Optiver Software Engineer candidates commonly report a long online assessment, recruiter or behavioral conversations, coding and object-oriented design, plus system-design or onsite work in later stages.
$190K
Avg. Base Comp
$394K
Avg. Total Comp
4 rounds
Typical Rounds
2-4 weeks
Process Length
Optiver Software Engineer interviews frequently begin with a long, multi-part online assessment rather than a short algorithm screen. Candidates report timed coding alongside combinations of CS questions, mental math, logic tasks, and game-style exercises. Reported coding work includes a design-style problem using heaps, lazy deletion, Fibonacci sequencing, and hash maps. Other accounts describe long prompts whose solutions become short once the requirements are understood. Treat accuracy, careful reading, and pace as part of the assessment itself.
After the assessment, reported processes include recruiter or behavioral discussions covering background, projects, feedback, and why Optiver. Technical stages vary but have included a circular-buffer queue, a bit-representation question, easy-to-medium coding, object-oriented design, Java or C++ implementation, networking, debugging, optimization, and a scheduler. Several candidates also encountered system-design discussions, including open-ended or exchange-related prompts.
The sequence is not uniform across reports, so prepare for recurring themes rather than one fixed loop. Practice translating a detailed prompt into a clear implementation or design, state assumptions early, and explain correctness, complexity, and trade-offs as constraints change. Review computer-science fundamentals alongside coding, especially object-oriented design, networking, data structures, and lower-level representation. For behavioral conversations, connect your project decisions and problem-solving approach to your interest in Optiver rather than relying on a generic motivation answer.
Synthesized from 15 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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Real interview reports from people who went through the Optiver process.
I received an interview invitation after completing the online assessment. The OA was fairly long and more involved than a typical coding assessment. It included several coding problems along with math and logic-based games that tested problem-solving speed and accuracy. Some parts required more careful thinking rather than just knowing standard algorithms, so managing time throughout the assessment was important. Overall, I felt that the OA was designed to evaluate both technical ability and how quickly you can reason through unfamiliar problems. After finishing it, I received an invitation to move forward with the interview process.
Questions asked: The online assessment was fairly long and had two main parts. One part consisted of LeetCode-style coding questions, where you needed to write correct and reasonably efficient solutions under time pressure. The other part involved fast-paced mental math and logic games, so you had to do arithmetic quickly and stay accurate while working against the clock. The assessment felt like it was testing both coding ability and speed of quantitative reasoning.
After passing the OA, I received an invitation to the first-round interview. One question asked was “Why Optiver?” I was also expected to discuss my technical background and problem-solving process. I have not completed the later technical interview rounds yet, so I do not want to make up specific technical questions that I was not actually asked.
Prep tip from this candidate
Prepare for a lengthy timed assessment that combines coding with mental math and logic games. Also rehearse a concise, specific answer to “Why Optiver?” and a clear explanation of your technical background and problem-solving approach.
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Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Optiver
Given a list of integers, and an integer N, write a function to find all combinations that sum to the value N.
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Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates commonly report a lengthy online assessment with coding plus combinations of CS questions, math or logic tasks, and game-style exercises. Reported coding prompts range from object-oriented design to practical systems problems, so carefully parse requirements and budget time across sections.
Candidates report recruiter or behavioral discussions after the assessment, often covering their background, projects, feedback, and why they want to join Optiver. Some accounts describe a short HR-style conversation, while others describe mixed technical and behavioral virtual interviews.
Reported technical stages include live coding, CS fundamentals, OOD, and performance discussion. Examples include an LRU cache, circular-buffer queue, order-management or auction design, debugging, Big O, networking, and language-specific questions; the exact focus may vary by interviewer.
Some candidates who progressed further report system design, whiteboarding, or an in-person onsite. Trading or exchange-oriented design appeared in several accounts, while others describe open-ended design and optimization discussion; communicate assumptions and trade-offs as you work.
