Hedge Fund Quant Interview Questions for Quant Researchers
The same round is marked differently depending on the seat you are interviewing for. This is the hedge fund quant set as it applies to quant researchers.
288 questions, 160 of them free to practise right now. The split is 36 easy, 178 medium, 74 hard. The topics that come up most are probability (78), combinatorics (59), statistics (57), random variables (46).
- A divisor of a power of tenEasyProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- A multiple of 15 in ones and zerosEasyBrainteasersView →
- A ratio of Fibonacci sumsEasyBrainteasersView →
- A two-sigma tail probabilityEasyRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Age in a square yearEasyBrainteasersView →
- American early exerciseEasyFinance & DerivativesView →
- An odd subset with two small elementsEasyCombinatoricsView →
- Angle under an orthogonal mapEasyLinear AlgebraView →
- Break-even move after a round tripEasyFinance & DerivativesView →
- Chi-square test for a varianceEasyStatisticsView →
- Color switches in a drawEasyRandom VariablesExpected ValueView →
- Counting 8-bit stringsEasyCombinatoricsView →
- Counting nines to 1000EasyCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Covariance of a chi-square and a ratioEasyRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Covariance of summed Brownian motionsEasyStochastic ProcessesView →
- Determinant after antisymmetrizingEasyProbabilityLinear AlgebraView →
- Even numbers, distinct digitsEasyCombinatoricsView →
- Integers that contain a zeroEasyCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Interquartile range of an exponentialEasyRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- MISSISSIPPI with the P's togetherEasyCombinatoricsView →
- Matching a uniform and an exponentialEasyRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Norm after imposing orthogonalityEasyLinear AlgebraView →
- Paid a dollar or the drawEasyExpected ValueStatisticsView →
- Parameter values for a singular matrixEasyLinear AlgebraView →
- Pooling two independent estimatesEasyRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Posterior from a likelihood ratioEasyConditional Probability & ExpectationStatisticsView →
- R-squared from the sums of squaresEasyStatisticsView →
- Skewness of a Laplace variableEasyRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Solving a linear Diophantine equationEasyBrainteasersView →
- Standard deviation of a correlated sumEasyRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Sum of cubed eigenvaluesEasyLinear AlgebraView →
- Sum of the OLS coefficientsEasyStatisticsView →
- The added babyEasyProbabilityConditional Probability & ExpectationView →
- Upper bound on a dry weekendEasyProbabilityView →
- Variance of a sum of Brownian motionEasyStochastic ProcessesView →
- Where x squared log x bottoms outEasyCalculusView →
- 25 horses, 5 tracksMediumBrainteasersView →
- A Gram–Schmidt R entryMediumLinear AlgebraView →
- A difference of three normalsMediumRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- A tenth power of a matrixMediumLinear AlgebraView →
- Adults before the busMediumBrainteasersView →
- Age a fraction of the birth yearMediumBrainteasersView →
- All six faces (coupon collector)MediumRandom VariablesExpected ValueView →
- Anagrams of LOLLIPOPMediumCombinatoricsView →
- Average salary, kept privateMediumBrainteasersStatisticsView →
- Bayes: did it rain?MediumConditional Probability & ExpectationStatisticsView →
- Bertrand's boxMediumProbabilityConditional Probability & ExpectationView →
- Conditional mean on a circleMediumConditional Probability & ExpectationRandom VariablesView →
- Correlation of two face-countsMediumProbabilityStatisticsView →
- Covariance from a triangular densityMediumRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Covariance of a Poisson processMediumStochastic ProcessesView →
- Density of a uniform squaredMediumRandom VariablesCalculusView →
- Dice game, up to three rollsMediumExpected ValueStochastic ProcessesView →
- Disease test (Bayes)MediumConditional Probability & ExpectationStatisticsView →
- Distinct die labelingsMediumCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- E[X | X > 0] for a standard normalMediumStatisticsCalculusView →
- Eigenvalues of a rotationMediumLinear AlgebraView →
- Expectation as a sum of tailsMediumRandom VariablesExpected ValueView →
- Expected flips for HHMediumRandom VariablesExpected ValueView →
- Expected square of a random unit complex numberMediumProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- Four points on a semicircleMediumProbabilityView →
- Four times as long to the first headMediumProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- Gambler's ruin (unfair)MediumProbabilityStochastic ProcessesView →
- Growth rate of a rank-one eigenvalueMediumLinear AlgebraView →
- Guess 2/3 of the averageMediumMarket Making & Betting GamesView →
- How large can the off-diagonal be?MediumLinear AlgebraView →
- How much a control variate helpsMediumFinance & DerivativesProgramming & DSAView →
- Is W(t)³ a martingale?MediumStochastic ProcessesView →
- Keeping two apartMediumCombinatoricsView →
- Largest eigenvalue of a rank-one updateMediumLinear AlgebraView →
- Lattice paths in 3DMediumCombinatoricsView →
- Maximize xyz on a planeMediumCalculusView →
- Maximum of x^(1/x)MediumCalculusView →
- Maximum variance on an intervalMediumRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Mean over variance of a nested uniformMediumProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- Minimum of two exponentialsMediumProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- Minimum-variance weightsMediumStatisticsFinance & DerivativesView →
- Monty HallMediumProbabilityConditional Probability & ExpectationView →
- No two evens adjacentMediumCombinatoricsView →
- Norm of a doubly-stochastic stationary vectorMediumLinear AlgebraStochastic ProcessesView →
- Number of runsMediumExpected ValueView →
- OLS slope from four pointsMediumStatisticsView →
- Odd multiples of threeMediumCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Odd solutions to a sumMediumCombinatoricsView →
- One hundred animals for a thousand dollarsMediumBrainteasersView →
- One random subset inside anotherMediumProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Placing operators among digitsMediumCombinatoricsView →
- Pricing a digital from a call spreadMediumFinance & DerivativesView →
- Probability of three of a kindMediumProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Put–call parity with a dividendMediumFinance & DerivativesView →
- Regions from ten linesMediumCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Rehedging a book after a moveMediumFinance & DerivativesView →
- Russian roulette, re-spunMediumProbabilityConditional Probability & ExpectationView →
- Smallest simulable probabilityMediumProbabilityBrainteasersView →
- Spectrum of a constant-diagonal matrixMediumLinear AlgebraView →
- Spectrum of a symmetric matrixMediumStatisticsLinear AlgebraView →
- Sum and difference of perfectly correlated variablesMediumRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Sum of multinomial coefficientsMediumCombinatoricsView →
- Summing digits to a millionMediumCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Swapping the regression variablesMediumStatisticsView →
- Ten dice, sum divisible by sixMediumProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Terms in a multinomial expansionMediumCombinatoricsView →
- The German tank problemMediumExpected ValueStatisticsView →
- The SDE of the reciprocalMediumStochastic ProcessesView →
- The die that makes sums uniformMediumProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- The two-headed coinMediumProbabilityConditional Probability & ExpectationView →
- Three-four-five in Pascal's triangleMediumCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Trailing zeros of 100!MediumCombinatoricsView →
- Tuning an exponential random walkMediumProbabilityStochastic ProcessesView →
- Uncorrelated but dependentMediumRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Units digit of a random powerMediumProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Variance of a Brownian combinationMediumStochastic ProcessesView →
- Variance of a time-weighted Itô integralMediumCalculusStochastic ProcessesView →
- Variance of integrated Brownian motionMediumStochastic ProcessesView →
- Variance of the larger of two diceMediumRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Whose draw is larger?MediumProbabilityView →
- Why divide by n−1?MediumStatisticsView →
- Will they meet?MediumProbabilityView →
- X positive given the sum is positiveMediumProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- A Fibonacci power sumHardBrainteasersView →
- A function minus its derivativeHardCalculusView →
- A half-plane, given positiveHardProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- A second red ball from the same urnHardProbabilityConditional Probability & ExpectationView →
- A three-way race to the first headHardProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- Balls into bowls, three eachHardCombinatoricsView →
- Counting fives before a four and a sixHardProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- Covariance of X with Y squaredHardRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- Covariance with a lognormal childHardConditional Probability & ExpectationRandom VariablesView →
- Dealing until kings or a king-and-aceHardCombinatoricsExpected ValueView →
- Domino tilings of a 3×8 gridHardCombinatoricsView →
- Everyone gets one of eachHardProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Filling three bins from a coin flipHardProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Guessing cards from a known pileHardProbabilityExpected ValueView →
- HTH before HHTHardProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- Laplace transform of a Brownian exit timeHardStochastic ProcessesView →
- Making a power of Brownian motion a martingaleHardStochastic ProcessesView →
- Mean of a mean-reverting processHardStochastic ProcessesFinance & DerivativesView →
- More coins, more heads?HardProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- One of each face before the two of heartsHardProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Pirate gameHardMarket Making & Betting GamesView →
- Rotations divisible by 37HardCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Second moment of a Gaussian-kernel stochastic integralHardCalculusStochastic ProcessesView →
- Seven seated in age orderHardProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Smallest number with digit product 10000HardCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Sums of fours and fivesHardCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- The boy born on a TuesdayHardProbabilityConditional Probability & ExpectationView →
- The drunk passengerHardProbabilityConditional Probability & ExpectationView →
- The frog's single leftward hopHardProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- The leap-frog's favorite landing spotHardProbabilityStochastic ProcessesView →
- The number with no new digitsHardBrainteasersView →
- The snow plowHardCalculusView →
- The survivor in the circleHardBrainteasersView →
- Three first-heads in non-decreasing orderHardProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- Triangle with equal side sumsHardCombinatoricsBrainteasersView →
- Twelve balls, one oddHardBrainteasersView →
- Two Brownian values, both positiveHardProbabilityStochastic ProcessesView →
- Two random subsets that overlapHardProbabilityCombinatoricsView →
- Variance under random parametersHardRandom VariablesStatisticsView →
- When a power of the process is a submartingaleHardProbabilityStochastic ProcessesView →
- When a uniform ratio rounds to a squareHardProbabilityRandom VariablesView →
- A limit via the cosine seriesMediumCalculus Premium
- A mean-reverting processMediumStochastic ProcessesFinance & Derivatives Premium
- A two-step transitionMediumStochastic Processes Premium
- Absorption probability on a lineMediumProbabilityStochastic Processes Premium
- Aces in a seven-card handMediumCombinatoricsExpected Value Premium
- An ace in the handMediumProbabilityCombinatorics Premium
- At least two sixes in five rollsMediumProbabilityRandom Variables Premium
- Back out the market premium, then price a stockMediumStatisticsFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Backing out a correlationMediumRandom VariablesStatistics Premium
- By parts over an infinite tailMediumCalculus Premium
- Cheapest open-top boxMediumCalculus Premium
- Classify critical points of x^3 - 3xMediumCalculus Premium
- CompositionsMediumCombinatorics Premium
- Condition numberMediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Conditioning Brownian motion on its futureMediumStochastic Processes Premium
- Confidence interval with the right pivotMediumStatistics Premium
- Conversion arbitrage from a parity violationMediumFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Convexity correction signMediumFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Counting straightsMediumProbabilityCombinatorics Premium
- Cutting a cubeMediumBrainteasers Premium
- Determinant of a 3×3MediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Determinant of a compound expressionMediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Determinant of an orthogonal matrixMediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Distinct birthdays representedMediumProbabilityExpected Value Premium
- Diversified VaR of two positionsMediumStatisticsFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Duration-plus-convexity price moveMediumFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Expected absolute difference of two diceMediumExpected Value Premium
- Expected duration of a fair gameMediumExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- Expected rolls for two sixes in a rowMediumExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- Expected sum given both evenMediumConditional Probability & ExpectationExpected Value Premium
- Finite-difference stabilityMediumFinance & DerivativesProgramming & DSA Premium
- First to roll a sixMediumProbability Premium
- Five distinct ranksMediumProbabilityCombinatorics Premium
- Fourth moment of a shifted normalMediumProbabilityRandom Variables Premium
- Gamma and rehedging P&LMediumFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Gap between two uniformsMediumExpected ValueStatistics Premium
- How explosive is naive Fibonacci?MediumProgramming & DSA Premium
- How fast is the balloon growing?MediumCalculus Premium
- Identical balls, no empty boxMediumCombinatorics Premium
- Is the random walk squared a martingale?MediumExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- Joint default rangeMediumProbabilityFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Last two digits of a powerMediumCombinatoricsBrainteasers Premium
- Law of total varianceMediumConditional Probability & ExpectationExpected Value Premium
- Markov with a floorMediumStatistics Premium
- Max rectangle under a parabolaMediumCalculus Premium
- Maximize x + y on the unit circleMediumLinear AlgebraCalculus Premium
- Maximum rate of increaseMediumLinear AlgebraCalculus Premium
- Minimum-variance portfolio weightMediumStatisticsFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Monty Hall with 100 doorsMediumProbabilityConditional Probability & Expectation Premium
- No two heads in a rowMediumProbabilityCombinatorics Premium
- No-arbitrage call boundsMediumFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Nullity of a concrete matrixMediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Par swap rate definitionMediumFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Poisson thinning: exactly two large ordersMediumRandom Variables Premium
- Position of the first spadeMediumCombinatoricsExpected Value Premium
- Positive semidefinitenessMediumStatisticsLinear Algebra Premium
- Power iterationMediumLinear AlgebraProgramming & DSA Premium
- Pricing a squared payoffMediumExpected ValueMarket Making & Betting Games Premium
- Projecting onto a lineMediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Quickselect average complexityMediumProgramming & DSA Premium
- Rank–nullity dimension countMediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Reaching the target before ruinMediumStochastic Processes Premium
- Reading an R²MediumStatistics Premium
- Recovering an eigenvector from its eigenvalueMediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Screening a rare diseaseMediumConditional Probability & ExpectationStatistics Premium
- Second moment via the MGFMediumRandom VariablesCalculus Premium
- Short-rate modelsMediumStochastic ProcessesFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Singular values via AᵀAMediumLinear Algebra Premium
- Sizing an index-futures hedge in contractsMediumStatisticsFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Spam filterMediumProbabilityConditional Probability & Expectation Premium
- Stationary distribution of a two-state chainMediumProbabilityStochastic Processes Premium
- Subsets with no neighborsMediumCombinatorics Premium
- Sum of squared standard normalsMediumRandom VariablesStatistics Premium
- The cab problemMediumProbabilityConditional Probability & Expectation Premium
- The first component to failMediumRandom Variables Premium
- The probability integral transformMediumRandom VariablesStatistics Premium
- The two black aces, side by sideMediumProbabilityCombinatorics Premium
- Three mislabeled jarsMediumBrainteasers Premium
- Three unlabeled teamsMediumCombinatorics Premium
- Two positive testsMediumProbabilityConditional Probability & Expectation Premium
- Two trains and a flyMediumBrainteasers Premium
- Variance explained by a regressionMediumStatisticsLinear Algebra Premium
- Variance of a squared normalMediumRandom VariablesStatistics Premium
- Variance of a stochastic integralMediumProbabilityStochastic Processes Premium
- Variance of a two-regime returnMediumRandom VariablesStatistics Premium
- Variance-minimizing hedgeMediumProbabilityStatistics Premium
- Volume of revolution of sqrt(x)MediumCalculus Premium
- Weighing 1 to 40MediumBrainteasers Premium
- What 'unbiased' meansMediumStatistics Premium
- What a p-value isMediumStatistics Premium
- Which coin produced two heads?MediumProbabilityConditional Probability & Expectation Premium
- Which desk books the larger dayMediumRandom VariablesStatistics Premium
- Which machine made the defect?MediumConditional Probability & ExpectationStatistics Premium
- Why covariance matrices are PSDMediumStatisticsLinear Algebra Premium
- x^4 coefficient of a composed seriesMediumCalculus Premium
- A void suit in bridgeHardProbabilityCombinatorics Premium
- Ages from product and sumHardCombinatoricsBrainteasers Premium
- Amoeba extinctionHardProbabilityStochastic Processes Premium
- An arithmetic-geometric seriesHardCalculus Premium
- Best-of-seven underdogHardProbabilityRandom Variables Premium
- Blue-eyed islandersHardBrainteasers Premium
- Branching process extinction (critical)HardProbabilityStochastic Processes Premium
- Branching process extinction (supercritical)HardProbabilityStochastic Processes Premium
- Connecting noodlesHardProbabilityExpected Value Premium
- Counting two-pair handsHardProbabilityCombinatorics Premium
- Defective stack of coinsHardCombinatoricsBrainteasers Premium
- Deriving the first-price shading factorHardProbabilityExpected Value Premium
- Drunk man on a bridgeHardExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- Exactly one pairHardProbabilityCombinatorics Premium
- Expected flips for HHHHardExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- Expected flips for HTHHardExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- Expected revisits of the start stateHardExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- Four heads in a rowHardExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- Handshakes at a dinner partyHardCombinatoricsBrainteasers Premium
- Hats in a lineHardBrainteasers Premium
- Median of a streamHardStatisticsProgramming & DSA Premium
- Minimum coins where greedy failsHardProgramming & DSA Premium
- Order statistics are BetaHardRandom VariablesStatistics Premium
- Pricing an inverse floaterHardFinance & Derivatives Premium
- Prisoners and the boxesHardProbabilityBrainteasers Premium
- Quadratic variation of a scaled Itô integralHardCalculusStochastic Processes Premium
- Reflected paths ending below the levelHardProbabilityStochastic Processes Premium
- Reflecting wall first-passage timeHardExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
- The all-pay auctionHardProbabilityExpected Value Premium
- Triangle from three independent sticksHardProbabilityCalculus Premium
- Triangle that swallows the centerHardProbabilityBrainteasers Premium
- Two eggs, 100 floorsHardBrainteasers Premium
- World Series bettingHardExpected ValueStochastic Processes Premium
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