Trader Interview Questions

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.

8,649 trader interview questions shared by candidates

During the third interview : imagine an infinite chess board. If the horse from 1 case, in how many cases can he possibly ends after 10 moves. You actually don't have to give a number but a 95% confidence interval. pen and paper allowed
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Junior Trader

Interviewed at Jane Street

4.4
Mar 1, 2012

During the third interview : imagine an infinite chess board. If the horse from 1 case, in how many cases can he possibly ends after 10 moves. You actually don't have to give a number but a 95% confidence interval. pen and paper allowed

A bad king has 1000 bottles of wine. A neighboring king plots to kill the bad king, and sends a servant to poison the wine. the servant is able to poison only one of them before he is caught. The guards don't know which bottle was poisoned, but they do know that the poison is so potent that even if it was diluted 1,000,000 times, it would still be fatal. Furthermore, the effects of the poison take one month to surface. The king decides he will get some of his prisoners in his vast dungeons to drink the wine. At a minimum how many servants does he need to kill to find out the poisioned bottle of wine and will still be able to drink the rest of the wine in 5 weeks time?
avatar

Summer Trader

Interviewed at Jane Street

4.4
Feb 22, 2012

A bad king has 1000 bottles of wine. A neighboring king plots to kill the bad king, and sends a servant to poison the wine. the servant is able to poison only one of them before he is caught. The guards don't know which bottle was poisoned, but they do know that the poison is so potent that even if it was diluted 1,000,000 times, it would still be fatal. Furthermore, the effects of the poison take one month to surface. The king decides he will get some of his prisoners in his vast dungeons to drink the wine. At a minimum how many servants does he need to kill to find out the poisioned bottle of wine and will still be able to drink the rest of the wine in 5 weeks time?

person A has a 30 sided and person B has a 20 sided die. both players role and the person with the highest role win (on a draw B wins). the loser pays the winner the value of the winners die. 1. calculate expected value of this game for player A (easy) 2. how does this value change if player B can re-roll and when should he re-roll. 3. now how much is it worth for player A to get a re-roll option in this scenario. 4. remove player A reroll. how many re-rolls do player B need in order for him to be a favorite in the game. i believed i solved 4 and 2 I had a decent idea but 3 is very difficult since optimal strategy might change based on opposing players optimal strategy.
avatar

Assistant Trader

Interviewed at Jane Street

4.4
Apr 4, 2014

person A has a 30 sided and person B has a 20 sided die. both players role and the person with the highest role win (on a draw B wins). the loser pays the winner the value of the winners die. 1. calculate expected value of this game for player A (easy) 2. how does this value change if player B can re-roll and when should he re-roll. 3. now how much is it worth for player A to get a re-roll option in this scenario. 4. remove player A reroll. how many re-rolls do player B need in order for him to be a favorite in the game. i believed i solved 4 and 2 I had a decent idea but 3 is very difficult since optimal strategy might change based on opposing players optimal strategy.

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