What this rating-average puzzle tests
This is an easy puzzle that asks you to work backwards from average ratings to find a total count. It's the kind of problem that tests whether you can set up a simple algebraic equation from a word problem and solve it cleanly—a foundational skill in quant interviews.
The approach is to translate the given averages and the change in the average into an equation involving the unknown total. Once you identify what changed (number of raters and their contribution to the new average), the algebra follows straightforwardly. These puzzles reward careful setup and checking your answer against the stated conditions.
- Working with weighted averages
- Translating narrative constraints into equations
- Solving for an unknown quantity given before-and-after snapshots