Timed speed assessments gate the most speed-driven interview processes in trading. Clearing them is the gate; everything interesting comes after.
The timed arithmetic screen
The signature screen is a short, brutally timed mental-arithmetic test - commonly reported as dozens of questions in a handful of minutes, no calculator, with a penalty for wrong answers. That works out to only a few seconds per question. Speed-focused market makers such as Flow Traders and IMC are publicly reported to use screens of this general shape, and a number-sequence test (spot the rule, give the next term) usually follows.
Watch out. Specific counts and timings are reported by candidates rather than officially published, and they shift year to year. Don't over-index on a single figure - index on the skill: fast, accurate arithmetic and pattern recognition under brutal time pressure. The arithmetic is basic (integers, decimals, fractions, percentages); the pace is what eliminates most applicants.
The process
| Stage | Focus |
|---|---|
| Online assessment | Timed mental math + number sequences |
| Interviews | Probability, expected value, market-making games |
| Final round | Trading judgement and fit with senior traders |
The later rounds cover probability, expected value, and market-making and betting games - quoting a two-sided price, managing risk, and updating on new information. These desks want traders who are fast and sound under uncertainty, not merely quick calculators.
How to prepare
Key insight. Win the arithmetic first. Nothing else on your application matters until you clear the speed filter, so that is where early prep should concentrate.
- Arithmetic and sequences. Drill the Mental Math Blitz and Number Box until speed is automatic - see the speed mental-math guide and the sequence-tests guide.
- Then judgement. Work probability and market-making problems, and practise quoting with the Make a Market game.
- Simulate the OA. Run the timed Probability OA - the OA guide explains the penalty-scoring strategy.
When you are ready, work the question set for this format.