Voltaire et al on the "Enlightenment" period etc. Talk of its influence inpolitics e.g. Influence of Nietszche on Hitler and subsequent genocide during Nazi regime etc.Talk of ethics and morals and their importance in life. talk of Indian philosophy. the Gita. Discusswhether we use any of these in our lives and their importance in moulding our values...etc...

78. Success is all about human relations79. The following points could be discussed under this topic:


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80. The most important skill for success in to have people on your side. One can get a lot of workdone by superiority and hierarchy but one cannot be a leader of men unless one maintainsexcellent human relations.Its importance not only in professional life but personal lifetoo.Knowledge and expertise does one no good if one cannot maintain proper humanrelations...etc.

81. Borderless worlds-Dream or reality?82. The following points could be discussed under this topic:83. Globalisation of business.Opening up of the various economies. Cross cultural exchanges. More

and more people getting an opportunity to work in different lands among different peoples andabsorbing a bit of their values and culture.This leads to greater tolerance and understanding ofothers' problems. The other side-people despite all this have nationalistic and regionalistchauvinism. A world divided into first, second and third worlds. People still talk of "their" economyand not world economy. Europe has shown a step in this direction with EU but its feasibilityremains to be seen.So while people clamour for globalisation, they still think only in terms of theirnational interests...etc...

84. Quality is a myth in India.85. The following points could be discussed under this topic:86. The Indian products and manufacturing techniques. Why are we unable to sustain against global

competition.Our mindset towards quality. Indian attitude of "chalta hai" which leads to anundemanding customer which in turn lets people get away with substandard products and

services. Today competition is forcing our industry to adhere to global standards so we aregetting there in terms of quality. Examples of our software industry which is recognised for itsability to meet global standards etc. Since the topic is general, we can extrapolate it to our qualityof life-the air , the water , the facilities we have, the infrastructure we have, the services we getand put up with ....etc......

87. Education and success-Is there a correlation?88. The following points could be discussed under this topic:89. This is a topic which provides ample scope for dialectics. One can argue for and against it. One of

the best examples is Bill Gates who went on to become the richest man in the world despitedropping out of hid education. Closer home we have the example of Dhirubhai Ambani. What aperson learns and what he really wants to do has no correlation many a times. A personsucceeds only if he likes what he does.The argument for education will be that, in practice, it isyour marks and qualifications that opens doors for you. While one can become successful without

education, education brings about a richness in one's life. One is able to appreciate many facetsof life due to the extended knowledge that education provides. It opens a new window andprovides a different perspective towards things, ability to distinguish between ethical andunethical, moral and amoral ....etc. http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com

90. We don't learn from history, we repeat it91. The following points could be discussed under this topic:92. Relevance of history. Reminder of our past telling us what to do and what not to do. Still we have

numerous examples which have occurred again and again for e.g. Time and again we have hadinnumerable wars and bloodshed, Hitler made the same mistake as Napoleon and Napoleon inturn the same ones as Alexander and all the three wanted to rule the world, countries makingsimilar mistakes in world war II as they did during world war I ....etc....

93. But despite this there are also many examples which have not been repeated ( or rather notbrought out to the fore as they were not repeated). This could mean we have indeed learnt from

history and avoided those mistakes. In fact that has been the purpose of teaching history so asnot to repeat them. Today fear of war is directly due to the record history places before us...etc....94. Indian villages-our strength or our weakness?95. The following points could be discussed under this topic:96. A typical Indian villages and its myriad problems. Lack of basic amenities and infrastructure. their

contribution to the economy both in goods and services vis-a-vis their urban counterparts. theycould be an even bigger drivers of our economy if they are made self reliant by improvinginfrastructure and reducing the general disparities between cities and villages ...etc...etc

97. Agrarian Economy in India-boon or bane98. The following points could be discussed under this topic:


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99. Speaking for the topic one can argue the following- time and again it has made us self reliant infood. This increases our bargaining power tremendously in the world economy. Internally alsofood prices can be kept low and this will have a direct bearing on inflation. This would bolster theeconomy and provide us freedom from world bodies and other nations.

100. Against the topic-agrarian economy is at the mercy of climatic conditions. A bad summer,monsoon, or winter could bring the nation down. It will have a spiral effect as increased prices willlead to inflation and problems associated with it. World bodies and other nations will dictateterms..etc....

101. If there were no armies in the world......102. The following points could be discussed under this topic:103. Wishful thinking indeed! It would be the key element for world peace. There will be no instrument

to wage a war. It will also remove fear and distrust among various nations. We wont have adefence budget. This means more funds channelised into other productive areas. Reducedterrorism and very little separatist groups

104. But the disadvantage could be imposition by one group, anarchy, laissez faire politics,lawlessness..etc..

105. Do we need a global policeman?106. The role of some countries in "disciplining" others. Assuming on itself to decide what is right and

what is wrong for the whole world. Bullying others into submission by its sheer economic power.Overriding the brief of world bodies in world politics C he ta naS

107. Suggest alternatives like more authority to world bodies like UN etc which is more representativeof everyone's interests. More assertiveness to be shown by other nations to such policing nations. making more nations self reliant so that we have less of "Big Brother" Syndrome....etc.....

108. Indian customs-are we in a time warp?109. The following points could be discussed under this topic:110. Some undesirable practices over a long time. Dowry- prevalent even among the educated class,

Sati- recent example of a lady in North India, Child marriages- still prevalent in backward areasetc. Reason on why do we still follow such customs. Traditional subjugation of women-presenteven in big cities among upper class society. Allied problems due to such customs- intolerance,fundamentalism, exploitation, etc http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com

111. Suggest ways out of this like education the masses, indicating the outmodedness and irrelevanceof such practices today...etc...

112. "How green was my valley........".Are we paying the price of nature?

113. The following points could be discussed under this topic:114. As every one tries to be one up on the other in the race for industrialisation, deforestation is

taking place on a large scale. This effect is more pronounced in developing countries. It hasmade a perceptible difference in the last 50 years with rising temperatures. Global warming.Greenhouse effect. Ozone layer depletion. El Nino type effects. Similarly it has affected otherliving beings-both plant and animals driving many of them to extinction..etc...

115. But people have realised it now. A lot of NGOs and voluntary bodies are working on it. Infactthere is even a Greens party in Germany which has been winning elections using theenvironmental plank...etc....

116. Management Education-Is it necessary to succeed in business117. The following points could be discussed under this topic:118. This is again a topic where we can have for and against arguments. There are many examples of

great visionaries and leaders in business who have succeeded without any formal management

education. People have simply done it by their will, passion and desire. But managementeducation has also produced many bigwigs. A management education gives a perspectivetowards analysis and problem solving.It enables one to take decisions in a scientific manner, itenables you to handle the stress and strains of a demanding job...etc...

119. The role of NGOs in economics and politics120. The following points could be discussed under this topic:121. NGOs have become very powerful today. They have a major role to play in politics as they

swerve peoples opinion. They enjoy a lot of support and goodwill of the people. They can alsomake or break a business. They protect the interests of the people and represent a collectivevoice against anything that goes against their interests. Most of the times NGOs are more


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capable in securing a fair deal for the general good. Also the NGOs have shown that they are in abetter position to handle social issues than most governments ...etc...

Top Companies Hiring. Submit Resume and get your Dream Job !

5 mistakes freshers should avoid in HR interviews -A recruiter's perspective

Having done HR interviews for almost 8 years for various MNCs, I have seen many freshers getting rejected in their HR interviews. I have

found myself thinking that they could have nailed that job, if only they had better guidance. I am writing this article to help freshers

understand what goes on in an HR interviewer's mind based on my experiences.

Firstly, it is important that you understand why you are having an HR interview. Companies do HR interviews to evaluate:

a) Your attitude towards work.

b ) Your aptitude towards work.

c) Your confidence.d) Your communication skills.

e) Your fitment into the organization.

Remember, as a fresher with no prior experience, your evaluation will mostly rely on how you conduct yourself during the interviews.

Below are the 5 common mistakes that I have seen freshers make during an HR interview and what impressions it creates.

The First Impression: This sets the tone for the rest of the interview and recovering from a mistake made here is very difficult. You will

spend the rest of the interview time trying to regain lost ground. Here are some common mistakes that I have seen.

The resume with spelling and grammatical errors : How can the company trust you with more responsibilities if you cant make your own

resume carefully? Spend quality time on getting your resume right and get it proof-read multiple times.

The casual dresser ( jeans / floaters etc. ): Are you not serious about work? Even if company policy allows you to wear jeans to work,

remember that you are not yet employed there. Being dressed in formals creates a better impression.

The shoddy dresser : Unironed / dirty clothes / shoes have no excuse and makes me think that you are careless. If there is an explanation

for it, share it right at the beginning of the interview. It makes you genuine.

The latecomer : Not only do you not value time, you may not understand importance of meeting deadlines or communicating about it. If

you are going to be late due to unavoidable reasons, make sure to call ahead and inform. Also, apologise at the start of the interview.

Being disorganized : Torn documents / haphazardly stored documents creates an impression that you are disorganised. Carry all

documents in a neat folder.

Research : There has been a lot said about researching a company and understanding what they do. A few things to avoid here:

Saying " I didnt have time to go through your website ": And I think "This is your first job and you cannot even be bothered to learn
http://www.s2d6.com/x/?x=c&z=s&v=3242822&k=ChetanaSforumhttp://www.s2d6.com/x/?x=c&z=s&v=3242822&k=ChetanaSforum


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about a company you might work for?"

Saying "I didnt understand what you meant on your website":I feel like you didnt put enough effort and you are not persistent enough.

Spend enough time to understand the company and the work they do. Find someone who works at the company and get an insider

perspective.

Be Honest : You would be surprised at how far honesty can take you in an interview. These common statements can cause you to lose

trust during the interview:

Saying " I had some personal problems ": If you can actually share what the personal problem was, I will be on your side and you can

build trust . If you are unable to share it, clarify that as well so you still sound honest.

Saying " I dont have any weaknesses ": I think that you are not self aware and lack the ability to understand yourself. Also, recruiters

always see through if you are trying to make a positive sound like a negative." My weakness is that I am too committed and I work extra

hours" - Duh, Really??. Spend some time analysing your strengths and weaknesses and have examples from your life to back it up. These

examples can be during your school / college years or even drawn from your personal life.

Saying " I want to join your company because of challenging work" - I feel that you have not done enough research on the company and

what it does. Hence you are not able to articulate how your interests fit in to what the company does.

Body Language : Your body language during the entire interview process can either make or break your interview.

The limp handshake / Sloucher: Not having a firm handshake and slouching throughout the interview makes you look like you are not

confident. Practice shaking hands till you have a firm grip and smile when shaking hands. Also, sit straight with your shoulders back during

the interview. This makes you more alert and attentive.

Too relaxed: Leaning back in your chair during the interview makes the recruiter think that you are not serious about getting the job.

Nervousness : Looking at your hands or around the room / Playing with your hair instead of looking at the recruiter will not make them

believe that you are confident. AT the same time, dont glare at them either Remember to look at the interviewer when you answer.

Voice Modulation : Not modulating your voice appropriately during the interview to reflect your enthusiasm / emotions appropriately can

make you seem nervous or that you are not being genuine. Remember, recruiters can identify if you are really nervous.

The Ending : You will generally get an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. The following statements tend to be very

weak and should be avoided.

"I dont have any questions"

"I have already asked the other interviewers"

Asking salary related questions before the job confirmation

Note that there is no right or wrong answer in HR interviews. All these tips can just ensure that you are not rejected for reasons that are

within your control. Its important to be yourself and present your best side during the interview.


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Prepare a list of commonly asked questions and say the answers out loud in front of a mirror. What is most critical for a winning HR

interview is this practice. Listen to yourself, record it if you can. Get some trusted friends or family members to listen to it and continually

refine it.

-Roopa Rangaprasad.

QPISquare provides unique gamut of services to enable HR leaders to be business partners spearheading the growth of their organisations.

We provide end to end recruitment solutions, HR systems management, including career site management, process optimisation and

Search engine optimisation.

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Google Interview Questions: Product Marketing Manager

Why do you want to join Google?

What do you know about Googles product and technology? If you are Product Manager for Googles Adwords, how do you plan to market this? What would you say during an AdWords or AdSense product seminar? Who are Googles competitors, and how does Google compete with them? Have you ever used Googles products? Gmail? Whats a creative way of marketing Googles brand name and product? If you are the product marketing manager for Googles Gmail product, how do you plan to

market it so as to achieve 100 million customers in 6 months? How much money you think Google makes daily from Gmail ads? Name a piece of technology youve read about recently. Now tell me your own creative

execution for an ad for that product. Say an advertiser makes $0.10 every time someone clicks on their ad. Only 20% of people

who visit the site click on their ad. How many people need to visit the site for the advertiserto make $20?

Estimate the number of students who are college seniors, attend four-year schools, andgraduate with a job in the United States every year.

Google Interview Questions: Product Manager

How would you boost the GMail subscription base? What is the most efficient way to sort a million integers? How would you re-position Googles offerings to counteract competitive threats from

Microsoft?

How many golf balls can fit in a school bus? You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and your mass is proportionally reduced so as to

maintain your original density. You are then thrown into an empty glass blender. The bladeswill start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?

How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle? How would you find out if a machines stack grows up or down in memory? Explain a database in three sentences to your eight-year-old nephew. How many times a day does a clocks hands overlap?


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You have to get from point A to point B. You dont know if you can get there. What would

you do? Imagine you have a closet full of shirts. Its very hard to find a shirt. So what can you do to

organize your shirts for easy retrieval? Every man in a village of 100 married couples has cheated on his wife. Every wife in the

village instantly knows when a man other than her husband has cheated, but does not knowwhen her own husband has. The village has a law that does not allow for adultery. Any wifewho can prove that her husband is unfaithful must kill him that very day. The women of thevillage would never disobey this law. One day, the queen of the village visits and announcesthat at least one husband has been unfaithful. What happens?

In a country in which people only want boys, every family continues to have children untilthey have a boy. If they have a girl, they have another child. If they have a boy, they stop.What is the proportion of boys to girls in the country?

If the probability of observing a car in 30 minutes on a highway is 0.95, what is theprobability of observing a car in 10 minutes (assuming constant default probability)?

If you look at a clock and the time is 3:15, what is the angle between the hour and the minutehands? (The answer to this is not zero!)

Four people need to cross a rickety rope bridge to get back to their camp at night.Unfortunately, they only have one flashlight and it only has enough light left for seventeenminutes. The bridge is too dangerous to cross without a flashlight, and its only strong

enough to support two people at any given time. Each of the campers walks at a differentspeed. One can cross the bridge in 1 minute, another in 2 minutes, the third in 5 minutes, andthe slow poke takes 10 minutes to cross. How do the campers make it across in 17 minutes?

You are at a party with a friend and 10 people are present including you and the friend. yourfriend makes you a wager that for every person you find that has the same birthday as you,you get $1; for every person he finds that does not have the same birthday as you, he gets $2.would you accept the wager?

How many piano tuners are there in the entire world? You have eight balls all of the same size. 7 of them weigh the same, and one of them weighs

slightly more. How can you find the ball that is heavier by using a balance and only twoweighings?

You have five pirates, ranked from 5 to 1 in descending order. The top pirate has the right topropose how 100 gold coins should be divided among them. But the others get to vote on hisplan, and if fewer than half agree with him, he gets killed. How should he allocate the gold inorder to maximize his share but live to enjoy it? (Hint: One pirate ends up with 98 percent ofthe gold.)

You are given 2 eggs. You have access to a 100-story building. Eggs can be very hard or veryfragile means it may break if dropped from the first floor or may not even break if droppedfrom 100th floor. Both eggs are identical. You need to figure out the highest floor of a 100-story building an egg can be dropped without breaking. The question is how many drops you

need to make. You are allowed to break 2 eggs in the process. Describe a technical problem you had and how you solved it. How would you design a simple search engine? Design an evacuation plan for San Francisco. Theres a latency problem in South Africa. Diagnose it. What are three long term challenges facing Google? Name three non-Google websites that you visit often and like. What do you like about the

user interface and design? Choose one of the three sites and comment on what new feature orproject you would work on. How would you design it?


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If there is only one elevator in the building, how would you change the design? How about ifthere are only two elevators in the building?

How many vacuums are made per year in USA?

Google Interview Questions: Software Engineer

Why are manhole covers round? What is the difference between a mutex and a semaphore? Which one would you use to

protect access to an increment operation? A man pushed his car to a hotel and lost his fortune. What happened? Explain the significance of dead beef. Write a C program which measures the the speed of a context switch on a UNIX/Linux

system. Given a function which produces a random integer in the range 1 to 5, write a function which

produces a random integer in the range 1 to 7. Describe the algorithm for a depth-first graph traversal. Design a class library for writing card games.

You need to check that your friend, Bob, has your correct phone number, but you cannot askhim directly. You must write a the question on a card which and give it to Eve who will takethe card to Bob and return the answer to you. What must you write on the card, besides thequestion, to ensure Bob can encode the message so that Eve cannot read your phone number?

How are cookies passed in the HTTP protocol? Design the SQL database tables for a car rental database. Write a regular expression which matches a email address. Write a function f(a, b) which takes two character string arguments and returns a string

containing only the characters found in both strings in the order of a. Write a version which isorder N-squared and one which is order N.

You are given a the source to a application which is crashing when run. After running it 10times in a debugger, you find it never crashes in the same place. The application is singlethreaded, and uses only the C standard library. What programming errors could be causingthis crash? How would you test each one?

Explain how congestion control works in the TCP protocol. In Java, what is the difference between final, finally, and finalize? What is multithreaded programming? What is a deadlock? Write a function (with helper functions if needed) called to Excel that takes an excel column

value (A,B,C,DAA,AB,AC, AAA..) and returns a corresponding integer value(A=1,B=2, AA=26..).

You have a stream of infinite queries (ie: real time Google search queries that people areentering). Describe how you would go about finding a good estimate of 1000 samples fromthis never ending set of data and then write code for it.

Tree search algorithms. Write BFS and DFS code, explain run time and space requirements.Modify the code to handle trees with weighted edges and loops with BFS and DFS, make thecode print out path to goal state.

You are given a list of numbers. When you reach the end of the list you will come back to thebeginning of the list (a circular list). Write the most efficient algorithm to find the minimum# in this list. Find any given # in the list. The numbers in the list are always increasing butyou dont know where the circular list begins, ie: 38, 40, 55, 89, 6, 13, 20, 23, 36.

Describe the data structure that is used to manage memory. (stack)


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Whats the difference between local and global variables? If you have 1 million integers, how would you sort them efficiently? (modify a specific

sorting algorithm to solve this) In Java, what is the difference between static, final, and const. (if you dont know Java they

will ask something similar for C or C++). Talk about your class projects or work projects (pick something easy) then describe how

you could make them more efficient (in terms of algorithms). Suppose you have an NxN matrix of positive and negative integers. Write some code that

finds the sub-matrix with the maximum sum of its elements. Write some code to reverse a string. Implement division (without using the divide operator, obviously). Write some code to find all permutations of the letters in a particular string. What method would you use to look up a word in a dictionary? Imagine you have a closet full of shirts. Its very hard to find a shirt. So what can you do to

organize your shirts for easy retrieval? You have eight balls all of the same size. 7 of them weigh the same, and one of them weighs

slightly more. How can you fine the ball that is heavier by using a balance and only two

weighings? What is the C-language command for opening a connection with a foreign host over the

internet? Design and describe a system/application that will most efficiently produce a report of the top

1 million Google search requests. These are the particulars: 1) You are given 12 servers towork with. They are all dual-processor machines with 4Gb of RAM, 4x400GB hard drivesand networked together.(Basically, nothing more than high-end PCs) 2) The log data hasalready been cleaned for you. It consists of 100 Billion log lines, broken down into 12 320GB files of 40-byte search terms per line. 3) You can use only custom written applications oravailable free open-source software.

There is an array A[N] of N numbers. You have to compose an array Output[N] such thatOutput[i] will be equal to multiplication of all the elements of A[N] except A[i]. For example

Output[0] will be multiplication of A[1] to A[N-1] and Output[1] will be multiplication ofA[0] and from A[2] to A[N-1]. Solve it without division operator and in O(n).

There is a linked list of numbers of length N. N is very large and you dont know N. Youhave to write a function that will return k random numbers from the list. Numbers should becompletely random. Hint: 1. Use random function rand() (returns a number between 0 and 1)and irand() (return either 0 or 1) 2. It should be done in O(n).

Find or determine non existence of a number in a sorted list of N numbers where the numbersrange over M, M>> N and N large enough to span multiple disks. Algorithm to beat O(log n)bonus points for constant time algorithm.

You are given a game of Tic Tac Toe. You have to write a function in which you pass thewhole game and name of a player. The function will return whether the player has won the

game or not. First you to decide which data structure you will use for the game. You need totell the algorithm first and then need to write the code. Note: Some position may be blank in

the game So your data structure should consider this condition also.

You are given an array [a1 To an] and we have to construct another array [b1 To bn] wherebi = a1*a2**an/ai. you are allowed to use only constant space and the time complexity isO(n). No divisions are allowed.


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How do you put a Binary Search Tree in an array in a efficient manner. Hint :: If the node isstored at the ith position and its children are at 2i and 2i+1(I mean level order wise)Its not themost efficient way.

How do you find out the fifth maximum element in an Binary Search Tree in efficientmanner. Note: You should not use use any extra space. i.e sorting Binary Search Tree andstoring the results in an array and listing out the fifth element.

Given a Data Structure having first n integers and next n chars. A = i1 i2 i3 iN c1 c2 c3 cN.Write an in-place algorithm to rearrange the elements of the array ass A = i1 c1 i2 c2 in cn

Given two sequences of items, find the items whose absolute number increases or decreasesthe most when comparing one sequence with the other by reading the sequence only once.

Given That One of the strings is very very long , and the other one could be of various sizes.Windowing will result in O(N+M) solution but could it be better? May be NlogM or evenbetter?

How many lines can be drawn in a 2D plane such that they are equidistant from 3 non-collinear points?

Lets say you have to construct Google maps from scratch and guide a person standing on

Gateway of India (Mumbai) to India Gate(Delhi). How do you do the same? Given that you have one string of length N and M small strings of length L. How do you

efficiently find the occurrence of each small string in the larger one? Given a binary tree, programmatically you need to prove it is a binary search tree. You are given a small sorted list of numbers, and a very very long sorted list of numbersso

long that it had to be put on a disk in different blocks. How would you find those short listnumbers in the bigger one?

Suppose you have given N companies, and we want to eventually merge them into one bigcompany. How many ways are theres to merge?

Given a file of 4 billion 32-bit integers, how to find one that appears at least twice? Write a program for displaying the ten most frequent words in a file such that your program

should be efficient in all complexity measures. Design a stack. We want to push, pop, and also, retrieve the minimum element in constant

time. Given a set of coin denominators, find the minimum number of coins to give a certain

amount of change. Given an array, i) find the longest continuous increasing subsequence. ii) find the longest

increasing subsequence. Suppose we have N companies, and we want to eventually merge them into one big

company. How many ways are there to merge? Write a function to find the middle node of a single link list. Given two binary trees, write a compare function to check if they are equal or not. Being

equal means that they have the same value and same structure.

Implement put/get methods of a fixed size cache with LRU replacement algorithm. You are given with three sorted arrays ( in ascending order), you are required to find a triplet

( one element from each array) such that distance is minimum. Distance is defined like this : If a[i], b[j] and c[k] are three elements then

distance=max(abs(a[i]-b[j]),abs(a[i]-c[k]),abs(b[j]-c[k])) Please give a solution in O(n) timecomplexity

How does C++ deal with constructors and deconstructors of a class and its child class?


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Write a function that flips the bits inside a byte (either in C++ or Java). Write an algorithmthat take a list of n words, and an integer m, and retrieves the mth most frequent word in thatlist.

Whats 2 to the power of 64? Given that you have one string of length N and M small strings of length L. How do you

efficiently find the occurrence of each small string in the larger one? How do you find out the fifth maximum element in an Binary Search Tree in efficient

manner. Suppose we have N companies, and we want to eventually merge them into one big

company. How many ways are there to merge? There is linked list of millions of node and you do not know the length of it. Write a function

which will return a random number from the list. You need to check that your friend, Bob, has your correct phone number, but you cannot ask

him directly. You must write a the question on a card which and give it to Eve who will takethe card to Bob and return the answer to you. What must you write on the card, besides thequestion, to ensure Bob can encode the message so that Eve cannot read your phone number?

How long it would take to sort 1 trillion numbers? Come up with a good estimate.

Order the functions in order of their asymptotic performance: 1) 2^n 2) n^100 3) n! 4) n^n There are some data represented by(x,y,z). Now we want to find the Kth least data. We say

(x1, y1, z1) > (x2, y2, z2) when value(x1, y1, z1) > value(x2, y2, z2) where value(x,y,z) =(2^x)*(3^y)*(5^z). Now we can not get it by calculating value(x,y,z) or through otherindirect calculations as lg(value(x,y,z)). How to solve it?

How many degrees are there in the angle between the hour and minute hands of a clock whenthe time is a quarter past three?

Given an array whose elements are sorted, return the index of a the first occurrence of aspecific integer. Do this in sub-linear time. I.e. do not just go through each element searchingfor that element.

Given two linked lists, return the intersection of the two lists: i.e. return a list containing onlythe elements that occur in both of the input lists.

Whats the difference between a hashtable and a hashmap? If a person dials a sequence of numbers on the telephone, what possible words/strings can be

formed from the letters associated with those numbers? How would you reverse the image on an n by n matrix where each pixel is represented by a

bit? Create a fast cached storage mechanism that, given a limitation on the amount of cache

memory, will ensure that only the least recently used items are discarded when the cachememory is reached when inserting a new item. It supports 2 functions: String get(T t) andvoid put(String k, T t).

Create a cost model that allows Google to make purchasing decisions on to compare the costof purchasing more RAM memory for their servers vs. buying more disk space.

Design an algorithm to play a game of Frogger and then code the solution. The object of thegame is to direct a frog to avoid cars while crossing a busy road. You may represent a roadlane via an array. Generalize the solution for an N-lane road.

What sort would you use if you had a large data set on disk and a small amount of ram towork with?

What sort would you use if you required tight max time bounds and wanted highly regularperformance.

How would you store 1 million phone numbers?


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Design a 2D dungeon crawling game. It must allow for various items in the maze walls,objects, and computer-controlled characters. (The focus was on the class structures, and howto optimize the experience for the user as s/he travels through the dungeon.)

What is the size of the C structure below on a 32-bit system? On a 64-bit?

struct foo {

char a;char* b;};Google Interview: Software Engineer in Test

Efficiently implement 3 stacks in a single array. Given an array of integers which is circularly sorted, how do you find a given integer. Write a program to find depth of binary search tree without using recursion. Find the maximum rectangle (in terms of area) under a histogram in linear time. Most phones now have full keyboards. Before there there three letters mapped to a number

button. Describe how you would go about implementing spelling and word suggestions aspeople type.

Describe recursive mergesort and its runtime. Write an iterative version in C++/Java/Python. How would you determine if someone has won a game of tic-tac-toe on a board of any size? Given an array of numbers, replace each number with the product of all the numbers in the

array except the number itself *without* using division. Create a cache with fast look up that only stores the N most recently accessed items. How to design a search engine? If each document contains a set of keywords, and is

associated with a numeric attribute, how to build indices? Given two files that has list of words (one per line), write a program to show the intersection. What kind of data structure would you use to index annagrams of words? e.g. if there exists

the word top in the database, the query for pot should list that.

Google Interview: Quantitative Compensation Analyst

What is the yearly standard deviation of a stock given the monthly standard deviation? How many resumes does Google receive each year for software engineering? Anywhere in the world, where would you open up a new Google office and how would you

figure out compensation for all the employees at this new office? What is the probability of breaking a stick into 3 pieces and forming a triangle?

Google Interview: Engineering Manager

Youre the captain of a pirate ship, and your crew gets to vote on how the gold is divided up.If fewer than half of the pirates agree with you, you die. How do you recommendapportioning the gold in such a way that you get a good share of the booty, but still survive?

Google Interview: AdWords Associate

How would you work with an advertiser who was not seeing the benefits of the AdWordsrelationship due to poor conversions?


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How would you deal with an angry or frustrated advertisers on the phone?

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