Note that these types of questions rarely - if ever - come up in commercial law interviews. However, we have been asked about them on a few occasions, so we thought we would include this content on our platform anyway. 

Introduction to market sizing and brainteaser questions

Market sizing questions and brainteasers are designed to assess the thought process you follow and logic you apply in order to reach a final answer. When answering market sizing/brainteaser questions, you are not generally expected to reach a final numerical answer that is particularly close (or equal) to the true value (although you must make reasonable/rational numerical estimations along the way). Ensure that you think out loud. Make the interviewer aware of your thought process and carefully explain all your assumptions and calculations throughout. And remember, these types of questions are also typically designed to test how well you react to unexpected questions under pressure.

Note that the nature of market sizing/brainteaser questions can vary enormously. There is no way that you can possibly prepare for every type of question in advance. However, getting to grips with the different variables that exist in a variety of contexts can help you to develop your ability to think flexibly. 

Examples of questions you may be asked

1. What is the size of the potential customer base of a dating website?
2. How many footballs could fill up Wembley Stadium?
3. How many leaves are there on a tree?
4. How heavy is the building we are sitting in?
5. How many shoes are sold in India every year?
6. How many cars are there on average at any one time in the UK every year?
7. How much is the Houses of Parliament worth?