Mastercard Product Manager Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

Mastercard is a global technology company renowned for driving the world’s fastest payments processing network. With a mission to connect and empower a digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere, Mastercard leverages cutting-edge innovations and solutions to make transactions safe, smart, and accessible. Their decency quotient (DQ) reflects a culture that prioritizes inclusion and respect for diverse perspectives and experiences.

This guide will walk you through the interview process, common Mastercard product manager interview questions, and key tips to help you navigate and excel. Let’s get started!

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority. However, you can expect the following on a Mastercard product manager interview:

Recruiter Call

If your CV is shortlisted, a recruiter from the Mastercard Talent Acquisition Team will contact you to verify key details like your experiences and salary expectations. Expect a 30-minute screening call focused on reviewing your CV and your overall fit for the role.

Hiring Manager Call

Following the successful recruiter call, you will be invited to a 1-hour call with the hiring manager. This stage will focus on your experience and understanding of the role. The hiring manager may also ask competency-based questions to gauge your skill level and alignment with the role requirements.

Take-Home Task

Upon moving past the hiring manager call, you will receive a take-home task related to Mastercard products. The task will involve evaluating and analyzing a product, designed to assess your technical and product management skills. Although the task is necessary, some candidates have noted that it does not always resemble what is done in the actual role.

Presentation of the Task

Once you’ve completed the take-home task, you will present your findings to the hiring manager. Be prepared to answer questions and discuss your approach and solutions in depth. Although this step is crucial, some candidates have found it annoying as the task may not align closely with the job’s day-to-day tasks.

Director Call

In the final stage, you will have a call with the Director. This discussion will focus on your previous experiences and ensure the role aligns with your career aspirations. The Director may also manage expectations regarding the job and its day-to-day nuances.

Typically, interviews at Mastercard vary by role and team, but commonly Product Manager interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. What are the drawbacks of the given data organization, and how would you reformat it for better analysis?

Assume you have data on student test scores in two different layouts. Identify the drawbacks of these layouts and suggest formatting changes to make the data more useful for analysis. Additionally, describe common problems seen in “messy” datasets.

2. How would you locate a mouse in a 4x4 grid using the fewest scans?

You have a 4x4 grid with a mouse trapped in one of the cells. You can scan subsets of cells to know if the mouse is within that subset. Describe a strategy to find the mouse using the fewest number of scans.

3. How would you select Dashers for Doordash deliveries in NYC and Charlotte?

Doordash is launching delivery services in New York City and Charlotte and needs a process for selecting dashers. Describe how you would decide which Dashers do these deliveries and whether the criteria for selection would be the same for both cities.

4. What factors could bias Jetco’s boarding time study, and what would you investigate?

Jetco, a new airline, was found to have the fastest average boarding times in a study. Identify potential factors that could have biased this result and what you would look into to verify the findings.

5. How would you design an A/B test to evaluate a pricing increase for a B2B SAAS company?

A B2B SAAS company wants to test different subscription pricing levels. Describe how you would design a two-week-long A/B test to evaluate a pricing increase and determine if it is a good business decision.

6. Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department.

Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department. If more than one person shares the highest salary, the query should select the next highest salary.

7. Create a function to find the maximum number in a list of integers.

Given a list of integers, write a function that returns the maximum number in the list. If the list is empty, return None.

8. Create a function convert_to_bst to convert a sorted list into a balanced binary tree.

Given a sorted list, create a function convert_to_bst that converts the list into a balanced binary tree. The output binary tree should be balanced, meaning the height difference between the left and right subtree of all the nodes should be at most one.

9. Write a function to simulate drawing balls from a jar.

Write a function to simulate drawing balls from a jar. The colors of the balls are stored in a list named jar, with corresponding counts of the balls stored in the same index in a list called n_balls.

10. Develop a function can_shift to determine if one string can be shifted to become another.

Given two strings A and B, write a function can_shift to return whether or not A can be shifted some number of places to get B.

11. How would you handle data preparation for building a machine learning model using imbalanced data?

When preparing data for a machine learning model with imbalanced classes, what steps would you take to address the imbalance and ensure the model performs well?

12. How much should we budget for a $5 coupon initiative in a ride-sharing app?

A ride-sharing app has a probability (p) of dispensing a $5 coupon to a rider and services (N) riders. Calculate the total budget needed for the coupon initiative.

13. What is a confidence interval for a statistic and why is it useful?

Explain what a confidence interval is, why it is useful to know the confidence interval for a statistic, and how to calculate it.

14. What is the probability that item X is found on Amazon’s website?

Amazon has a warehouse system where items are located at different distribution centers. Given the probabilities that item X is available at warehouse A (0.6) and warehouse B (0.8), calculate the probability that item X would be found on Amazon’s website.

15. Is a coin that lands tails 8 out of 10 times fair?

You flip a coin 10 times, and it comes up tails 8 times and heads twice. Determine if this is a fair coin.

16. What are time series models and why are they needed?

Describe what time series models are and explain why they are necessary when less complicated regression models are available.

You should plan to brush up on any technical skills and try as many practice interview questions and mock interviews as possible. A few tips for acing your Mastercard product manager interview include:

• Understand Mastercard’s Product Vision: Mastercard’s questions are often tied to their large suite of products and their impact on the market. Familiarize yourself with Mastercard’s product line, especially those relevant to the role you are applying for.
• Showcase Problem-Solving Skills: Mastercard values how well candidates can address complex problems and present feasible solutions. Use examples from your past experiences to demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and strategic thinking.
• Be Persistent and Communicative: Given that some candidates have highlighted communication gaps during the process, it is wise to frequently follow up with the recruitment team to stay updated on your application status. This will also showcase your keen interest in the role.

What is the average salary for a Product Manager at Mastercard?

What is Mastercard’s company culture like?

Mastercard cultivates a culture of inclusion, respect for individual strengths, and diverse experiences. The company believes that diversity drives better decision-making and innovation. It encourages a collaborative and supportive environment where employees can take risks and learn from their experiences, all driven by a strong ethical foundation called the Decency Quotient (DQ).

As the world of payments continues to revolutionize, Mastercard stands at the forefront, constantly seeking dynamic and innovative Product Managers. The interview process is thorough, yet flexible, with a focus on your experience and understanding of the role. Engaging with different team members, completing a practical task, and presenting to senior leaders ensures that both you and Mastercard can confidently assess the fit.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Mastercard Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. Additionally, explore our interview guides for other roles such as software engineer and data analyst to learn more about Mastercard’s interview process for different positions.

Good luck with your interview!