Optiver 80 in 8: the mental math test, free
The "80 in 8" is Optiver's famous numerical screen — 80 multiple-choice questions in 8 minutes, no calculator, with a −1 penalty for every wrong answer and no skipping. Take the full run below in the exact format, get a score, and see what to drill next. No signup.
Maintained by Stanley on the QuantVault team · format last verified June 2026 against candidate reports and public clones. How we keep this accurate.
What the 80 in 8 actually is
The 80 in 8 is the mental-arithmetic gate at the front of Optiver's process for trading and research roles. It is deliberately brutal: 80 questions, 8 minutes, which is about six seconds per question if you want to finish. There is no calculator, and a wrong answer is not just a miss — it costs you a point, so guessing is actively punished.
It is a separate assessment from Optiver's other modules. The online battery (Number Logic, the probability round, and the Zap-N cognitive games) tests pattern-finding and reaction; the 80 in 8 tests raw, accurate arithmetic under a clock. Strong candidates clear all of them — this page is for the arithmetic one.
The exact format
373 + 57 = ?) and missing-operand (66 × ? = 138.6). The second shape trips people up.How the 80 in 8 compares with other firms' math tests
The 80 in 8 is the hardest pure-arithmetic screen candidates describe, because of the −1 penalty and the no-skip rule. Here it is next to the other tests and the Zetamac benchmark:
| Test | Questions | Time | Calculator | Typical bar (candidate-reported) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zetamac (practice benchmark, default settings) | As many as you can | 120 seconds | No | 45 to 55 baseline, 70+ strong |
| Optiver 80 in 8 | 80, multiple choice | 8 minutes | No | About 55 net to pass, 70+ competitive |
| IMC 24 in 18 (number sequences) | 24 | 18 minutes | No | Roughly 60 to 70% correct |
| Flow Traders numerical test | Arithmetic sprint, then sequences | About 8 + 25 minutes | Not reported | None published; a wrong answer costs 1 point |
| Maven Securities mental maths | About 50 | About 5 minutes | No | None published |
| Akuna Trader Probability Test | 30, fill in | About 12 minutes | Not reported | None published |
| Five Rings OA | 17 to 20, fill in | 17 to 40 minutes | No | None published; the stage most applicants fail |
| SIG quantitative assessment | 17 | 60 minutes | Yes | None published; probability and EV, not speed arithmetic |
Formats and bars are candidate-reported (forums, Glassdoor, our own interview reports); no firm publishes a cutoff. Updated October 2026.
Not at 80 in 8 pace yet? Build raw speed with the free 2-minute Zetamac practice game, check what a good Zetamac score is, and read how every trading firm tests mental math.
How to prepare
- Drill the times tables to 19 and the common fraction–decimal conversions. Knowing
1/8 = 0.125,3/8 = 0.375,1/6 ≈ 0.167on sight saves seconds every time they appear. - Practise the missing-operand shape on purpose.
66 × ? = 138.6is a division in disguise (138.6 / 66 = 2.1). Reframing it instantly is a trained reflex, not a talent. - Respect the −1. When two options are close and you are unsure, a fast sanity estimate beats a coin-flip — a wrong answer is a two-point swing against a skip you can't take, so don't answer on noise.
- Run the full eight minutes, not just bursts. Stamina and pacing are half the test; the speed-up curve only stops feeling violent once you've sat the whole clock a few times.
When the arithmetic is solid, build out the rest of your Optiver prep — the modules below are where most of the assessment's weight actually sits.
Practice every firm's OA: timed replicas, free game replicas and guides in one place →
Free quant sprint: 10 questions, 20 minutes, auto-graded, no login. Start →
What score do you need on the 80 in 8?
Candidates who progressed report net scores around 55 as the pass line and 70 or above as clearly competitive, out of a maximum of 80. Because every wrong answer costs a point, the score that matters is accuracy times speed, not speed alone: 60 answered with 5 wrong is 50, while 55 answered with none wrong is 55. Most people who fail are not slow, they are reckless in the last two minutes. Run the free test above and read the per-category breakdown at the end; if one family (fractions, missing operands, decimals) is dragging the total, that is the one to drill.
Yes, Optiver still runs the 80 in 8 as of the 2026 cycle, alongside the six-module CodeSignal battery covered on the Optiver online assessment page.
How we keep this accurate
The format here is cross-checked against public candidate reports, the well-known practice clones, and our own harvested Optiver assessment corpus. Every question is generated and its correct option computed in code, then checked by an automated harness over hundreds of thousands of cases, so the answer marked correct always is. If you've sat a recent 80 in 8 and something here is off, tell us at [email protected].
Optiver 80 in 8 FAQ
What is the Optiver 80 in 8 test?
It is Optiver's famous mental-arithmetic screen: 80 multiple-choice questions in 8 minutes, no calculator. Each question has four options; a correct answer is +1 and a wrong answer is −1. You cannot skip or change an answer — committing one auto-loads the next. Questions cover addition, subtraction, multiplication and division across integers, decimals and fractions, in both direct (373 + 57 = ?) and missing-operand (66 × ? = 138.6) forms.
Is the Optiver 80 in 8 multiple choice?
Yes. Every question has four options, and picking one advances you instantly to the next question. There is no typed answer box, no skip and no going back.
How is the 80 in 8 scored?
+1 for a correct answer and -1 for a wrong one, and only the net score counts. 60 answered with 5 wrong nets 50, while 55 answered with none wrong nets 55, so a careful run can beat a faster, reckless one.
What is a good score on the 80 in 8?
Candidate reports put the pass line around 55 net points, with roughly 70 or above considered competitive. Because wrong answers are −1, accuracy matters as much as speed: a reckless run can score below a slower, cleaner one.
Can you use a calculator or skip questions on the 80 in 8?
No. The test is mental math only — pen and paper are usually allowed but no calculator. You also cannot skip a question or go back to change an answer; the moment you select an option, the next question appears.
Does Optiver still use the 80 in 8?
Yes. Optiver still runs the 80 in 8 as of the 2026 cycle, alongside the six-module CodeSignal battery covered on the Optiver online assessment page.
Is this 80 in 8 practice free?
Yes. The full 80-question, 8-minute run on this page is free and needs no account. Every question is generated and its answer checked in code, and you get a score plus personalised advice on what to drill next.