Graduate Quantitative Researcher applicants have rated the interview process at Optiver with 3.6 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 36% positive. To compare, the company-average is 49.2% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Graduate Quantitative Researcher roles take an average of 20 days to get hired, when considering 11 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Optiver overall takes an average of 20 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Optiver as a Graduate Quantitative Researcher according to 11 Glassdoor interviews include:
Phone interview: 21%
Skills test: 21%
Personality test: 21%
One on one interview: 14%
IQ intelligence test: 14%
Background check: 7%
Here are the most commonly searched roles for interview reports -
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Optiver (Sydney) in Feb 2024
Interview
Application starts with filling in forms and submitting resume. Then invitied to take part in online assessments, these are fairly involved although less than in previous years. Then behavioural interview. I failed at this stage, which is much before I did last year, be careful on repeat applications, interviewer skipped over any discussion of why you are suitable to work at Optiver if you discussed it previously, need to be aggressive in restating those things I think.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe what you have done in the year since your previous application.
Passed Multiple Rounds.
First was a long OA with coding and maths questions.
Then HR
Then technical interview with a quant researcher.
Then a data challenge then i had to present the results of my data challenge.
Failed at this round
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Markov and coin tosses questions.
Probability that a table with 3 legs places randomly on a circle doesn't fall.
Questions about what would happens if features were correleated, why this model not another one, why this hyperparameter. difference ridge vs lasso. difference supervised vs unsupervised
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Optiver (Amsterdam) in Nov 2025
Interview
OA, HR interveiw, Technical Interview, Take home assignment, Final round interviws (one HR one tech discussing take home). OA can be practised on various websites online. HR screen focussed on team work a lot. Technical was not too difficult, I may have just lucked out with the questions. Final round discussed ML techniques and their assumptions
2:30 hr OA contains coding probability game and quick math. Then a market making game round. Need to be quick. Then will be another market making game round. Both asking questions to make market.