15 of the Hardest Google Interview Questions in September 2024

Google, as could be reasonably expected for an entity that has thrived on the anticipation of what people are looking for, has a reputation for asking touch interview questions. Indeed, the toughest Google interview questions are untypical of what might be expected in most interviews.

Many Google interview questions are cryptic, brainteaser type posers, designed to test your behaviour, cognitive and problem-solving skills while in a high-pressure situation. Google has long placed a a premium on emotional intelligence over IQ, and their questions are designed to make you think laterally and also quantitatively.
The questions below are taken from careers guidance websites such as GlassDoor.com and ImpactInterview, newspapers, and online communities such as GitHub and Quora. Some of these Google interview questions are novel ways of testing a candidate’s general knowledge, and can be answered using Google searches, but others really put your problem-solving skills to the test.

There are ways of preparing for what’s in store in a Google interview. A good start is Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? by William Poundstone. More specifically, a frequently recommended book for programmers is Elements of Programming Interviews authored by Aziz, Lee and Prakash, a trio of Google insiders. Other literary preparation aids include Peter Keyne’s acclaimed The Great Book of Riddles, which is a super way of training your mind for the kinds of puzzles that are typically posed by Google interviewers. In the meantime, enjoy giving your brain some serious exercise with the following 15 of the toughest Google interview questions.