Susquehanna International Group (SIG) screens trading and research applicants with a problem-solving assessment that prep providers describe as nine numerical questions in 60 minutes, mostly on expected value, with a calculator allowed. It rewards careful reasoning more than raw speed, which sets it apart from the rapid mental-maths tests some other trading firms use. This page covers what the SIG online assessment is, its format and timings, how it is scored, the rules to know before you start, how to prepare and a practice plan.
What the SIG online assessment is
SIG is a trading firm headquartered near Philadelphia. Its careers pages say its interview puzzles are designed to emulate the trading environment, that its Quantitative Trading Program trains traders and research analysts in game theory, decision-making and quantitative modelling, and that traders learn probability, odds and expectancy by regularly playing strategic games with senior traders. SIG does not publish the test itself. Prep providers call it the SIG Problem-Solving Assessment, published by Mercer Mettl and administered by SIG, and say it replaced an older SIG Quantitative Evaluation of 14 questions in 20 minutes. Technology roles such as software developer are assessed separately, and SIG does not publish that format, so read your invitation for the platform, languages and time limit.
For probability practice, see statistics interview questions and quant intern interview questions; for a faster, speed-based screen, compare the Optiver online assessment.
Format and timings
| Part | What it involves | Time and questions |
|---|---|---|
| Problem-Solving Assessment (trading and research) | Mostly expected value, with one or two deductive-reasoning or single-variable calculus questions | 9 questions in 60 minutes, as prep providers report it |
| Topics to expect | Combinatorics, conditional probability, Bayes' theorem and binomial distributions | Within the same test |
| Calculator | Allowed, according to prep providers | Use it for arithmetic, not for setting up the problem |
| Technology roles | A separate screen; format not published by SIG | Set in the invitation |
| Phone interviews | HR on your background and interest in trading, with about five probability and maths questions; then a call with SIG's development team on probability, trading and markets | As prep providers describe them |
Total: about 60 minutes for the trading and research assessment, as prep providers report it; SIG does not publish a figure.
How it is scored
- With nine questions, each one is a large share of the score, so one careless slip costs more than on a 50-question test.
- Prep providers say the test looks at critical thinking and how you handle complex questions under time pressure, as well as probability knowledge.
- SIG does not publish a pass mark or say whether working is considered.
- In the interviews that follow, prep providers say interviewers care more about your reasoning than about reaching the exact number.
Rules to know before you start
- Take the assessment in one sitting: at under seven minutes a question, a lost connection hurts.
- Use a calculator only as the instructions allow, and keep paper for setting up each problem.
- Outside help, including AI tools and other people, is not allowed.
- Students not yet eligible for internships can join SIG's Discovery Programs, which SIG says include an early introduction to the internship interview process.
How to prepare
- Practice expected-value problems with dice, cards and simple betting games, writing out the outcomes before calculating.
- Revise conditional probability and Bayes' theorem with two-step problems, such as drawing without replacement.
- Do a few single-variable calculus problems, such as choosing a stopping point that maximises an expected payoff.
- Simulate the real pace: nine problems in 60 minutes, sanity-checking each answer with a rough estimate.
- For the interviews, practice saying your reasoning out loud and updating when the interviewer changes the rules of a game.
A practice plan
- Day 1: read the invitation for which tests are included, the deadline window and whether a calculator is allowed.
- Days 2 to 4: fifteen minutes of timed mental arithmetic twice a day, logging your score and accuracy.
- Days 5 and 6: probability and expected-value problems with dice, cards and coins, written out and checked.
- Day 7: sequence and pattern puzzles under a clock.
- Day 8: a full timed run of every section in one sitting, then rest before the real attempt.
Related guides: what an online assessment is, the HackerRank assessment guide, Susquehanna coding interview questions.
On the day, and the mistakes to avoid
- Block the full time the invitation states in one quiet sitting; once started, there may be no reset.
- Use a laptop with a mouse, and keep the same input device for every game.
- Keep paper and a pen for working, and put the calculator away if the rules forbid it.
- Read each test's scoring note: when wrong answers cost points, decide your guessing rule before you start.
- Close messaging apps and silence notifications; on a test of ten questions a minute, one lost minute is ten questions.
- Finish every section and wait for the confirmation screen.
Mistakes that cost candidates:
- Practicing arithmetic slowly and accurately but never at test speed.
- Spending a minute on one sequence when the next five are easier.
- Starting the attempt on a work laptop or weak connection when no reset is offered.
- Ignoring the personality questionnaire; trading firms use the profile in later interviews.
- Going silent in later interviews: firms want to hear how you estimate and check, not only the final number.
What happens after the SIG online assessment
Passing the tests usually leads to a recruiter or HR conversation and technical interviews where mental maths, probability and market questions are asked out loud, then a final round of several interviews, sometimes with a trading simulation. Prepare to explain your reasoning as you calculate, because interviewers listen to the process as well as the answer. For the next stage, see our quant interview prep guide.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Online assessments are tests you take on your own: outside help is not allowed, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or a second voice. Practice beforehand instead. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant; its free AI mock interview prepares you for the interviews that follow the assessment, with questions built from your résumé and the job description and each spoken answer scored out of ten. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Read the invitation carefully and follow your employer's rules.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What is on the SIG online assessment?
For trading and research roles, prep providers describe nine numerical problems in 60 minutes, mainly expected value, with some deductive reasoning and single-variable calculus.
Can I use a calculator on the SIG test?
Prep providers say a calculator is allowed. Check the instructions in your invitation.
Do SIG software developers take the same test?
The problem-solving assessment is described for trading and research roles. SIG assesses technology roles separately and does not publish that format; your invitation will name it.
What comes after the SIG assessment?
Prep providers describe an HR phone interview with probability questions, a second call with SIG's development team, and an in-person interview.
Can I use AI tools during the SIG online assessment?
No, unless the instructions explicitly allow it. Assessments are meant to be taken on your own, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or pasted code. Use AI tools 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.
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