GS Goldman Sachs Group Inc

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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)

Registration Statement No. 333-198735

The information in this preliminary pricing supplement is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary pricing supplement is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion. Dated December 1, 2015.

The notes will not bear interest.  The notes will mature on the stated maturity date (expected to be the third scheduled business day after the determination date) unless they are automatically called on the call observation date (expected to be approximately 13 months after the original issue date).  Your notes will be automatically called on the call observation date if the closing level of the S&P 500® Index on such date is equal to or greater than the initial index level (set on the trade date and may be higher or lower than the actual closing level of the underlier on the trade date), resulting in a payment on the call payment date equal to the face amount of your notes times between approximately 106.283% and approximately 107.367%.

If your notes are not automatically called, the amount that you will be paid on your notes on the stated maturity date will be based on the performance of the index as measured from the trade date to and including the determination date (expected to be between 24 and 27 months after the original issue date). If the final index level on the determination date is equal to or greater than the initial index level, you will receive the maximum settlement amount (expected to be between $1,116.00 and $1,136.00 for each $1,000 face amount of your notes). If the final index level declines by up to 15.00% from the initial index level, you will receive the face amount of your notes. If the final index level declines by more than 15.00% from the initial index level, the return on your notes will be negative. You could lose your entire investment in the notes.

The return on your notes is capped.  The maximum payment you could receive is expected to be between $1,062.83 and $1,073.67 if your notes are called on the call observation date and between $1,116.00 and $1,136.00 if your notes are not automatically called.

If your notes are not automatically called on the call observation date, we will calculate the index return to determine your payment at maturity, which is the percentage increase or decrease in the final index level from the initial index level. At maturity, for each $1,000 face amount of your notes, you will receive an amount in cash equal to:

·                  if the index return is zero or positive (the final index level is equal to or greater than the initial index level), the maximum settlement amount of between $1,116.00 and $1,136.00;

·                  if the index return is negative but is not below -15.00% (the final index level is less than the initial index level but not by more than 15.00%), $1,000; or

·                  if the index return is negative and is below -15.00% (the final index level is less than the initial index level by more than 15.00%), the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of (a) approximately 1.1765 times (b) the sum of the index return plus 15.00% times (c) $1,000.

You should read the additional disclosure herein so that you may better understand the terms and risks of your investment, including our credit risk. See page PS-10. The estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date is expected to be between $960 and $980 per $1,000 face amount. For a discussion of the estimated value and the price at which Goldman, Sachs & Co. would initially buy or sell your notes, if it makes a market in the notes, see the following page.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus.  Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The notes are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank.

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Pricing Supplement No.      dated         , 2015.

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On November 2, 2015, Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) announced that it had placed the senior unsecured debt ratings of the non-operating holding companies of the U.S. global systemically important banks (GSIBs) under review as it reviews the resolution regime for U.S. banks. These holding companies, which include The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., are under review for a credit ratings downgrade by S&P.

The issue price, underwriting discount and net proceeds listed above relate to the notes we sell initially.  We may decide to sell additional notes after the date of this pricing supplement, at issue prices and with underwriting discounts and net proceeds that differ from the amounts set forth above. The return (whether positive or negative) on your investment in notes will depend in part on the issue price you pay for such notes.

Goldman Sachs may use this prospectus in the initial sale of the notes. In addition, Goldman, Sachs & Co. or any other affiliate of Goldman Sachs may use this prospectus in a market-making transaction in a note after its initial sale.  Unless Goldman Sachs or its agent informs the purchaser otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this prospectus is being used in a market-making transaction.

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SUMMARY INFORMATION

Key Terms

Issuer:  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Underlier: the S&P 500® Index (Bloomberg symbol, “SPX Index”), as published by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“S&P”)

Specified currency:  U.S. dollars (“$”)

Terms to be specified in accordance with the accompanying product supplement no. 3139:

·                  type of notes: notes linked to a single underlier

·                  exchange rates: not applicable

·                  averaging dates: not applicable

·                  buffer level: yes, as described below

·                  knock-out event: not applicable

·                  coupon: not applicable

·                  redemption right or price dependent redemption right: yes, as described below

·                  cap level: not applicable

·                  contingent minimum return: not applicable

·                  maturity date premium amount: yes, as described below

Face amount:  each note will have a face amount of $1,000; $      in the aggregate for all the offered notes; the aggregate face amount of the offered notes may be increased if the issuer, at its sole option, decides to sell an additional amount of the offered notes on a date subsequent to the date of this pricing supplement

Purchase at amount other than face amount:  the amount we will pay you on the call payment date or the stated maturity date, as the case may be, for your notes will not be adjusted based on the issue price you pay for your notes, so if you acquire notes at a premium (or discount) to face amount and hold them to the call payment date or the stated maturity date, it could affect your investment in a number of ways. The return on your investment in such notes will be lower (or higher) than it would have been had you purchased the notes at face amount. Also, the stated buffer level would not offer the same measure of protection to your investment as would be the case if you had purchased the notes at face amount. See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes — If You Purchase Your Notes at a Premium to Face Amount, the Return on Your Investment Will Be Lower Than the Return on Notes Purchased at Face Amount and the Impact of Certain Key Terms of the Notes Will be Negatively Affected” on page PS-12 of this pricing supplement.

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Supplemental discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences:  you will be obligated pursuant to the terms of the notes — in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary — to characterize each note for all tax purposes as a pre-paid derivative contract in respect of the underlier, as described under “Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences” on page S-73 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139. Pursuant to this approach, it is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP that upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes, it would be reasonable for you to recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash you receive at such time and your tax basis in your notes.  Pursuant to Treasury regulations, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) withholding (as described in “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Foreign Account Tax Compliance” in the accompanying prospectus and “Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences — Foreign Account Tax Compliance” in the accompanying product supplement no. 3139) will generally apply to obligations that are issued on or after July 1, 2014; therefore, the notes will generally be subject to FATCA withholding. However, according to published guidance, the withholding tax described above will not apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale, exchange or other disposition of the notes (including payment at maturity) made before January 1, 2019.

Cash settlement amount (on the call payment date):  if your notes are automatically called on the call observation date because the index level on such day is equal to or greater than the call level, for each $1,000 face amount of your notes, we will pay you an amount in cash equal to the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of $1,000 times the call premium amount

Cash settlement amount (on the stated maturity date):  if your notes are not automatically called, for each $1,000 face amount of your notes, we will pay you on the stated maturity date an amount in cash equal to:

·                  if the final underlier level is equal to or greater than the initial underlier level (1) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of $1,000 times the maturity date premium amount;

·                  if the final underlier level is less than the initial underlier level but greater than or equal to the buffer level, $1,000; or

·                  if the final underlier level is less than the buffer level, the sum of (1) $1,000 plus (2) the product of (i) $1,000 times (ii) the buffer rate times (iii) the sum of the underlier return plus the buffer amount

Initial underlier level (to be set on the trade date and may be higher or lower than the actual closing level of the underlier on the trade date):

Final underlier level:  the closing level of the underlier on the determination date, except in the limited circumstances described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Consequences of a Market Disruption Event or a Non-Trading Day” on page S-19 of the accompanying general terms supplement and subject to adjustment as provided under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Discontinuance or Modification of an Underlier” on page S-23 of the accompanying general terms supplement

Underlier return:  the quotient of (1) the final underlier level minus the initial underlier level divided by (2) the initial underlier level, expressed as a percentage

Buffer level: 85.00% of the initial underlier level

Buffer amount: 15.00%

Buffer rate:  the quotient of the initial underlier level divided by the buffer level, which equals approximately 117.65%

Call observation date (to be set on the trade date):  expected to be approximately 13 months after the original issue date, subject to adjustment as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Call Observation Dates” on page S-16 of the accompanying general terms supplement

Call payment date (to be set on the trade date):  expected to be the third scheduled business day after the call observation date, subject to postponement as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes— Call Payment Dates” on page S-13 of the accompanying general terms supplement

Call premium amount (to be set on the trade date):  expected to be between approximately 6.283% and approximately 7.367%. The actual call premium amount that is set on the trade date will be a prorated amount of the actual maturity date premium amount that is set on the trade date.

Call level:  100.00% of the initial underlier level with respect to the scheduled call observation date

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Maturity date premium amount (to be set on the trade date): expected to be between 11.60% and 13.60%

Trade date:

Original issue date (settlement date) (to be set on the trade date):  expected to be the fifth scheduled business day after the trade date

Stated maturity date (to be set on the trade date): a specified date that is expected to be the third scheduled business day after the determination date, subject to adjustment as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes —— Stated Maturity Date” on page S-13 of the accompanying general terms supplement

Determination date (to be set on the trade date):  a specified date that is expected to be between 24 and 27 months after the original issue date subject to adjustment as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Determination Date” on page S-14 of the accompanying general terms supplement

No interest:  the offered notes will not bear interest

No listing:  the offered notes will not be listed on any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system

Redemption:  as described under “General Terms of the Underlier-Linked Autocallable Notes — Redemption of Your Notes” on page S-56 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139

Closing level:  as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Special Calculation Provisions — Closing Level” on page S-27 of the accompanying general terms supplement

Business day:  as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Special Calculation Provisions — Business Day” on page S-27 of the accompanying  general terms supplement

Trading day:  as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Special Calculation Provisions —Trading Day” on page S-27 of the accompanying general terms supplement

Use of proceeds and hedging:  as described under “Use of Proceeds” and “Hedging” on page S-71 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139

ERISA:  as described under “Employee Retirement Income Security Act” on page S-80 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139

Supplemental plan of distribution; conflicts of interest:  as described under “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” on page S-81 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139 and “Plan of Distribution — Conflicts of Interest” on page 117 of the accompanying prospectus;  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. estimates that its share of the total offering expenses, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $       .

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. expects to agree to sell to Goldman, Sachs & Co. (“GS&Co.”), and GS&Co. expects to agree to purchase from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., the aggregate face amount of the offered notes specified on the front cover of this pricing supplement.  GS&Co. proposes initially to offer the notes to the public at the original issue price set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement. The underwriting discount set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement per $1,000 face amount is comprised of $      of underwriting fees and $      of selling commission.  GS&Co. is an affiliate of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and, as such, will have a “conflict of interest” in this offering of notes within the meaning of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) Rule 5121. Consequently, this offering of notes will be conducted in compliance with the provisions of FINRA Rule 5121. GS&Co. will not be permitted to sell notes in this offering to an account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of the account holder.

We expect to deliver the notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on          , 2015, which is expected to be the fifth scheduled business day following the date of this pricing supplement and of the pricing of the notes. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in three business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade notes on any date prior to three business days before delivery will be required, by virtue of the fact that the notes are initially expected to settle in five business days (T + 5), to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

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We have been advised by GS&Co. that it intends to make a market in the notes. However, neither GS&Co. nor any of our other affiliates that makes a market is obligated to do so and any of them may stop doing so at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity or trading market for the notes.

Calculation agent:  GS&Co.

CUSIP no.:

ISIN no.:

FDIC: the notes are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank

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HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLES

The following table and examples are provided for purposes of illustration only.  They should not be taken as an indication or prediction of future investment results and are intended merely to illustrate the impact that the various hypothetical underlier levels on the call observation date and on the determination date could have on the cash settlement amount on the call payment date or on the stated maturity date, as the case may be, assuming all other variables remain constant.

The examples below are based on a range of underlier levels that are entirely hypothetical; no one can predict what the closing level of the underlier will be on any day throughout the life of your notes, and no one can predict what the underlier level will be on the call observation date or on the determination date.  The underlier has been highly volatile in the past — meaning that the underlier level has changed considerably in relatively short periods — and its performance cannot be predicted for any future period.

The information in the following examples reflects hypothetical rates of return on the offered notes assuming that they are purchased on the original issue date at the face amount and held to the call payment date or the stated maturity date, as the case may be.  If you sell your notes in a secondary market prior to the call payment date or the stated maturity date, as the case may be, your return will depend upon the market value of your notes at the time of sale, which may be affected by a number of factors that are not reflected in the table below such as interest rates, the volatility of the underlier and our creditworthiness.  In addition, the estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date (as determined by reference to pricing models used by GS&Co.) is less than the original issue price of your notes.  For more information on the estimated value of your notes, see “Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes — The Estimated Value of Your Notes At the Time the Terms of Your Notes Are Set On the Trade Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS&Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Notes” on page PS-10 of this pricing supplement.  The information in the table also reflects the key terms and assumptions in the box below.

Moreover, we have not yet set the initial underlier level that will serve as the baseline for determining the underlier return and the amount that we will pay on your notes, if any, on the call payment date or at maturity.  We will not do so until the trade date.  As a result, the actual initial underlier level may differ substantially from the underlier level prior to the trade date and may be higher or lower than the actual closing level of the underlier on the trade date.

For these reasons, the actual performance of the underlier over the life of your notes, as well as the amount payable on the call payment date or at maturity, if any, may bear little relation to the hypothetical examples shown below or to the historical underlier levels shown elsewhere in this pricing supplement.  For information about the historical levels of the underlier during recent periods, see “The Underlier —

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Historical Closing Levels of the Underlier” below.  Before investing in the offered notes, you should consult publicly available information to determine the levels of the underlier between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered notes.

Also, the hypothetical examples shown below do not take into account the effects of applicable taxes.  Because of the U.S. tax treatment applicable to your notes, tax liabilities could affect the after-tax rate of return on your notes to a comparatively greater extent than the after-tax return on the underlier stocks.

If your notes are automatically called on the call observation date (i.e., on the call observation date the closing level of the underlier is equal to or greater than the call level), the cash settlement amount that we would deliver for each $1,000 face amount of your notes on the call payment date would be the sum of $1,000 plus the product of the call premium amount times $1,000. If, for example, the closing level of the underlier on the call observation date were determined to be 101.000% of the initial underlier level, your notes would be automatically called and the cash settlement amount that we would deliver on your notes on the call payment date would be approximately 106.283% of the face amount of your notes or $1,062.83 for each $1,000 of the face amount of your notes.

If the notes are not called on the call observation date (i.e., on the call observation date the closing level of the underlier is less than the call level), the cash settlement amount we would deliver for each $1,000 face amount of your notes on the maturity date will depend on the performance of the underlier on the determination date, as shown in the table below. The table below assumes that the notes have not been automatically called on the call observation date and reflects hypothetical cash settlement amounts that you could receive on the stated maturity date. The levels in the left column represent hypothetical final underlier levels and are expressed as percentages of the initial underlier level.  The amounts in the right column represent the hypothetical cash settlement amounts, based on the corresponding hypothetical final underlier level (expressed as a percentage of the initial underlier level), and are expressed as percentages of the face amount of a note (rounded to the nearest one-thousandth of a percent). Thus, a hypothetical cash settlement amount of 100.000% means that the value of the cash payment that we would deliver for each $1,000 of the outstanding face amount of the offered notes on the stated maturity date would equal 100.000% of the face amount of a note, based on the corresponding hypothetical final underlier level (expressed as a percentage of the initial underlier level) and the assumptions noted above.

If, for example, the notes have not been automatically called on the call observation date and the final underlier level were determined to be 20.000% of the initial underlier level, the cash settlement amount that we would deliver on your notes at maturity would be approximately 23.529% of the face amount of your notes, as shown in the table above. As a result, if you purchased your notes on the original issue date at the face amount  and held them to the stated maturity date, you would lose approximately 76.471% of your investment (if you purchased your notes at a premium to face amount you would lose a correspondingly higher percentage of your investment). In addition, if the final underlier level were determined to be 160.000% of the initial underlier level, the cash settlement amount that we would

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deliver on your notes at maturity would be 111.600% of the face amount of your notes, as shown in the table above.  As a result, if you held your notes to the stated maturity date, the cash settlement amount will be capped, and you will not benefit from any increase in the closing level of the underlier above the initial underlier level on the determination date.

The cash settlement amounts shown above are entirely hypothetical; they are based on market prices for the underlier stocks that may not be achieved on the call observation date or the determination date, as the case may be, and on assumptions that may prove to be erroneous. The actual market value of your notes on the stated maturity date or at any other time, including any time you may wish to sell your notes, may bear little relation to the hypothetical cash settlement amounts shown above, and these amounts should not be viewed as an indication of the financial return on an investment in the offered notes.  The hypothetical cash settlement amounts on notes held to the stated maturity date in the examples above assume you purchased your notes at the face amount and have not been adjusted to reflect the actual issue price you pay for your notes. The return on your investment (whether positive or negative) in your notes will be affected by the amount you pay for your notes. If you purchase your notes for a price other than the face amount, the return on your investment will differ from, and may be significantly lower than, the hypothetical returns suggested by the above examples.  Please read “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Autocallable Notes — The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” on page S-53 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139.

Payments on the notes are economically equivalent to the amounts that would be paid on a combination of other instruments. For example, payments on the notes are economically equivalent to a combination of an interest-bearing bond bought by the holder and one or more options entered into between the holder and us (with one or more implicit option premiums paid over time). The discussion in this paragraph does not modify or affect the terms of the notes or the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the notes, as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement.

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ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS SPECIFIC TO YOUR NOTES

The Estimated Value of Your Notes At the Time the Terms of Your Notes Are Set On the Trade Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS&Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Notes

The original issue price for your notes exceeds the estimated value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date, as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models and taking into account our credit spreads. Such estimated value on the trade date is set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”; after the trade date, the estimated value as determined by reference to these models will be affected by changes in market conditions, our creditworthiness and other relevant factors.  The price at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell your notes (if GS&Co. makes a market, which it is not obligated to do), and the value that GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise, also exceeds the estimated value of your notes as determined by reference to these models.  As agreed by GS&Co. and the distribution participants, the amount of this excess will decline on a straight line basis over the period from the date hereof through the applicable date set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”.  Thereafter, if GS&Co. buys or sells your notes it will do so at prices that reflect the estimated value determined by reference to such pricing models at that time.  The price at which GS&Co. will buy or sell your notes at any time also will reflect its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured notes.

In estimating the value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date, as disclosed above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”, GS&Co.’s pricing models consider certain variables, including principally our credit spreads, interest rates (forecasted, current and historical rates), volatility, price-sensitivity analysis and the time to maturity of the notes.  These pricing models are proprietary and rely in part on certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. As a result, the actual value you would receive if you sold your notes in the secondary market, if any, to others may differ, perhaps materially, from the estimated value of your notes determined by reference to our models due to, among other things, any differences in pricing models or assumptions used by others.  See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Autocallable Notes — The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” on page S-50 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139.

The difference between the estimated value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date and the original issue price is a result of certain factors, including principally the underwriting discount and commissions, the expenses incurred in creating, documenting and marketing the notes, and an estimate of the difference between the amounts we pay to GS&Co. and the amounts GS&Co. pays to us in connection with your notes. We pay to GS&Co. amounts based on what we would pay to holders of a non-structured note with a similar maturity.  In return for such payment, GS&Co. pays to us the amounts we owe under your notes.

In addition to the factors discussed above, the value and quoted price of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted.  If GS&Co. makes a market in the notes, the price quoted by GS&Co. would reflect any changes in market conditions and other relevant factors, including any

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deterioration in our creditworthiness or perceived creditworthiness. These changes may adversely affect the value of your notes, including the price you may receive for your notes in any market making transaction. To the extent that GS&Co. makes a market in the notes, the quoted price will reflect the estimated value determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models at that time, plus or minus its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured notes (and subject to the declining excess amount described above).

Furthermore, if you sell your notes, you will likely be charged a commission for secondary market transactions, or the price will likely reflect a dealer discount.  This commission or discount will further reduce the proceeds you would receive for your notes in a secondary market sale.

There is no assurance that GS&Co. or any other party will be willing to purchase your notes at any price and, in this regard, GS&Co. is not obligated to make a market in the notes. See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Autocallable Notes — Your Notes May Not Have an Active Trading Market” on page S-53 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139.

The Notes Are Subject to the Credit Risk of the Issuer

Although the return on the notes will be based on the performance of the underlier, the payment of any amount due on the notes is subject to our credit risk. The notes are our unsecured obligations.  Investors are dependent on our ability to pay all amounts due on the notes, and therefore investors are subject to our credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of our creditworthiness.  See “Description of the Notes We May Offer — Information About Our Medium-Term Notes, Series D Program — How the Notes Rank Against Other Debt” on page S-4 of the accompanying prospectus supplement.

The Cash Settlement Amount You Will Receive on the Call Payment Date or on the Stated Maturity Date is Not Linked to the Closing Level of the Underlier at Any Time Other Than on the Call Observation Date or the Determination Date, as the Case May Be

The cash settlement amount you will receive on the call payment date, if any, will be paid only if the closing level of the underlier on the call observation date is equal to or greater than the initial underlier level.  Therefore, the closing level of the underlier on dates other than the call observation date will have no effect on any cash settlement amount paid in respect of your notes on the call payment date.  In addition, the cash settlement amount you will receive on the stated maturity date, if any, will be based on the closing level of the underlier on the determination date.  Therefore, for example, if the closing level of the underlier dropped precipitously on the determination date, the cash settlement amount for the notes would be significantly less than it would otherwise have been had the cash settlement amount been linked to the closing level of the underlier prior to such drop. Although the actual closing level of the underlier on the call payment date, stated maturity date or at other times during the life of the notes may be higher than the closing level of the underlier on the call observation date or the determination date, you will not benefit from the closing levels of the underlier at any time other than on the call observation date or on the determination date.

You May Lose Your Entire Investment in the Notes

You can lose your entire investment in the notes. Assuming your notes are not automatically called on the call observation date, the cash settlement amount on your notes, if any, on the stated maturity date will be based on the performance of the S&P 500® Index as measured from the initial underlier level set on the trade date (which could be higher or lower than the actual closing level of the underlier on the trade date) to the closing level on the determination date. If the final underlier level is less than the buffer level, you will have a loss for each $1,000 of the face amount of your notes equal to the product of the buffer rate times the sum of the underlier return plus the buffer amount times $1,000. Thus, you may lose your entire investment in the notes, which would include any premium to face amount you paid when you purchased the notes.

Also, the market price of your notes prior to the stated maturity date may be significantly lower than the purchase price you pay for your notes.  Consequently, if you sell your notes before the stated maturity date, you may receive far less than the amount of your investment in the notes.

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The Cash Settlement Amount You Will Receive on the Call Payment Date or on the Stated Maturity Date, as the Case May Be, Will Be Capped

Regardless of the closing level of the underlier on the call observation date, the cash settlement amount you may receive on the call payment date is capped. Even if the closing level of the underlier on the call observation date exceeds the initial underlier level, causing the notes to be automatically called, the cash settlement amount on the call payment date will be capped, and you will not benefit from any increases in the closing level of the underlier above the initial underlier level on the call observation date. If your notes are automatically called on the call observation date, the maximum payment you will receive for each $1,000 face amount of your notes will depend on the call premium amount, which will be set on the trade date.  In addition, the cash settlement amount you may receive on the stated maturity date is capped.

Your Notes Are Subject to Automatic Redemption

We will call and automatically redeem all, but not part, of your notes on the call payment date, if the closing level of the underlier on the call observation date is greater than or equal to the call level. Therefore, the term for your notes may be reduced to as short as approximately 13 months after the original issue date. You may not be able to reinvest the proceeds from an investment in the notes at a comparable return for a similar level of risk in the event the notes are called prior to maturity.

Your Notes Do Not Bear Interest

You will not receive any interest payments on your notes. As a result, even if the cash settlement amount payable for your notes on the stated maturity date exceeds the face amount of your notes, the overall return you earn on your notes may be less than you would have earned by investing in a non-indexed debt security of comparable maturity that bears interest at a prevailing market rate.

You Have No Shareholder Rights or Rights to Receive Any Underlier Stock

Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any of the underlier stocks.  Neither you nor any other holder or owner of your notes will have any rights with respect to the underlier stocks, including voting rights, any right to receive dividends or other distributions, any rights to make a claim against  the underlier stocks or any other rights of a holder of the underlier stocks.  Your notes will be paid in cash and you will have no right to receive delivery of any underlier stocks.

We May Sell an Additional Aggregate Face Amount of the Notes at a Different Issue Price

At our sole option, we may decide to sell an additional aggregate face amount of the notes subsequent to the date of this pricing supplement. The issue price of the notes in the subsequent sale may differ substantially (higher or lower) from the original issue price you paid as provided on the cover of this pricing supplement.

If You Purchase Your Notes at a Premium to Face Amount, the Return on Your Investment Will Be Lower Than the Return on Notes Purchased at Face Amount and the Impact of Certain Key Terms of the Notes Will be Negatively Affected

The cash settlement amount will not be adjusted based on the issue price you pay for the notes. If you purchase notes at a price that differs from the face amount of the notes, then the return on your investment in such notes held to the call payment date or the stated maturity date will differ from, and may be substantially less than, the return on notes purchased at face amount. If you purchase your notes at a premium to face amount and hold them to the call payment date or the stated maturity date, the return on your investment in the notes will be lower than it would have been had you purchased the notes at face amount or a discount to face amount. In addition, the impact of the buffer level on the return on your investment will depend upon the price you pay for your notes relative to face amount.  For example, if you purchase your notes at a premium to face amount, the buffer level, while still providing some protection for the return on the notes, will allow a greater percentage decrease in your investment in the notes than would have been the case for notes purchased at face amount or a discount to face amount.

Your Notes May Be Subject to an Adverse Change in Tax Treatment in the Future

The Internal Revenue Service announced on December 7, 2007 that it is considering issuing guidance regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of instruments such as your notes that are currently characterized as pre-paid derivative contracts, and any such guidance could adversely affect the tax treatment and the value of your notes. Among other things, the Internal Revenue Service may decide

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to require the holders to accrue ordinary income on a current basis and recognize ordinary income on payment at maturity, and could subject non-US investors to withholding tax. Furthermore, in 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if enacted, would have required holders that acquired instruments such as your notes after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of such notes even though there may be no interest payments over the term of such notes. It is not possible to predict whether a similar or identical bill will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill would affect the tax treatment of such notes. We describe these developments in more detail under “Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences” on page S-73 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139. You should consult your tax advisor about this matter. Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. intends to continue treating the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described under “Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences” on page S-73 of the accompanying product supplement no. 3139 unless and until such time as Congress, the Treasury Department or the Internal Revenue Service determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding May Apply to Payments on Your Notes, Including as a Result of the Failure of the Bank or Broker Through Which You Hold the Notes to Provide Information to Tax Authorities

Please see the discussion under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of FATCA to payments made on your notes.

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THE UNDERLIER

The S&P 500® Index includes a representative sample of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The S&P 500® Index is calculated, maintained and published by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC.

Effective with the September 2015 rebalance, consolidated share class lines are no longer included in the S&P 500® Index. Each share class line is subject to public float and liquidity criteria individually, but a company’s total market capitalization is used to evaluate each share class line. This may result in one listed share class line of a company being included in the S&P 500® Index while a second listed share class line of the same company is excluded.

As of November 23, 2015, the 500 companies included in the S&P 500® Index were divided into ten Global Industry Classification Sectors. The Global Industry Classification Sectors include (with the approximate percentage currently included in such sectors indicated in parentheses): Consumer Discretionary (13.17%), Consumer Staples (9.56%), Energy (6.96%), Financials (16.56%), Health Care (14.62%), Industrials (10.18%), Information Technology (20.93%), Materials (2.84%), Telecommunication Services (2.31%) and Utilities (2.87%). (Sector designations are determined by the underlier sponsor using criteria it has selected or developed. Index sponsors may use very different standards for determining sector designations. In addition, many companies operate in a number of sectors, but are listed in only one sector and the basis on which that sector is selected may also differ. As a result, sector comparisons between indices with different index sponsors may reflect differences in methodology as well as actual differences in the sector composition of the indices.)

The above information supplements the description of the underlier found in the accompanying general terms supplement. This information was derived from information prepared by the underlier sponsor, however, the percentages we have listed above are approximate and may not match the information available on the underlier sponsor’s website due to subsequent corporation actions or other activity relating to a particular stock. For more details about the underlier, the underlier sponsor and license agreement between the underlier sponsor and the issuer, see “The Underliers — S&P 500® Index” on page S-37 of the accompanying general terms supplement.

The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, and has been licensed for use by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (“Goldman”). Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC; Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”) and these trademarks have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and sublicensed for certain purposes by Goldman. Goldman’s notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such notes.

Historical Closing Levels of the Underlier

The closing level of the underlier has fluctuated in the past and may, in the future, experience significant fluctuations. Any historical upward or downward trend in the closing level of the underlier during the period shown below is not an indication that the underlier is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time during the life of your notes.

You should not take the historical levels of the underlier as an indication of the future performance of the underlier. We cannot give you any assurance that the future performance of the underlier or the underlier stocks will result in your receiving an amount greater than the outstanding face amount of your notes on the stated maturity date.

Neither we nor any of our affiliates make any representation to you as to the performance of the underlier.  The actual performance of the underlier over the life of the offered notes, as well as the cash settlement amount, may bear little relation to the historical closing levels shown below.

The graph below shows the daily historical closing levels of the underlier from November 30, 2005 through November 30, 2015. We obtained the closing levels in the graph below from Bloomberg Financial Services, without independent verification.

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