SIG Quantitative Evaluation: practice the 17-question math OA
SIG's first-round screen for Trader and Quant Researcher candidates. Three real-format questions are below — try them right now, no signup — then take the full timed simulation.
The 3 free questions below are pulled from across this curve.
Maintained by Stanley from the QuantVault team · last verified June 2026 against the newest spring-2026 sittings. How we keep this accurate. Jump to the practice questions ↓
What the test is really like
The Quantitative Evaluation opens SIG's funnel for the Trader / Quant Researcher track. It is a resume-screen filter, not a deep exam: the first ~9 questions are quick probability and expected-value calculations, the last ~8 step up to multi-stage problems — Bayes' rule, constraint logic, fair-coin gambler's ruin, and a lattice-path counting question that rewards knowing the dynamic-programming trick.
The single most useful fact from recent sittings: the question bank is largely fixed and has recurred for years — only the numbers change between sittings. That means drilling the known question families for speed is the whole strategy. At ~3.5 minutes per question, hesitation is what fails people, not difficulty.
The recurring families (from the actual bank)
| Family | Bank example | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Bayes posteriors try one ↓ | two-factory defect rates; "picked the loser" | mid |
| Dice & game EV try one ↓ | 3-dice expected value | fast |
| Gambler's ruin try one ↓ | bold-play variant | deep |
| Constraint logic | round-table seating; knights & knaves | mid |
| Binomial tails | bakery order fulfillment | mid |
| Lattice / DP counting | no-3-in-a-row paths | deep |
| Linearity of expectation | expected matching pairs | mid |
| Relative speed | canoe up/downstream | fast |
| Diagram items | balance scale; skyscraper sudoku | mid |
The bank barely changes between sittings — the question families stay fixed and only the numbers move, so drilling them for speed is the whole game. One thing worth knowing: a perfect 17/17 is still no guarantee, since the screen is one early filter among many. Treat it as necessary, never sufficient.
Try 3 real-format questions now
Same families as the real screen, original numbers. Enter a fraction like 3/8 or a decimal — a stopwatch starts when you begin typing.
Take the full 17-question timed simulation
The complete Quantitative Evaluation recreation: 17 questions, 60-minute clock, the real difficulty curve, auto-graded with worked solutions for every question. Built from the recurring bank.
The full simulation is part of QuantVault Pro ($19/mo founding price). The three questions above and the format guide are free, no account needed.
The other SIG online assessments
The 17-question math screen is the Trader / QR track. SIG runs different first-round OAs by track:
How to prepare (the honest version)
How we keep this accurate
We track how candidates describe this screen over time and update the format, timing, and topic mix whenever the reports shift. Every practice question here is our own, written to match the question families and difficulty of the real screen, with answers derived and checked by code — not copied from anywhere. Where a detail can't be confirmed (like an exact passing cutoff), we say so rather than guess.
- Jun 2026 — format re-confirmed: 17 questions / 60 min, Mettl, calculator allowed
- 2024–2025 — topic mix and difficulty curve re-checked against recent sittings
- 2019–2023 — same question families seen throughout, numbers varying by sitting
FAQ
What is the SIG Quantitative Evaluation?
SIG's first-round online assessment for Trader and Quant Researcher candidates: 17 math questions in 60 minutes on Mettl, calculator allowed, covering probability, EV, Bayes, constraint logic, gambler's ruin, and lattice-path DP.
Is it the same as the "Susquehanna Problem Solving Assessment"?
Candidates use both names; the 17-question math screen described here is the quantitative first-round test for the trading/QR track. Other tracks get coding or finance assessments instead.
Can I use a calculator?
Yes — recent sittings on Mettl allow a calculator. Speed on setup, not arithmetic, is what's being tested.
What happens after the OA?
Passing is necessary but not sufficient — it's an early filter. Next come interviews with probability, EV, and market-making games; see the full SIG interview funnel.