Skip to contentSkip to footer

Trader Interview Questions

Salaries
Interviews

Trader Interview Questions

In a trader interview, the interviewer likely wants to see that you are knowledgeable about financial markets and have strong opinions about them. Further, you can expect hypothetical questions that test your sales skills and showcase your personality. Speak persuasively and with conviction about the latest news in stocks.

Top Trader Interview Questions & How To Answer

Question 1

Question #1: Pitch me a stock that you would buy or sell now.

How to answer
How to answer: This is an opportunity to demonstrate your sales skills and tell a convincing story about a stock. Choose a company you know well, and be prepared for follow-up questions. Defend your case without wavering.
Question 2

Question #2: What is the riskiest decision you have ever made?

How to answer
How to answer: While trading is a role that requires risk taking, you can use this question to prove that you are thoughtful and well-researched when evaluating risk. Talk through your reasoning, why you determined this was an appropriate risk to take, and what the outcome was. The interviewer might also want to see you confidently stand by your decisions.
Question 3

Question #3. Tell me about something that happened recently in the financial markets and your opinion of it.

How to answer
How to answer: This question is twofold. A successful answer would first prove that you have a genuine interest in stocks and keep up to date with market news, which changes daily. Stay informed by reading reputable financial newspapers regularly. Second, this question allows you to share your unique point of view. Try to show the interviewer that you see value where others may not.

8,650 trader interview questions shared by candidates

Two people are 60 km apart. If the two people, one travelling at 25 km and another at 35 km, will collide into each other and there is a fly that can travel at 40 km, then how much distance will the fly cover before the two people collide? If there is one pad in a pond and the number of pads doubles every day, it'll take 30 days for the pads to fill the pond. How long will it take for the pads to fill the pond if there were 8 pads on the first day? A person asks his friend the ages of his three daughters. The friend says that if their ages are multiplied then the answer is 36. The person says "that isn't information". The friend says that if you add their ages then it's equal to my house number. The person says there still isn't enough information. The friend says that my youngest daughter has blue eyes. The person says "OK I know now". What are the ages of the daughters?
avatar

Junior Trader

Interviewed at Cobblestone Energy

4★
Oct 25, 2020

Two people are 60 km apart. If the two people, one travelling at 25 km and another at 35 km, will collide into each other and there is a fly that can travel at 40 km, then how much distance will the fly cover before the two people collide? If there is one pad in a pond and the number of pads doubles every day, it'll take 30 days for the pads to fill the pond. How long will it take for the pads to fill the pond if there were 8 pads on the first day? A person asks his friend the ages of his three daughters. The friend says that if their ages are multiplied then the answer is 36. The person says "that isn't information". The friend says that if you add their ages then it's equal to my house number. The person says there still isn't enough information. The friend says that my youngest daughter has blue eyes. The person says "OK I know now". What are the ages of the daughters?

You and a friend are betting on individual games of the World series. For each game, if your team wins, you win a certain (positive) amount of money, and if your team loses, you lose that amount. You and your friend create a betting scheme such that you will win 1000 dollars if your team wins and lose 1000 dollars if your team loses, regardless of the game score (it could be 4-3, 2-4, etc.). How much do you bet on the first game?
avatar

Trader

Interviewed at Jane Street

4.4★
Jan 20, 2012

You and a friend are betting on individual games of the World series. For each game, if your team wins, you win a certain (positive) amount of money, and if your team loses, you lose that amount. You and your friend create a betting scheme such that you will win 1000 dollars if your team wins and lose 1000 dollars if your team loses, regardless of the game score (it could be 4-3, 2-4, etc.). How much do you bet on the first game?

Every morning, Mike the security guard at CP high school opens all 1000 doors in the building. Let's assume the doors are numbered 1-1000. The next security guard closes all even numbered doors. The third security guard touches all doors that are multiples of 3. If a door is open, he'll close it and vice versa. The fourth guard changes the position of every fourth door (if it's open he'll close it etc.,) and the fifth guard changes the position of every fifth door and so on, until the 1000th guard changes only door 1000. HOW MANY DOORS ARE LEFT OPEN IN THE END?
avatar

Assistant Trader

Interviewed at Susquehanna International Group

3.8★
Jul 22, 2015

Every morning, Mike the security guard at CP high school opens all 1000 doors in the building. Let's assume the doors are numbered 1-1000. The next security guard closes all even numbered doors. The third security guard touches all doors that are multiples of 3. If a door is open, he'll close it and vice versa. The fourth guard changes the position of every fourth door (if it's open he'll close it etc.,) and the fifth guard changes the position of every fifth door and so on, until the 1000th guard changes only door 1000. HOW MANY DOORS ARE LEFT OPEN IN THE END?

I flip a coin three times, and then another three times. If the number of heads is the same the first and second time, I win. If the number of heads is different, then I win. If I win, you pay me one dollar. If you win, I give you 3 dollars. Is this game worth playing?
avatar

Assistant Trader

Interviewed at Susquehanna International Group

3.8★
Feb 15, 2011

I flip a coin three times, and then another three times. If the number of heads is the same the first and second time, I win. If the number of heads is different, then I win. If I win, you pay me one dollar. If you win, I give you 3 dollars. Is this game worth playing?

Viewing 161 - 170 interview questions

Glassdoor has 8,650 interview questions and reports from Trader interviews. Prepare for your interview. Get hired. Love your job.