Optiver is a global market maker headquartered in Amsterdam, with large offices in Chicago and Sydney. It hires software engineers and traders through different processes: engineers face coding and system design, while traders face fast numerical tests and games. This page covers what Optiver builds and who it hires, the process candidates commonly report, the technical depth the teams care about, representative problem types, what interviewers score, and a three-week prep plan.
What Optiver builds and who it hires
Optiver quotes prices in options and other products on many exchanges, which takes fast, reliable trading systems and the tools traders use. Engineers build those systems in C++ and Python; traders make the pricing and risk decisions.
- Software engineers: trading systems, low-latency C++ and tooling.
- FPGA engineers: hardware for the fastest paths.
- Traders: pricing, risk and market making.
- Researchers: data and models behind the strategies.
What the process tends to look like
| Stage | What happens | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Online assessment | For engineers, a coding assessment; for traders, numerical and reasoning tests | Timed problems with hidden test cases; check edge cases before submitting |
| Phone or video interviews | Technical interviews for engineers; for traders, mental math, probability and market-making discussions | Explain approach and complexity before coding |
| Final round | A final round with several interviews, often including design for engineers | Rehearse systems depth and one project deep dive |
Processes differ by team, level and office and change over time, so treat this as the common shape candidates report and confirm the specifics with your recruiter.
Coding rounds and the trader tests
Low-latency C++. Know object layout, virtual dispatch costs, templates versus runtime polymorphism, cache lines and false sharing, and why allocation on the hot path is avoided.
The trader tests. Trader candidates widely report a mental arithmetic test known as the 80 in 8 (80 questions in 8 minutes), sequence and reasoning tests, and a game-based assessment. Engineers rarely sit these, but some see light probability questions.
System design. Engineering finals often include designing part of a trading system, with attention to latency, reliability and safety checks.
Representative problem types
These are the kinds of problems candidates describe, not a leaked question list. Practice the category, not the exact question.
- Implement an order book with price-time priority.
- Design pre-trade risk checks that cannot slow the fast path.
- Compute fair value updates as quotes stream in.
- Merge sorted streams of market data.
- Explain how you would test a change to a live trading system safely.
- Probability puzzles with dice or cards.
- Medium algorithm problems in C++ or Python.
What interviewers score
- Correctness first: edge cases, overflow and off-by-one errors matter more here than elsewhere, because a bug costs money.
- Speed of reasoning: how quickly you reach a correct approach and how you check it.
- Low-level understanding: what your code costs in memory, cache misses and system calls.
- Clear thinking under pressure: saying what you are unsure of and how you would test it.
The behavioral side
Technical rounds decide most outcomes, but every Optiver loop also asks about how you work. Prepare a short story for each of these, with a result and what you learned:
- A mistake you made and what you changed. Trading firms value people who own errors quickly, because errors cost money.
- A decision under uncertainty. Explain what you knew, what you did not, and how you updated.
- Why trading, and why this firm? Be specific about the problems that interest you: speed, markets, research or infrastructure.
Structures and sample answers for the common questions are in our software engineer behavioral answers guide.
A three-week prep plan
- Week 1: algorithms at speed: two medium or hard problems a day under a 30-minute limit, with complexity stated aloud.
- Week 2: systems depth: C++ memory and object layout, concurrency primitives, Linux and networking basics, plus probability practice if the role touches trading.
- Week 3: mixed mock interviews, one per day, and a review of every bug you made so you stop repeating them.
For other trading firms, compare Jane Street, Citadel and Two Sigma, and read the Citadel online assessment for a typical HackerRank screen.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Most of a Optiver loop is spoken: you explain an approach, defend a trade-off and talk through your past work. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant whose free AI mock interview builds technical and behavioral questions from your résumé and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of ten, so you can rehearse the explanation as well as the code. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Online assessments and many coding rounds forbid outside help, so practice beforehand and follow your employer's rules on the day.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What programming language should I use in a Optiver interview?
C++ and Python. Low-latency roles expect C++; tooling and some research roles use Python.
Does Optiver send an online assessment?
Yes for most early-career roles. Engineers report a coding assessment; traders report numerical tests and games instead.
How should I prepare for Optiver coding questions?
Practice the problem categories above under time limits, explain every solution out loud, and spend the last week on the team's domain. Review the C++ or language fundamentals the role lists, because Optiver interviewers tend to follow a working solution with questions about cost and trade-offs.
Can I use AI tools in a Optiver interview?
Only if the instructions you receive say so. Online assessments and live coding rounds generally forbid outside help, and some companies now state their AI policy in the invitation. Use AI to practice beforehand, and follow your employer's rules.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
Start a mock interview