Estimation question

What is the decrease in percentage of cab rides in post covid times compared to pre covid times?

Practice this question out loud. An AI interviewer asks it, follows up like a real interviewer would, and scores your answer. Type or speak.

What this question tests

Estimation skill through structured reasoning, not the specific number, checking assumptions are stated and logic is sound.

Restate the question precisely: percentage decline in cab or ride-hailing rides comparing a post-pandemic period to a pre-pandemic baseline.
State the baseline assumption, for example pre-pandemic ride volume driven heavily by daily commuting and airport trips.
Identify the key behavior shifts: reduced commuting due to remote or hybrid work, and reduced business and airport travel during the acute pandemic period.
Assign illustrative percentage drops to each segment, clearly marked as assumptions, such as a large drop in commute-driven rides and a smaller drop in leisure or local rides.
Weight the segments by their assumed share of total pre-pandemic ride volume to compute a blended estimate.
State a final illustrative range, for example a 15 to 25 percent decline blended across segments, and note the range would narrow with real data on segment mix.

Breaks total ride volume into commute, leisure, and airport/business segments rather than guessing one flat percentage.
Clearly labels all percentage assumptions as illustrative, for example assuming a 40 percent drop in commute rides due to remote work.
Shows the math combining segment weights and assumed declines into one blended range, not just a single guessed number.
Notes that by the current period, some rebound has likely occurred as offices reopened, and adjusts the estimate accordingly rather than assuming pandemic-peak conditions persist.

Giving a single guessed percentage with no segment breakdown or stated assumptions.
Ignoring that behavior has partially rebounded since the acute pandemic period.
Not showing the arithmetic connecting assumptions to the final number.

Which segment do you think drove the largest share of the decline, and why?
How would your estimate change for a city with a high share of tourism versus commuting?