11 questions reported in Google interviews, organised by the group that asks them. Every question carries a model answer and graded feedback on your own attempt.
Questions
Easy · Medium
Hard
Model builds
Built in the spreadsheet grid
Driver-based forecasts, variance analysis and forecast accuracy. 6 questions
A common first-round FP&A question testing whether candidates understand the planning cadence.
What is the difference between a budget and a forecast? If revenue is tracking below plan in April, which number should management use to run the business?
Asked to assess whether a candidate can design a useful forecasting process rather than simply update a template.
What is a rolling forecast, and how would you run a monthly forecasting cadence without creating a burdensome process for the business?
Central to FP&A interviews. They want process, not spreadsheet skills.
Compare top-down and bottom-up forecasting. How would you build a revenue forecast for a business with 40% recurring and 60% transactional revenue, and how do you handle the fact that forecasts are…
The recurring deliverable of an FP&A team, and interviewers ask for the method.
Revenue came in $4m below budget for the month. How do you explain it, and what does a useful explanation contain?
FP&A interviews test influence without authority as much as modelling.
A business unit leader wants to hire 20 people. Your analysis says the business case doesn't support it. You have no authority over them. What do you do?
A judgement-heavy FP&A question for candidates expected to influence senior operators.
Sales leaders consistently submit conservative forecasts so they can beat plan, while product leaders submit optimistic cost estimates to secure funding. How would you redesign the process without…
Strategic fit, synergy underwriting, dis-synergies and post-close ownership. 3 questions
Asked to test whether you understand the role you're applying to.
You've done M&A at a bank. How is corporate development different, and what would you have to do differently?
Asked in regulated-industry corp dev interviews to test awareness of conduct risk during the gap between signing and closing.
Why might an acquirer use a clean team between signing and closing? What information can it analyse, and what must the buyer avoid doing before close?
Tests whether you understand that valuation depends on who is doing the owning.
A banker values a target at $500m. Your internal analysis says $380m. Both are defensible. Why do they differ?
Adjacency analysis, competitive response and where advantage actually comes from. 1 question
Used to test whether candidates look beyond revenue share.
What is a profit pool analysis and why is it useful in strategy work?
Project selection, returning capital and measuring per-share value. 1 question
Corporate development and strategic finance interviews use this as a structured case.
Your company wants to enter an adjacent market. Should you build the capability internally, acquire a company, or partner? Structure the analysis.
Write your answer, get it graded on technical accuracy, completeness and communication, and see exactly which mechanic you missed.
Company tags reflect where a question type is commonly reported in interviews. They are not sourced from, endorsed by, or affiliated with Google.