How IMC Trading Interviews in 2026: Process, Questions & What They Score
The complete process, reported questions, and what interviewers score.
IMC Trading / Interview snapshot
7
stages from
application to offer
25
reported questions
20
public sources
Independent: SupaCV is not affiliated with or endorsed by IMC Trading. This is one well-documented shape of IMC Trading's interviews, not a script: processes change and vary by role, team, level, and region, so confirm specifics with your recruiter.
On this page
01 / For every IMC Trading candidate
The process, start to finish.
IMC is a global trading firm founded in Amsterdam in 1989, and its interview material centres on market making. This playbook covers the trader track, which is where most candidate-reported detail exists. Software engineering and quant research tracks are also hired, but their assessments differ (for example, coding tests for engineers). IMC's official pages describe the process only in general terms.
The EU page lists application and review, an (online) assessment, first-round interview(s), final-round interview(s) with possibly several stations, and an offer stage. It says assessments vary by role, and the US page says only some roles have one. IMC's Asia-Pacific campus article adds an initial behavioural interview with a campus recruiter, a first-round technical interview with a trader or engineer depending on the stream, and a final assessment day in the office with technical and behavioural stations.
Candidate reports collected by prep sites fill in the trader detail: a game-based cognitive test (often BrainsFirst NeurOlympics, sometimes a Saville or SHL test), a one-way video interview, a recruiter call, one or more technical rounds with traders, and a final superday with trading, quantitative, behavioural and desk stations. Technical rounds focus on probability, expected value, betting games and market-making games. IMC does not publish a named interview evaluation framework.
Its campus article lists qualities it looks for (passion for quantitative problem-solving, humility, resilience, collaboration, motivation) and says it checks cultural fit, and IMC's About and culture pages list six core values (Dare to continuously innovate; Champion the best ideas; Collaborate to succeed; Take responsibility; Keep both feet on the ground; Build for our future). None of IMC's recruitment or values pages say candidates are scored against these values, so no framework is listed here.
Formats differ by office, intake year and role, and most detail below is candidate-reported via third-party prep sites, several of which paraphrase or illustrate their questions rather than quote them.
Stage 1: Application and CV review
varies
Submit a CV for a specific role. IMC's EU page says it will review the application and get back ASAP. How long the wait lasts varies by intake and region: Quantt cites a 2024 US intern posting that asked applicants to allow up to three weeks, and some 2026 US candidates who waited up to about five weeks for the test. One prep site says graduate applications typically open in early autumn (August or September) for the next year's intake. Quantt says IMC's US postings allow one application per role each year.
Stage 2: Online assessment
about 40 to 60 minutes for trader tests
IMC's Asia-Pacific campus article says it always kicks off with an online assessment, but the EU page says assessments vary by role and may not be online, and the US page says only some roles have one. For traders the reported test is often BrainsFirst NeurOlympics, a set of cognitive games taking about 45 minutes in total (Tradermath), with a Saville aptitude test for some candidates. Other cycles used an SHL test of about 40 minutes (a US Summer 2027 internship, July 2026) or a 60-minute maths and probability test. Engineering and some regional tests are longer, for example two HackerRank problems in two hours. The format varies by region, year and role.
Stage 3: Recorded video interview
varies
Candidate-reported, not on IMC's official pages. A one-way recording with questions on screen and no interviewer present; Tradermath says most recent trader reports name SparkHire as the platform, though some name HireVue (Quantt and OpenQuant also name HireVue). The number of prompts varies by cycle: Tradermath reports about three questions (roughly two behavioural and one probability or technical), Quantt reports two motivation questions and one probability question for Amsterdam 2026, and QuantVault describes 6 to 9 segments with 1 to 2 minute answers. Quantt says the Amsterdam 2026 version was due within 48 hours. QuantVault says the video is scored as part of the online assessment rather than as a separate gate.
candidate-reported only
Stage 4: Recruiter / behavioural call
15 to 30 minutes
IMC's campus article describes a friendly phone or Zoom chat with a campus recruiter about your experience, the role and life at IMC. Candidates report motivation questions (why IMC, why trading) and sometimes a brainteaser or a small market-making question. The 15 to 30 minute figure is from Tradermath; QuantVault gives 10 to 45 minutes, so reported lengths vary by source.
Stage 5: Technical interview with a trader
30 to 45 minutes
IMC's campus article says you work closely with a trader or engineer (depending on your stream) on a specific problem. Tradermath says it is usually conducted by a senior trader and states no duration. Candidates report probability brainteasers, expected value, betting games, Fermi estimates, mental arithmetic and a market-making game. Some processes have more than one technical round. The 30 to 45 minute figure comes from third-party guides (QuantVault for the trader market-making round, TechInterview for a first-round phone or video interview) and IMC does not state durations.
Stage 6: Final round / superday
one day
IMC's EU page says final-round interviews may involve several stations with different stakeholders, and its campus article describes an assessment day in the office with technical and behavioural stations. Candidates describe these stations: a trading simulation or market-making game, a quantitative interview with two senior traders, a behavioural interview, and informal time on a desk that Tradermath says is still assessed. Some interns report a virtual final with two technical interviews and one behavioural interview. The number and length of stations vary by office, role and whether the day is on site or virtual.
Stage 7: Offer decision
a couple of days
IMC's EU page says it reviews all the information and may then follow up with an offer, and that its goal is to get back with feedback within a couple of days. This is a goal, not a guarantee. TechInterview says a decision typically comes within 1 to 2 weeks. Tradermath puts the whole process at roughly 3 to 6 weeks. Prep guides list between 5 stages (Tradermath, TechInterview) and 7 stages (QuantVault, which covers several tracks).
Reported interview time, one scale in minutes
Where the minutes go
- Online assessment~60 min
- Recruiter / behavioural call30 min
- Technical interview with a trader45 min
Not drawn: Application and CV review, Recorded video interview, Final round / superday and Offer decision, whose durations are not given in minutes.
02 / What IMC Trading scores
No publicly documented framework
03 / Coach's notes
Coach's tips.
01
Prepare IMC-specific answers to why IMC, why trading and why market making. These motivation prompts are reported at the recruiter call, and Tradermath advises giving reasons specific to IMC rather than to trading in general.
02
Do not underestimate the online assessment. Confirm which test you are sitting (NeurOlympics games, Saville or SHL, a maths test, or a coding test for engineering roles), since the format changes by region, year and role, and practise that specific test type rather than only mental maths.
03
In market-making games, keep moving your quotes as trades and information arrive, and think about who might be trading against you with better information. Tradermath says the recruiter-call market question tests how you move your quote after a trade, and the superday trading station assesses how you understand and reduce risk and whether you can recall and justify the quotes you gave, so be ready to explain every price.
04
For betting games, decide whether the odds favour you first, then size the bet. Tradermath says expected value alone is not enough for bet sizing, so know why maximising expected value fails and what the Kelly criterion maximises instead.
05
In technical rounds, Tradermath suggests working backwards in sequential games, saying whether you are using intuition or calculation, and giving a confidence interval when you estimate.
06
Ask questions when you are stuck. IMC's own advice is to listen closely, pick up on hints and ask questions if you get stuck, and it says it looks for resilience in how you handle unfamiliar problems.
07
Watch your inbox once the process starts. Quantt reports one 2026 Amsterdam cycle where the recorded video interview was due within 48 hours, and the video is one-way with no interviewer, so practise answering prompts aloud, timed, to a camera.
08
Tradermath advises applying early because resumes are screened before assessments are sent, while Quantt says IMC's US postings allow one application per role each year, so make the first application a prepared one.
04 / The research
Where this page comes from.
Compiled from public sources across 11 sites.
- sites
- 11
- coaching and prep guides
- 20
Source composition
Where the research comes from
Grouped by the kind of site that published each source: IMC Trading's own domain, candidate forums, and everything else.
- Coaching and prep guides20
05 / The questions
Reported questions, by category.
Showing questions for
Roles are grouped by the category each question fits, not by the source.
Probability and expected value
8 questions
You roll a die. You can accept the value or reroll once, but if you reroll you must accept the new value. What is your expected value?
Tests expected value with an optional reroll, using backward induction to find when to reroll.
You have three coins: one always lands heads, one always lands tails, and one is fair. You pick one at random and it lands heads. What is the probability the next flip is heads?
Tests conditional probability: update with Bayes' rule on which coin was picked after seeing heads.
You are offered a coin flip with a slight edge in your favour. Discuss the expected value and what it means for your bankroll.
Tests expected value and bet sizing under a small edge, the logic behind Kelly-style bankroll management.
Guess the suit of a card: you win 4 dollars if correct and lose 1 dollar if wrong. Evaluate the bet.
Tests expected value of an asymmetric payoff: 0.25 x 4 minus 0.75 x 1 gives +0.25 per play.
Higher or lower: cards numbered 1 to 13 and a starting capital. Choose your stake on whether the next card is higher or lower than the last, then give your expected gain once you are told which cards have gone.
Tests expected value and stake sizing in a sequential card game, updating odds as cards leave the deck.
You need to turn 1,000 into 12,000 by betting. Should you bet aggressively early and ease off near the target?
Tests bet sizing toward a target and why the best strategy depends on whether the odds favour you.
Three players each pick a number between 0 and 1, and a uniform random draw decides who is closest. Where should each player go, who has the best chance, and what should the second player do if the first picks 0?
Tests game theory and backward induction: solve the last player's best response first, then work back.
Knights and knaves logic puzzle: work out who always tells the truth and who always lies from their statements.
Tests logical deduction by casework on which speakers are truth-tellers and which are liars.
Reported problems, listed so you know what to expect. Practice them in your own editor or on the platform you prefer; SupaCV's practice mode coaches how you talk through them.
Mental maths and estimation
2 questions
Give a Fermi estimate, for example for piano tuners, piano keys or tennis balls.
Give an estimate for a market figure or probability together with a confidence interval.
Every role
Motivation and behavioural
7 questions
Why IMC over other trading firms?
Why do you want to work in trading?
Why market making specifically, and why this role?
If you held another offer, which would you choose and why?
Tell me about yourself.
Tell me about a failure and how you bounced back.
Explain your favourite project to a non-technical person.
Every role
Market making and trading games
6 questions
I have an urn with 100 marbles, some red and some blue, and you do not know the split. The payout is the number of red marbles in pounds. Make a market.
Tests market making: quote a two-way market around the expected count and move it as trades reveal information.
Make a market on a contract with three equally likely payouts. Adjust your quote after a trade, then price a version that pays only above a threshold, and deal with a buyer who claims to have better information.
Tests expected value, moving a quote after a trade, and adverse selection when a buyer claims better information.
Predict the outcome of an event, such as a tennis match, and make a market on it.
Tests turning a probability estimate into a two-way market and justifying the quotes, while managing risk.
Sports or match betting boards: a trading game in which you track profit and loss for each bet and for your whole bankroll.
Tests tracking profit and loss per bet and across the whole bankroll in a trading game.
Make a market on an asset whose payoff depends on a hidden coin flip while the interviewer trades against you aggressively, and explain why you did not widen your spread as they kept buying.
Tests dynamic quoting: update price and widen the spread when a counterparty keeps buying against you.
Newspaper-delivery game: a turn-taking game-theory problem.
Tests game-theory reasoning in a turn-taking game, anticipating the other player's moves.
Reported problems, listed so you know what to expect. Practice them in your own editor or on the platform you prefer; SupaCV's practice mode coaches how you talk through them.
Every role
Mental maths and estimation
2 questions
What is 17 x 23?
Tests mental arithmetic speed under time pressure, for example 17 x 20 plus 17 x 3 gives 391.
Multiply two-digit numbers, then solve a conditional probability problem involving card draws.
Tests mental arithmetic speed and conditional probability on card draws, without a calculator.
Reported problems, listed so you know what to expect. Practice them in your own editor or on the platform you prefer; SupaCV's practice mode coaches how you talk through them.
Your next step
Interviewing at IMC Trading?
Make sure your resume gets you to the first round.
Practicing for IMC Trading against your resume is in Interview Prep on Career.
Common questions
Quick answers.
How many stages are in IMC Trading's interview process?
IMC Trading has 7 stages, set out in The process.
Does IMC Trading have an official interview framework?
IMC Trading has no publicly documented framework, as set out in What IMC Trading scores.
What kinds of questions does IMC Trading ask?
IMC Trading's questions fall into 4 categories, grouped in The questions.
How reliable is this IMC Trading interview playbook?
It is compiled from public sources, and the evidence is in The research.
Sources (20)
Every public source this page was compiled from. Links open in a new tab.
11 sites, by sources
- imc.com8
- tradermath.org2
- quantvault.org2
- quantt.co.uk1
- techinterview.org1
- openquant.co1
- intervyo.co.uk1
- tradinginterview.com1
- everythingquant.com1
- thewallstreetquants.com1
- en.wikipedia.org1
- 01imc.com/eu/careers/recruitment-process
- 02imc.com/us/careers/recruitment-process
- 03imc.com/ap/articles/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview-at-imc
- 04imc.com/eu/about-us
- 05imc.com/eu/who-we-are/our-culture-values
- 06imc.com/eu/who-we-are/our-history
- 07imc.com/eu/careers
- 08imc.com/us/careers
- 09tradermath.org/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-imc-int…
- 10tradermath.org/knowledge-base/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-i…
- 11quantt.co.uk/resources/imc-trading-interview
- 12quantvault.org/imc-interview-process.html
- 13quantvault.org/imc-interview-questions.html
- 14techinterview.org/companies/imc-trading-interview-guide
- 15openquant.co/blog/how-to-land-a-quant-internship-at-imc-trading
- 16intervyo.co.uk/firms/imc-trading
- 17tradinginterview.com/courses/company-preparations-course/lessons/imc
- 18everythingquant.com/guides/quantitative-trader-at-imc
- 19thewallstreetquants.com/imc-interview-questions
- 20en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMC_Financial_Markets
Related reading
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- Where the "75% of Resumes Are Rejected by ATS" Stat Came FromThe paper trail behind the most-repeated statistic in job search advice, what applicant tracking software actually does, and what really causes instant rejection.
How similar companies interview
Compare IMC Trading's process with other Quant Trading & Hedge Funds companies in this playbook: