IMC Trading interview prep
IMC interviews test arithmetic, probability, and trading-style brainteasers.
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In the classical secretary problem, as n → ∞, what fraction should you reject outright before accepting the next best-so-far candidate?
WHAT IMC FOCUSES ON
- ·Mental arithmetic speed tests
- ·Probability puzzles and expected-value questions
- ·Trading and market-making brainteasers
- ·Light stochastic reasoning
- ·Cultural fit and game-theoretic thinking
INTERVIEW OVERVIEW
IMC Trading's interview process mirrors the Dutch-style trading firm template — arithmetic-heavy screening followed by probability and trading conversations — but is often described by candidates as slightly more conversational than Optiver. The mental math test is fast but not quite at 80in8 intensity. Probability problems are classical (coin, dice, Markov chains, expected value under stopping) with occasional trading-flavoured variants (quoting a spread, market-making under uncertainty). IMC interviewers place real weight on cultural fit — how you respond to being pushed, how curious you seem about markets, whether you'd enjoy the trading floor. Candidates who pass combine numerical fluency with clean probabilistic reasoning and a visible interest in trading specifically (not just 'a quant job'). QuantPrep covers the probability and brainteaser portion; pair it with arithmetic drills for the mental-math screen.
INTERVIEW STRUCTURE
Mental arithmetic under time pressure (similar in structure to Optiver's 80in8 but typically less extreme) plus a probability / logic section. Passing threshold varies by cohort.
Typically 45 minutes with a trader. Mix of mental math, probability brainteasers, and a few market-making estimation questions. Conversational in tone but technically rigorous.
On-site in Amsterdam, Chicago, or Sydney depending on the regional process. Multiple back-to-back interviews, sometimes including a trading game, behavioural deep-dive, and cultural-fit lunch.
THE IMC MENTAL MATH SCREEN
Timed arithmetic test, similar in structure to Optiver's 80in8 but typically with a slightly less aggressive per-question time budget. Covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, division with decimals and percentages.
Drill on arithmetic.zetamac.com with decimals enabled. Two to three weeks of daily practice is typical for candidates starting from zero arithmetic fluency. Aim for a sustainable score comfortably above the expected threshold before the test window.
The probability and brainteaser section of the process — not the mental math screen itself. Every technique IMC probes in interviews (expected value, dice, coin, Markov chains, trading estimation) is covered in QuantPrep's corpus.
SAMPLE PROBLEM TYPES
Representative of what IMC interviewers ask. Drill these and their variants on QuantPrep.
You pay £1 to play a game where you roll a fair die and win £ equal to the square of the face shown. What's the expected profit? (E[X²] for uniform die = 91/6; expected profit ≈ £14.17.)
A fair coin is flipped 10 times. Make a market on the number of heads. I can buy or sell one contract at your quote. (Mean is 5, stdev ≈ 1.58; a reasonable tight market is 4.5–5.5, but you should widen if you suspect the other side has information.)
I have a jar of 100 coins. 99 are fair, 1 is two-headed. I pick one at random and flip it 10 times — all heads. What's the probability it's the two-headed coin? (Bayes — answer is roughly 91%, though most candidates underestimate the update.)
HOW TO PREPARE
- ·Drill arithmetic separately on zetamac; the mental math screen is unforgiving.
- ·Know classic brainteasers (gambler's ruin, coupon collector, birthday problem) deeply enough to explain them in multiple framings.
- ·Learn basic market-making intuition — quoting a fair market around the expected value, widening for adverse selection.
- ·Prepare thoughtful answers to 'why trading' and 'why IMC specifically' — cultural fit is probed harder than at many competitors.
- ·Read up on ETF market-making at a conceptual level; IMC participates in ETF flows and interviewers expect basic literacy.
COMMON MISTAKES
- ×Treating IMC as 'Optiver-lite' and under-preparing. IMC's standards are high; the style is just more conversational.
- ×Neglecting the cultural fit side. IMC wants to hire people who actually want to be traders, not quant generalists.
- ×Being sloppy on easy probability questions under time pressure. Early-round mistakes compound psychologically.
- ×Not asking clarifying questions. Ambiguity is sometimes intentional.
FAQ
Similar to Optiver's 80in8: timed arithmetic under pressure. Preparation is specialised — use dedicated tools. QuantPrep focuses on the probability and brainteaser half of the interview.
Classic brainteasers — expected value, coin and dice problems, Markov chains — along with some trading-themed questions. QuantPrep's corpus covers all of these.
Comparable. Both firms emphasise quick probabilistic reasoning. Flow Traders may lean slightly more on trading intuition; IMC slightly more on raw probability.
Amsterdam (HQ), Chicago, Sydney. Role mix varies — Amsterdam has the deepest trading bench; Chicago is the US hub; Sydney covers APAC markets. Apply where you want to live and where the role matches.
Dutch-origin, flat hierarchy, trading-first. Interviewers place real weight on whether you'd thrive on a trading floor — interview success correlates with visible market interest, not just probability skill.
Yes — IMC runs structured internship programmes in Amsterdam and Chicago, typically with conversion-to-full-time pipelines. The internship interview process mirrors the full-time one at reduced scale.
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