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Goldman Sachs Java Backend Developer Interview Experience

Java Backend Developer

Goldman Sachs
May 28, 2026
10 Questions
Selected

Summary

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The Goldman Sachs interview process consisted of five rounds encompassing a variety of technical and behavioral questions. Candidates should anticipate coding challenges on algorithms and data structures in the initial rounds, progressing to system design and Java concept discussions in later stages. The overall difficulty of the interview appears to be medium, making it a rigorous assessment of both technical expertise and cultural fit for prospective candidates.

1

Round 1

#1

Validate Custom Expression

Determine if the custom expression containing `{`, `}`, and `*` is balanced. The `*` can act as `{`, `}`, or represent empty.
expression-validation
stack
balanced-strings
Medium
#2

Top-k Most Frequent Words

Return the top-k most frequent words from a list, sorted by frequency and then by lexicographical order.
frequency-analysis
sorting
hashmap
Medium
2

Round 2

#1

Reverse Linked List in Pairs

Given a linked list `1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5`, reverse the nodes in pairs to obtain `2 → 1 → 4 → 3 → 5`.
linked-list
pairwise-reversal
java
Medium
#2

Java Concepts Discussion

Discuss the differences between `==` vs `equals()`, HashMap internals, collision handling in Java 8+, load factor reasoning, Java Memory Model, and thread safety/concurrency.
java
hashmap
memory-management
Medium
3

Round 3

#1

Design a Rate Limiter

Design a rate limiter that allows a maximum of 5 requests per user per minute. Describe your approach.
system-design
rate-limiter
api-design
Medium
#2

Spring Boot Deep Dive

Explain the differences between `@Component`, `@Service`, and `@Repository` in Spring Boot, and discuss bean scopes/lifecycle, Spring Boot startup flow, and `@Transactional` internals and pitfalls.
spring-boot
dependency-injection
java
Medium
4

Round 4

#1

SQL Query Optimization

Discuss techniques for SQL query optimization, including the use of indexing, utilizing `EXPLAIN`, avoiding `SELECT *`, denormalization, and analyzing slow query logs.
sql
query-optimization
database
Medium
#2

API Gateway Authentication and Security

Explain the key concepts of API Gateway authentication and security, including OAuth vs JWT, token expiration, JWT invalidation, and refresh token flows.
api-security
oauth
jwt
Medium
5

Round 5

#1

Interest in Goldman Sachs

Why do you want to work at Goldman Sachs, and what interests you about the company?
career-motivation
company-research
Easy
#2

Handling Pressure and Career Growth

Discuss your strategies for handling pressure, working with global teams, and your long-term career growth plans.
behavioral
teamwork
career
Medium
codingjavadata-structuressystem-designsqlgoldman-sachs
A

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