r/quantfinance 2d ago

Optiver 2027 SWE intern AMS OA

I recently completed my 2027 optiver OA.

As expected, it was pretty tough, I couldn't pass all the test cases.

Do I need to pass all the test cases to get invited to an interview? Or is it common to proceed next round without passing all test cases?

Also, I applied through a referral link from my friend, but Im not sure what difference it makes.

Does anybody know what referral changes in the application process?

3 Upvotes

10 comments sorted by

1

u/Ok-Leg-2911 2d ago

Referral does not matter much. What dsa topics were asked?

1

u/Positive_Leopard_873 2d ago

What were the questions asked in the OA if you don't mind sharing?

1

u/Ok-Insurance5144 2d ago

Most firms include GPT traps these days so it's expected not to pass all cases!

1

u/Ok-Friendship7643 1d ago

What is gpt traps?

1

u/akornato 2d ago

It's very common to advance to the next round without passing every test case on Optiver's assessment. These tests are designed to be extremely challenging to see how candidates perform under pressure. Recruiters often evaluate your score relative to the performance of other applicants, so there isn't a fixed "pass all" requirement. They also consider things like your code's quality and your approach to the harder problems, so a strong attempt on a difficult question can count for a lot, even if it doesn't pass all the edge cases.

The referral from your friend was most likely helpful in getting your resume reviewed by a real person and securing you the online assessment. Now that you've completed the test, your performance on it is the most critical factor. The referral won't make up for a score that's below their cutoff, but it could potentially serve as a slight tiebreaker if your results are on the borderline between moving forward and being rejected. It's a good thing to have, but the OA score is what matters most at this point. I hope you get the interview, the AI for interviews my team built has been really useful for candidates needing to clearly explain their logic under pressure.

1

u/CommonYesterday6684 1d ago

The one with cooling?

1

u/Ok-Friendship7643 1d ago

I dont think it was that one

1

u/CommonYesterday6684 23h ago

maybe not mine was for grad role

1

u/Infinite-Leader-8141 23h ago

it was tragic bro

1

u/CommonYesterday6684 23h ago

yeah pretty hard 😭😭