Optiver Data Scientist Interview Questions
& Process

It was a quick process: first, there were 3 hours of online assessments, then a recruiter call, followed by a technical interview. The HR recruiter was really chill, and the technical recruiter had a physics PhD. They expect you to answer questions accurately and ideally without any hints.

I applied with a motivation letter and then got invited to an online assessment. The assessment platform (SHL) had sample questions, but the real ones were different, especially in how you answered. Samples were multiple choice, but the actual assessment involved tasks like adjusting segments on a pie chart or arranging blocks on a schedule bar to meet conditions. They give you plenty of time to try out these question types before the actual scored part, so it's a good idea to practice a bit to get used to them. I passed the test, scoring in the top 5%, and then spoke with HR. She asked about my motivations for pursuing my postgraduate degree and my previous experience. This part felt quite focused on my motivations. They made their decision the same day as the HR interview.

I passed the SHL test, and then had an HR interview. I was rejected after the HR interview, which is unusual for a prestigious company like Optiver. HR at Optiver seems to have a lot of power. The interview didn't feel like a conversation; it was more like answering pre-prepared questions in a specific way they wanted. They seemed focused on motivation, but I found it quite random. The generic reason given for rejection was that my motivation and experience didn't match the role. HR said she'd let me know in an hour, but I actually got the rejection two days later.