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Institute for Defense Analyses Interview Questions

The questions to prepare for Institute for Defense Analyses interviews, across all roles. Questions from real interview reports rank first. Updated weekly.

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1
CodingStart here. 6 questions · ~55 min
Linked List ReversalEasy
Practice

Reverse a singly linked list in-place using iterative pointer manipulation.

RecursionLinked ListsArraysInstitute for Defense Analyses
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2
Execution6 questions · ~55 min
Recover a Slipping ProjectMedium

Explain how you would diagnose and recover a project that is falling behind schedule without losing stakeholder trust.

Success CriteriaRoadmappingRisk AssessmentInstitute for Defense Analyses
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3
Statistics & Probability8 questions · ~73 min
Interpreting P Values in TestingEasy

Explain what a p-value means in hypothesis testing and how it relates to statistical significance.

Hypothesis TestingStatistical SignificanceP-ValuesInstitute for Defense Analyses
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4
Machine Learning4 questions · ~37 min
Bias Variance and RegularizationMedium

Explain the bias-variance tradeoff mathematically and how L1 and L2 regularization change model complexity and weights.

Bias-Variance TradeoffRegularizationSupervised LearningInstitute for Defense Analyses
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5
A/B Testing & Experimentation3 questions · ~27 min
Quasi-Experimental Policy EvaluationHard

Tests your ability to evaluate causal impact with limited randomization and credible identification strategies.

experiment designCausal Inferenceprimary metricsInstitute for Defense Analyses
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6
Behavioral & Leadership18 questions · ~165 min
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7
More topics5 questions · ~46 min
Diagnose a Metric Drop After LaunchMedium

Investigate why a key KPI moved the wrong way after a product change and separate signal from noise.

Lagging IndicatorsLeading IndicatorsDiagnosisInstitute for Defense Analyses
Discuss Model Evaluation TechniquesMedium

Explain your approach to model evaluation, including how you choose and interpret metrics for different ML problems.

PrecisionAccuracyRecallInstitute for Defense Analyses
SQL Window Trend ComparisonMedium

Tests your SQL proficiency for time-series comparisons and windowed aggregations.

Window FunctionsRankingRunning TotalsInstitute for Defense Analyses
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Hands-on SQL practiceWrite and run real queries in the editor. 3 drills · ~30 min
Second Highest Trader SalaryEasy
Practice
Practice drill

Find the second highest distinct salary from a single table using basic PostgreSQL ordering and limiting.

SubqueriesRankingSortingeClinicalWorksInformaticaSpectraforce Technologies
SQL Rolling Average and RankingHard
Practice
Practice drill

Use CTEs and window functions to calculate 7-day transaction averages and rank Loft users within each region.

Window FunctionsRankingRunning TotalsLoftArcadisCgi Nederland
Monthly Revenue Running Totals by RegionMedium
Practice
Practice drill

Use joins, monthly aggregation, and window functions to compute running revenue totals and customer rank by region.

Window FunctionsRankingRunning TotalsNTT DATAAppfolio
The finish line: interview-readyComplete all 50 questions plus 3 hands-on drills to finish this plan.