Interview Puzzle Questions for Freshers

Interview puzzle questions often include tricky logic exercises to gauge how well you can think “out of the box.”  Puzzle questions are also helpful in gauging analytical and logical abilities, attention to detail tendencies, and drawing logical conclusions.

You will need to think critically about the problem and an effective method for solving it to get it right. You may also have to break the problem into different parts or set parameters. 

We have compiled a list of the most commonly asked puzzle questions you should try before your next interview. 

Standard Paradoxical Interview Puzzle Questions

You probably won’t need to know how to code to solve a common puzzle. Puzzle questions are created to test your ability to think and use logic.

Let’s look at some typical puzzle questions that could come up during an interview.

1. The Bridge-Crossing Puzzle

Four individuals must cross a bridge. It’s late at night and quite dark outside. Crossing the bridge without a flashlight is risky, and there’s only one. The maximum occupancy of the bridge is two individuals. How quickly can a group of four walk across the bridge?

2. The Riddle of the Elevator Man

Every day, a man who lives on the tenth level of a building rides the elevator to the lobby, where he may exit. He also goes to the street below, where his workplace and the nearest supermarket are located.

After a long day, he takes the elevator to the seventh floor. Then ascends ten flights of stairs to his flat on the tenth story. When did he start acting like this?

Take note that on rainy days or when the elevator is crowded, he skips the waiting area and walks straight to his floor. Not only that, but he despises having to walk.

3. Conundrum of Heaven and Hell

Before you are two options, each with its doors and a stairway to heaven and hell. One guard stands by each entrance. A guard constantly tells the truth while his partner is always lying, but you have no means of knowing which is which.

If you want to find the entrance to paradise, you can only ask one question of one guard. What question springs to mind?

4. Three Jars With Incorrect Labels

It appears that you have three jars with incorrect labels. There are apples in the first jar, oranges in the second, and a combination of both in the third. Remember to put labels on all of the containers.

Pick as many fruits as you like from each container. To correctly identify each fruit jar, what is the smallest number of fruits that must be selected?

5. Cut Gold Bar Puzzle

You’ve got a gold bar in your pocket and a worker you hired for the next week.

Every day, you must provide him with a gold coin. Is there a minimum number of slits in the gold bar that would allow you to pay them one-seventh of the total daily?

6. Man Who Fell Down a Well Puzzle

There was a man who had a bad fall into a well. The depth of the well is 30 meters. He makes a daily gain of 4 meters but loses 3 due to falls. How long will it be until he emerges from the well?

7. Coins in a Bag Puzzle

You can carry around a limitless amount of money thanks to your ten coin purses. But you can’t recall which of the bags contains the counterfeit coins.

You’re well aware that a genuine coin weighs 1 gram, and a counterfeit coin weighs 1.1 grams. How can I tell if a bag contains counterfeit coins using only the barest indicators?

8. Horse Race Track Jigsaw Puzzle

There are 25 equines and 5 venues for horse racing. Using as few races as possible, determine the three fastest horses from a field of 25.

9. Rechargeable Batteries Puzzle

Although there are eight batteries in total, only four are usable. You’ll need them for a flashlight, which takes two fully charged batteries. How many different battery combinations must be checked to ensure the light works?

10. Puzzle of a Birthday Cake

It takes precisely three slices to divide a birthday cake into eight equal pieces. Do what you can to make this reduction work.

11. Clock Angle Riddle

What is the slant of the clock’s hour and minute hands if the time displayed is 3:15?

12. Conundrum Made of Tomato Soup

That’s a glass of tomato soup in your hand. There is another glass, but it’s a different size and shape from the first. You must feed the soup to two kids. What’s the best way to divide the soup between two cups such that each person feels like they’ve got an even serving?

The Top 3 Strategies for Cracking Interview Puzzles

These brain teasers are, without a doubt, challenging. Here are three crucial pointers to help you nail the interview and land the job:

1. Avoid Making Assumptions

Avoid assuming anything or rushing to a conclusion. Be sure to clarify any points of confusion by asking questions.

2. Describe Your Methodology

Discuss your reasoning with the interviewer as you go through the puzzle. It’s a great way to demonstrate your ability to think strategically and rationally under duress. Remember that solving these puzzles is secondary to showing off your analytical prowess.

3. Learn to Apply Logic

If you use your brain and your logic, you can come up with a solution to the puzzle, even if it’s wrong. Methods that aren’t conventional can be discussed. To a greater extent than simply locating the correct answer, your ability to think and deduce the solution is what matters.

Conclusion

Your reasoning abilities are essential regardless of the type of interview puzzle questionsyou encounter. If you are extremely good at puzzles, chances are you are good at reasoning, too.