Optiver's Quantitative Analyst process typically opens with a long, timed online assessment of mental math, probability, and coding, followed by behavioral screens and technical rounds built around market-making games and probability reasoning rather than classic algorithms.
$210K
Avg. Base Comp
$318K
Avg. Total Comp
3-5 rounds
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
Optiver's Quantitative Analyst pipeline is unusually assessment-heavy, and the early screen described in these reports is strikingly consistent: a long, timed online assessment mixing mental math, number-sequence puzzles, probability games, and a handful of coding problems. One candidate described a sequences test, several Zap-N style games, and roughly 30 probability questions at about 90 seconds each. Another recalled a combined coding-and-math assessment lasting about 2 hours 45 minutes, so pacing yourself across sections matters as much as getting any single answer exactly right. Knowing when to move on from a heavy expected-value calculation is part of what the test rewards.
Once through the assessment, candidates move into a behavioral or HR screen focused on motivation (why Optiver, why quant or trading), strengths and weaknesses, and background. Several describe this stage as smooth and comparatively low-pressure. The technical rounds that follow lean heavily on probability and market-making games rather than textbook algorithms. Candidates report deciding whether to take bets built on dice or cards, giving confidence-interval estimates for large and small quantities, working through Fermi-style estimation, and spotting arbitrage in game setups while explaining their reasoning aloud. One candidate also completed a take-home assignment built around data science and machine learning work before a short behavioral chat. Outcomes were mixed. Several candidates were rejected after the assessment or an early technical round, and one received an offer after a behavioral round, two technical rounds, and a final round mixing both. Round counts differ by report, so treat the stages below as a general shape rather than a fixed script.
Synthesized from 110 candidate reports by our editorial team.
Had an interview recently?
Share your experience. Unlock the full guide.
Real interview reports from people who went through the Optiver process.
My Optiver process ended at the online assessment, so I never got to a human interview. The test ran about two hours and felt more like a stack of IQ tests than anything about trading. It had five parts: mental math, a set of games I found genuinely frustrating, number sequences, probability, and a personality section. The speed pressure was the hardest part for me, and the probability questions were where I started second-guessing myself. I'm not allowed to share the actual questions, so I'll stick to the format.
What stung most was the communication. I got a rejection with no reason given, and I never heard from a recruiter directly. Everything came through systematic, templated emails at each stage, which made the whole thing feel impersonal. I'll admit I may not have come from a target school, but I can't tell whether that mattered or whether the bar was simply higher than I expected.
If you're preparing, the format rewards fast, accurate arithmetic and comfort with probability under a clock, so that's where I'd focus. Going in with a strong grasp of the classic quant interview books would probably have helped too.
Prep tip from this candidate
The online assessment front-loads mental math, number sequences, and probability, so drill those under time pressure rather than relying on general practice. Also work through the widely recommended quant interview books before you sit the test.
Share your own interview experience to unlock all reports, or subscribe for full access.
Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Optiver
What is the probability that each subsequent card is larger than the previous drawn card when picking three cards from a shuffled deck of 500 cards
| Question | |
|---|---|
| Maximum Profit | |
| Compute Deviation | |
| Sum to N | |
| Session Difference | |
| Profit-Maximizing Dice Game | |
| Scalped Ticket | |
| Flipping 576 Times | |
| Stranded Miner | |
| Hurdles In Data Projects | |
| Priority Queue Using Linked List | |
| Bootstrapping Confidence Intervals | |
| 85% vs 82% | |
| Gas Station Counting | |
| Index Fund Return | |
| Interquartile Distance | |
| Slow SQL Query | |
| Optimistic vs Pessimistic Locking | |
| Ticket Reservation Locking | |
| Client Solution Pushback | |
| Minimum Days for Scheduling All Meetings | |
| Identifying Good Investors | |
| Processing Large CSV | |
| LRU Cache 1 | |
| Six Face Die | |
| Reddit-like Notifications | |
| 2nd Highest Salary | |
| Empty Neighborhoods | |
| Rolling Bank Transactions | |
| Merge Sorted Lists |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates report the OA is usually the first and often hardest hurdle. It typically combines rapid mental-math sets, number-sequence puzzles, probability and game-style exercises (such as getting 24 or Zap-N style games), and three or four coding problems. One coding problem involved spotting arbitrage in currency conversion rates. One candidate described a combined assessment of about 2 hours 45 minutes, so treat it as a stamina test as much as a skills test.
After the OA, candidates commonly describe a behavioral or HR conversation covering why Optiver, why quant or trading, strengths and weaknesses, and past experiences or achievements. Several candidates describe this stage as relaxed or smooth compared with the OA and the later technical rounds, though it is still a real interview rather than a formality.
Multiple candidates describe one or more technical rounds centered on probability reasoning, expected value, and market-making style games. In these games you decide whether to bet or trade on dice, card, or coin scenarios and explain your reasoning under time pressure. Some candidates also report Fermi-style estimation or confidence-interval questions about large and small quantities.
One candidate reported a take-home assignment focused on more traditional data science and machine learning work, described as difficult in a different way from the game-style rounds. Most reports do not mention it, so ask your recruiter whether your process includes one.
One candidate who received an offer described a final round mixing behavioral and technical questions after two earlier technical rounds. Another described a short behavioral chat of about 15 minutes covering their resume, why trading, why Optiver, and a STAR question. Content typically repeats earlier themes (probability, trading judgment, motivation) rather than introducing new topics.
