Top-Down Guesstimate Assignment Guidelines and Questions

A set of vocabulary flashcards detailing the 5-step guesstimate framework, submission requirements, strict policies, and individual practice questions.

Clarification (Step 1)

The first step in the 5-step guesstimate framework where you restate the question and clarify any ambiguity (city vs country, day vs year, etc.).

Approach (Step 2)

The second step in the 5-step guesstimate framework where you explicitly state that you are using the top-down (demand-side) approach and why.

Segmentation (Step 3)

The third step in the 5-step guesstimate framework where you draw a clear issue tree where each branch must be Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive (MECE).

Estimation & Calculation (Step 4)

The fourth step in the 5-step guesstimate framework where you list every assumption and show all math, step by step, with no skipped steps.

Final Answer & Validation (Step 5)

The fifth step in the 5-step guesstimate framework where you state the final number in a clear box and give one line of sanity-check explaining if it makes sense and why.

MECE

An acronym for Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive, which must characterize each branch of the segmentation issue tree.

Top-Down Approach

A demand-side approach required to be explicitly stated and justified as the chosen methodology for solving the assignment questions.

Zero AI Policy

A strict assessment rule forbidding ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, or any other AI/LLM tool at any stage, where any use or copied material results in zero marks and referral for academic misconduct.

Individual Submission Deadline

Thursday, 30th July 2026, 12:00 PM (noon) IST.

Suggested Time per Question

15-20 minutes per question for a total of 5 questions.

Question 1

Estimate the number of red cars in India.

Question 2

Estimate the total number of chairs in the households of Mumbai.

Question 3

Estimate the number of people who visit the Bengaluru airport in a day.

Question 4

Estimate the number of teacups consumed in Delhi in one day.

Question 5

Estimate the number of Ola and Uber cabs running in Delhi in a day.