Morgan Stanley hires IED Quantitative Finance (Strats) Summer Analyst / Associate and FID Industrial Placement / Summer Analyst. Candidates report 3 interview stages. Below: what each round tests and how to prepare, the timeline, roles and a 4-week prep plan, drawn from candidate reports.
Morgan Stanley interview: quick answer
- Stages3
- Online assessment120 min · 14 questions · HackerRank, Python 3 (candidate-reported, 2026 sitting)
- Final roundLive Interviews / Superday: Live interviews after the video round (format varies by division; not yet verified for 2027)
- RolesIED Quantitative Finance (Strats) Summer Analyst / Associate, FID Industrial Placement / Summer Analyst
Preparing for Morgan Stanley? Work the rounds in order in the free Morgan Stanley interview funnel, or start with the free online-assessment sample (no signup).
The Morgan Stanley interview process at a glance
| # | Round | Format and length | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HackerRank Online Assessment | 120 min · 14 questions · HackerRank, Python 3 (candidate-reported, 2026 sitting) | OA guidePractice |
| 2 | One-Way Video Interview | 5 recorded questions · 30 s prep, 1.5 min answer, 1 take · about 10 min | GuidePractice |
| 3 | Live Interviews / Superday | Live interviews after the video round (format varies by division; not yet verified for 2027) | GuidePractice |
Stages are listed in the order candidates report them. Formats come from candidate reports and change between cycles, offices and teams; not every candidate sees every stage.
Every Morgan Stanley round: what it tests and how to prepare
1HackerRank Online Assessment
Candidates for 2027 IED Quantitative Finance Summer Analyst / Associate roles in Hong Kong report a single 120-minute, full-screen HackerRank test (login 29 September to 7 October 2026).
Four sections: Statistics and Applied Math (6 multiple-choice each, some with more than one answer) on applied data science: regularization, skew-reducing transforms, outlier rules, z-scores, Poisson modelling, conditional probability, counting, vector and matrix algebra. Python Basic and Intermediate (1 task each) are practical (URL query string, class-based inventory tracker), not algorithm puzzles.
No pausing once started. Our timed replica runs all 14 with verified answers. Warm up: statistics, probability, coding questions.
Question types: mostly statistics, probability and coding, especially data analysis, discrete probability, normal distribution and conditional probability.
How to prepare
- Statistics here means applied data science. Know when to use a log or square-root transform, why the IQR rule beats mean plus two standard deviations on skewed data, and how to compare scores with z-scores.
- Write defensive Python. The coding tasks reward input validation, deterministic ordering (sort keys) and empty-input handling more than speed; hidden tests check edge cases.
- Budget the clock. Twelve multiple-choice questions should take well under 40 minutes, leaving over an hour for the two coding tasks.
Morgan Stanley online assessment guide →Practice this round (14 questions) →
2One-Way Video Interview
Candidates report a one-way video interview after the OA (unnamed platform resembling HireVue): 5 questions, about 10 minutes, 30 seconds to prepare, up to 1.5 minutes per answer, single take, recruiter-reviewed with no computer-assisted evaluation.
IED Quantitative Finance (2026 sitting): 5 behavioral questions: recent goal and plan to reach it, three words a professor or manager would use for you, why Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong. 2 on AI: how it changes the strat role (Morgan Stanley's term for quants) and where people still add most value; your biggest misstep with AI tools so far.
FID Industrial Placement, Hong Kong and Singapore (candidates report, 2026 sitting): Same format, 5 market-view questions: fixed income allocation amid geopolitics and long-term trends; upside inflation surprise through economy, rates and FX in 2026. The commodities cycle with three fixed income conviction trades, a private credit plan after recent stress, how you've used generative AI to research, analyze or build.
Prepare with behavioral questions for trading firms.
How to prepare
- One take, 90 seconds. There is no retry, so open with the answer, give one example and stop by about 1:20.
- Have two AI stories ready. One about using AI tools well and one honest misstep with what you changed; IED asked both in 2026.
- FID: bring a view and a trade. For each market question, state a view, the transmission channel and one trade that expresses it, plus what would make you wrong.
3Live Interviews / Superday
We do not yet hold a verified 2027-cycle report of these live rounds. Public guides describe Morgan Stanley's superday: back-to-back interviews with desk staff, technical plus motivation and fit; strats should expect probability, expected value and coding. See also Morgan Stanley interview questions.
Question types: mostly probability, coding and statistics, especially conditional probability, correlation, data analysis and discrete probability. Latest candidate report for this round: Jun 2025.
How to prepare
- Keep the stochastic basics warm. Earlier Morgan Stanley reports include Brownian motion covariance and integrated Brownian motion variance.
- Stay consistent with your video answers. Interviewers may pick up your 'why Morgan Stanley' and AI answers from the recording.
- Report what you get. This stage will be rebuilt from the first verified 2027 report.
Full Live Interviews / Superday guide →Practice this round (12 questions) →
Practice the Morgan Stanley rounds in order
Each round in the Morgan Stanley funnel has its own practice set, with worked solutions and progress tracking. A free account saves your progress across rounds.
A 4-week Morgan Stanley prep plan
Built from the order of Morgan Stanley's rounds and the topics in each round's practice set. Compress it if your first interview is sooner.
| When | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Foundations | Review statistics, probability and coding, the topics that dominate Morgan Stanley's practice sets. Start with Statistics & regression course and Probability course. Work the easy and medium questions in the Morgan Stanley question set. |
| Week 2 | Early rounds: HackerRank Online Assessment and One-Way Video Interview | Practice statistics, probability and linear algebra under time pressure, and take the free OA sample (format notes in the OA guide). Talk every answer through out loud; interviewers score the reasoning. |
| Week 3 | Later rounds: Live Interviews / Superday | Move to coding, stochastic processes and brain teasers. Do timed coding sessions in your interview language. Read how quant superdays work. |
| Week 4 | Rehearse the full loop | Run each practice round in order, redo the questions you missed, and prepare two project stories plus a specific answer to "why Morgan Stanley?" (see behavioral questions at trading firms). |
Morgan Stanley teams and what their interviews test
This page covers two campus programs reported in Asia for the 2027 cycle. Both use the same one-way video format; only the IED Quantitative Finance track reports a HackerRank test before it.
| Tracks | What it does | What its interviews test |
|---|---|---|
| IED Quantitative Finance (Strats) Strat | Quantitative work for the equity division: pricing, risk and data-driven tools for the desks. | HackerRank test, then a 5-question behavioral video round with two AI questions, then live interviews. |
| FID Industrial Placement Sales & Trading | Fixed income: rates, FX, credit and commodities. | A 5-question video round on market views (asset allocation, inflation, commodities, private credit) plus one question on using generative AI, then live interviews. |
About Morgan Stanley
| Firm type | Global investment bank (equities, fixed income, investment banking, wealth management) |
|---|---|
| Trading style | Strats: quants who sit with the trading desks · Client flow market making and risk management |
| Founded | 1935 |
| Headquarters | New York |
| Other offices | London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Mumbai |
| Assets under management | Public company (NYSE: MS) |
Culture
Morgan Stanley calls its quants strats: they sit with the trading desks and build pricing, risk and electronic trading models. The Institutional Equity Division (IED) covers cash equities, derivatives and prime brokerage; the Fixed Income Division (FID) covers rates, FX, credit and commodities.
What the interviews feel like
The early screens are standardized. The IED Quant Finance test mixes textbook statistics and applied math with practical, defensive Python rather than algorithm puzzles, and the video round is short, one take per answer, and reviewed by people (per the 2026 instructions screen). FID's video round asks for market views and trade ideas, so commercial awareness matters as much as structure.
Practice for Morgan Stanley on QuantVault
Practice
Courses
Further reading
- How quant superdays work
- Behavioral questions at trading firms
- Market-making game interview guide
- The quant interview process, explained
Similar firms to compare
Firms with a similar business and interview style. Many candidates interview at several of them in the same cycle.
Sources and how this guide is built
- Updated October 20, 2026; firm data last reviewed October 9, 2026.
- Round detail draws on 5 questions candidates report from Morgan Stanley interviews (the most recent report across all rounds is from Jun 2025). A separate curated Morgan Stanley question set of 25 problems collects the most useful practice for this firm.
- Public candidate reports and outside interview guides are cross-checked against each other. Where they disagree the page says "reports differ"; details from a single source are marked as candidate reports.
- No actual interview questions are reproduced on this page. The questions, with worked solutions, are in the practice rounds.
Morgan Stanley interview FAQ
How many rounds are in the Morgan Stanley interview?
Candidates report 3 stages: HackerRank Online Assessment, One-Way Video Interview, Live Interviews / Superday. The exact number varies by cycle and team.
Is there an online assessment at Morgan Stanley?
Candidates report one: 120 min · 14 questions · HackerRank, Python 3 (candidate-reported, 2026 sitting). Candidates for 2027 IED Quantitative Finance Summer Analyst / Associate roles in Hong Kong report a single 120-minute, full-screen HackerRank test (login 29 September to 7 October 2026).
What happens in the Morgan Stanley final round?
Live Interviews / Superday (Live interviews after the video round (format varies by division; not yet verified for 2027)). We do not yet hold a verified 2027-cycle report of these live rounds. Public guides describe Morgan Stanley's superday: back-to-back interviews with desk staff, technical plus motivation and fit; strats should expect probability, expected value and coding.
How should I prepare for the Morgan Stanley interview?
Prepare round by round over about four weeks: foundations first, then the early rounds (HackerRank Online Assessment, One-Way Video Interview, Live Interviews / Superday), then the later rounds, then a full rehearsal. Each round has its own practice set on QuantVault, and the online assessment has a dedicated guide.
What does Morgan Stanley do?
Morgan Stanley is a global investment bank headquartered in New York.
Start preparing for Morgan Stanley
Open the interactive Morgan Stanley interview funnel: every stage with its practice set, from the first screen to the final round. Create a free account to save your progress.