GUESSESTIMATE By A R Nayaka
What are Guesstimate Questions?
A Question With a limited information,
Candidate has to estimate a number or
answer, which need not be an accurate
answer. The phrase guestimate is a
combination of the words guess and
estimate.
There is no correct answer to a
guesstimate question. There is no
correct approach to every guesstimate
question. When you begin answering a
guesstimate question, your goal should
not be to arrive at a correct answer or
apply a correct approach.
Why Guesstimate Questions are asked in Interviews?
They want to check how
Mental math Logical thinking you use this 4
combination to solve the
guesstimate question
and
You use the same 4
Problem-solving skills Background knowledge. combination to estimate
You are being assessed purely based on how you are tackling the issue.
Tell me How many number of cars are in the city of Delhi.
Domestic or Commercial?
Only Delhi or Delhi NCR
Car body type: Hatchback, Sedan,
SUV, MUV, Coupe, Convertible
Tell me How many number of cars are in the city of Delhi.
Population of Delhi
Break Down Number of Families in Delhi
Family Class or Family profession?
Approach Family Class: Super Rich, Rich, Upper Middle class,
Middle class, Lower Middle Class, Poor Class.
Estimation of Cars: Super Rich 3 to 5 cars, Rich 2 to 3
cars, Middle class 2 to 1 car, Middle class 70 – 30, Lower
Middle Class 30-70, Poor Class 0
Average of cars based on Family Class
Calculation Calculation
Delhi Population: 3 Crore
Family : 6 x 50 Lakhs
So lets Approach
Family Class Super Rich Rich Upper Middle class Lower Poor Class
Middle Class Middle class
People type % 5% 10% 15% 20% 10% 40%
Population 250000 500000 750000 1000000 500000 2000000
No of Cars 3 to 5 2 to 4 1 or 2 70% 30% 0
Avg Cars 4 x 250000 3 x 500000 1.5 x 750000 700000 75000 0
Final Cars 1000000 1500000 1125000 700000 75000
Total cars in Delhi: 4,400,000
These questions are simple to answer if you break them down into
four parts.
Define any ambiguous words in the query.
Divide big numbers into smaller, more manageable chunks.
Estimate each element based on previous experience.
Bring all of the pieces together and present your findings.
Step 1: Clarify the problem
Before jumping into the calculation, make sure that you get all your doubts
clarified.
Clarifying at the beginning serves four purposes:
It gives you the necessary information to solve an otherwise-unclear problem.
It brings you and the interviewer on the same page, preventing later disagreements.
It shows an ideal, organized approach to problem-solving similar to what consultants do.
It buys you some time to think about the problem.
Step 2: Break down the problem
Break the problem down into pieces small enough to estimate reasonably.
When breaking the case into smaller units, take each unit as a step and apply your problem-
solving ability. Make sure you discuss every step with the interviewer. This will help you
understand if you are moving in the right direction.\
When solving guesstimation problems based on numbers, take up whole numbers. Especially
those in 5 and 10’s multiples. You do not need to provide perfect calculations.
Round up the numbers for easy calculations
898 900
Do your brain a favor, and round the numbers for easier calculations.
Step 3: Use calculations to consolidate the pieces into a final answer.
Quick mental math is essential for this step – if your math is
too slow, you will bore the interviewer to death. Nevertheless,
don’t rush it – wrong calculations are bad for case interviews.
Step 4: Final Step
This is the final step of the guesstimate solving process when you reach the answer. Recheck your
calculation and examine if any calculation seems off. Do not pay heed to how much the individual
answers match a possible realistic answer in your mind. Add up all the individual pieces of the
guesstimate and report a final answer.
What are the different types of Guesstimates based on
an approach to solutions?
Following are the different types of Guesstimates based on the approach to solutions:
Household Approach: This approach is used for solving household-based guesstimate questions.
Population Approach: For solving population-related questions guesstimate questions such as
finding the number of people consuming something or the number of people living in an area.
Structural Approach: This approach is used for solving guesstimate questions such as finding the
number of aeroplanes landing in a single day.
Examples of guesstimate questions?
What is the current number of Android phones in use in Delhi?
How many packs of Mama Earth face packs are sold each day in India?
Number of iPhones users in India at present
The average number of bikes sold in Delhi during the last month
How many cups of tea were consumed in Bangalore last week?
What is the total annual sales of the global laptop market?
How many golf balls can you fit in a MINI Cooper?
How many ping-pong balls fit in a 747?
How many iPhones are currently being used in India?
How many elevators should an average office building have?
Estimate the number of WhatsApp chats occuring in India.
How many two wheelers are there currently in Mumbai
