Top 37
Prep plan
Updated weekly · Last refresh Oct 17

SmartNews Data Scientist Interview Questions

The questions to prepare for a SmartNews Data Scientist interview. Questions from real interview reports rank first. Updated daily.

37questions
~5htotal time
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1
A/B Testing & ExperimentationStart here. 3 questions · ~27 min
Design Test for New FeatureMedium

Design an A/B test for a new platform feature, including success metrics, power, guardrails, and a clear ship decision.

experiment designfeature evaluationA/B TestingSmartNews
Ranking Test for App DiscoveryMedium

Design an A/B test for a new app-store ranking algorithm, including primary metrics, guardrails, sample size, and launch criteria.

MDEGuardrail MetricsSample Ratio MismatchSmartNews
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2
SQL & Data Manipulation3 questions + 1 drill · ~37 min
3
Statistics & Probability4 questions · ~35 min
Retention Change vs SeasonalityHard

Distinguish a true retention impact from seasonality using causal inference, time series controls, and pre-period adjustment.

Hypothesis TestingCausal InferenceTime SeriesSmartNews
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4
Metrics3 questions · ~27 min
Diagnose a Sudden DAU DropHard

Investigate whether an 8.2% DAU decline is driven by product breakage, logging issues, or normal seasonal patterns.

DAU/MAUDiagnosisTime SeriesSmartNews
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5
Machine Learning5 questions · ~44 min
Handling Missing Data in MLMedium

Explain practical strategies for handling missing data and how to validate that the chosen approach improves model performance.

Feature EngineeringData WranglingSupervised LearningSmartNews
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6
Product Sense4 questions · ~35 min
Improve SmartNews AppMedium

Assesses your product thinking and ability to generate data-informed improvement ideas.

product improvementSmartNews
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7
More topics15 questions · ~133 min
Build a SmartNews RecommenderHard

Evaluates your system design thinking for personalized news discovery at SmartNews.

RetrievalModel ServingRecommendation SystemsSmartNews
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The finish line: interview-readyComplete all 37 questions plus 1 hands-on drill to finish this plan.