Dimensional Fund Advisors Research Analyst Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 8 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Dimensional Fund Advisors.
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Research Analyst
Mid Easy Neutral experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
I had my interview process with DFA back in Dec 2017, and it wrapped up in about 4 weeks. First, I talked with HR for an initial chat, covering basics from my resume and why I was keen on DFA. Then, there was a second phone interview with a researcher. She asked me about my past research work and then dove into some questions about factor models. Finally, I had an onsite interview in Austin. This part was mostly behavioral questions, focusing on my previous experience and my grasp of how DFA handles investments.
Confirmed questions7 questions
- Could you explain the economic meaning behind the Fama-French factors?
- What's the reason behind small stocks outperforming large stocks?
- What does 'book value' mean for a company?
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Research Analyst
Entry Average Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Coding
The job description was pretty focused on data analytics skills (Python, R, SQL, etc.). There were 2 rounds: one with HR and another with a Sr. Researcher. The HR round was mainly a screening, with questions about my resume and some behavioral ones. Afterward, the HR person gave me a list of topics and articles to read up on, like the Efficient Market Hypothesis, Fama-French 3 Factor Models, and some Dimensional case studies. I studied all of that, but then in the next round, the Sr. Researcher didn't bring up any of those topics. Instead, he asked me questions about probabilities and SQL, which weren't too difficult but definitely not what I was expecting. The HR follow-up felt a bit misleading because it led me to do a lot of research I didn't end up needing, when I could have just focused on the technical side.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Could you explain an SQL self join?
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Research Analyst
Entry Average Positive experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
Applied online and got a first round phone interview a couple weeks later. This was followed by a second round phone interview with a research employee. The process concluded with an onsite interview involving five back-to-back meetings with VPs and MDs. The first two rounds were mainly fit questions. The final round included technical aspects and focused on my previous resume experience.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Could you explain your interest in Dimensional?
- What are your reasons for applying to this role?
Dimensional Fund Advisors Research Analyst Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Dimensional Fund Advisors interview reports.
“What does 'book value' mean for a company?”
Read reports →“Could you explain the economic meaning behind the Fama-French factors?”
Read reports →“How would you perform exponentiation in a programming language where multiplication is not permitted?”
Read reports →“Could you explain the Fama-French model?”
Read reports →“Could you elaborate on the Fama-French 3-factor model?”
Read report →“What are your thoughts on the Fama French models?”
Read report →“Could you explain an SQL self join?”
Read report →“Can you explain the FF3 factor model?”
Read report →“What is our investment philosophy?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 8 Dimensional Fund Advisors interview reports.