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dronacharya.ai

ZS Associates

PlacementConsultingAnalystData and ML

Built from 3 candidate reports with 15 first-hand accounts, covering 2025-26, 2024-25, 2023-24.

Hiring process

Roles: Decision Associate Analyst, Decision Analytics Associate
  1. 1

    Aptitude test

    Superset60 minonlineeasyeliminatory
    SectionQsTopics
    Quantitative aptitude--
    Logical reasoning--
    Verbal ability--
    Guesstimates with data given2estimation, filtering relevant data

    quantitative aptitude · logical reasoning · verbal ability · guesstimates

    Time-bound sections; easy but speed matters. Guesstimates come with much data, only part relevant; write the approach while thinking.

  2. 2

    Other round

    Communication test
    Superset45 minonlineeasy

    reading comprehension · listening · written clarity · spoken communication

    Individually timed sections; speed and accuracy matter, no special preparation needed.

  3. 3

    Case interview

    Case study round
    Superset4 questionsonline

    chart and data interpretation · analytical approach · structured reasoning · projects and positions of responsibility · SQL joins and window functions · frameworks such as PESTEL (some candidates)

    30-40 min, video-like meeting regulated through the platform. Described as the deciding round; follows with resume questions. Thinking aloud is emphasised more than final numbers.

  4. 4

    Managerial interview

    Final interview
    Supersetonline

    resume projects and internships · positions of responsibility · why this firm · machine learning project discussion · guesstimates · puzzles · why not own branch

    Accounts differ: 30-40 min, 20 and 30 min across two interviews, or 1 h. One final round was with a senior leader; another candidate had two technical interviews and no HR. Interviewers stress structure over accuracy.

Advice from candidates

47 pieces of advice, in their own words. Names removed.

  • The first two rounds were standard, and no special preparation was needed for them. For the third round, prepare for guesstimates and case studies. Plenty of resources are available online. Look at a few examples and understand the approach needed to solve them. Be thorough with the projects you mentioned on the resume and their relevance to the role.

    preparation · 2023-24

  • Prepare guesstimates and puzzles well for the interview. Before answering, take some time to think and note down how to proceed regarding guesstimates. Be thorough with your resume and review the company website to understand its goals and objectives.

    interview · 2023-24

  • Prepare for impromptu case study questions and guesstimates. Practice various guesstimate problems to get comfortable breaking down complex problems into manageable parts. Review your resume thoroughly and be ready to discuss your projects in detail. Be ready to discuss the challenges you faced, your approach, and the outcomes. Practice common HR questions to articulate your experiences and skills effectively.

    interview · 2023-24

  • For this, try to understand how to approach case studies, focusing on identifying key issues and proposing viable solutions.

    Round 3: Case study · 2023-24

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Question patterns reported

The kind of problem, not the problem itself. Our practice questions are written to match these patterns.

  • Caseretail brand market-entry case with digital sales strategy
  • Aptitudemulti-fact estimation where only a few given facts matter
  • Aptitudetimed section with many short questions
  • Take-homefood delivery platform case, chart-based questions
  • Take-homerestaurant investment case across regions with ad spend data
  • Casewindow function ranking function difference
  • Casewater-measuring hourglass puzzle variant
  • Casepharma drug launch market sizing from doctor survey
  • HRcounting squares and rectangles on a board
  • HRvehicle or object count estimate for a city
  • HRtweaked versions of well-known puzzles
  • Aptitudeannual footfall at a large mall
  • Aptitudecount of cars of one colour in a city
  • Caseread market share pie charts and estimate share after entering
  • Casegraph-based questions across several chart types
  • Managerialnumber of patients with a chronic disease in a country
  • Managerialcoffee cups consumed in an office
  • Managerialscale customer service after sudden 4-5x growth
  • Managerialunits of a popular phone in a country
  • Managerialflyers on an airline the previous day
  • Managerialland and seating for a first restaurant outlet in a city centre
  • Managerialweighted coin among nine coins
  • Managerial25 horses race