Getting hired at PEAK6 is no easy feat As one of the top proprietary trading firms in the world, they only take on the best and brightest candidates. Their interview process is notoriously rigorous, designed to test your mental math, probability skills, quick thinking, and grace under pressure
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to land your dream job at PEAK6, from application to offer.
Overview of PEAK6
Founded in 1997, PEAK6 is a Chicago-based firm that uses technology and data analytics to trade options and equities for its own accounts They employ over 1,000 people and trade hundreds of millions of contracts per day across all major asset classes
PEAK6 looks for candidates with strong quantitative backgrounds and mental math abilities. Traders need to quickly analyze probabilities and make split-second trading decisions under immense pressure. In addition to trading roles, PEAK6 also hires for positions in software engineering, data science, operations, and more.
PEAK6 Interview Process
Here are the typical steps in the PEAK6 interview process:
1. Online Application
- Submit resume and complete online application form.
2. Cognitive/Psychometric Assessments
- Take IQ-like cognitive tests with probability, mental math, and logic problems.
3. Video/Phone Interview(s)
- Screening with HR and traders assessing personality fit and trading potential.
4. Superday
- Full day of 5-8 back-to-back interviews onsite at their Chicago headquarters.
5 Offer
- Congrats! Expect a competitive compensation package.
The process takes 1-3 months from application to offer. Let’s break down how to conquer each step.
Online Assessments
After applying, you’ll be invited to complete a 1-2 hour cognitive/psychometric test. PEAK6 uses these online assessments to gauge your math, logic, and probability skills before bringing you in for interviews.
Some examples of questions you may encounter:
- Number sequences – Identify the pattern and select the next number
- Mental math – Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
- Logic puzzles – Grids, matching, comparisons
- Basic probability – With coins, dice, cards etc.
- Brain teasers – Lateral thinking problems
These tests are challenging. You’ll need to be accurate and quick, as there is often a tight time limit. Brush up on your mental math and practice sample tests online to get comfortable. While difficult, remember there are no right or wrong answers. The goal is demonstrating your potential, not scoring 100%.
Phone/Video Interview
If you successfully pass the assessments, next comes one or more screening interviews. The initial rounds are typically conducted over video chat or phone.
Phone interviews may involve both HR and traders. HR conversations focus on your resume, background, and motivations. The traders assess your quantitative acumen and comfort with probability.
In the trader screening, expect more advanced probability and market sizing questions. They are evaluating both your technical competency and thought process. Treat it as a thoughtful conversation, not just a quiz.
Here are some sample PEAK6 trader interview questions:
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There are 5 horses in a race. If you owned the racetrack, how would you set the betting odds for each horse?
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Estimate the average daily trading volume on the S&P 500.
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How many gallons of milk are produced annually in the United States?
Take your time, think out loud, and ask clarifying questions if needed. Getting the exact right answer is less important than demonstrating strong logic.
Superday
For candidates that make it through initial screening, the next step is the intense superday: A full day of 5-8 back-to-back interview rounds held on-location at PEAK6 headquarters in Chicago.
Superday interviews evaluate both technical skills and cultural fit across various traders, managers, and firm executives. Expect a mix of:
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Quantitative questions: Advanced probability, mental math, brain teasers, market sizing
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Markets & trading: Discuss markets, asset classes, instruments, strategies, risk management
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Behavioral interviews: Fit, leadership, weaknesses, collaborating, overcoming challenges
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“Getting to know you” conversations with traders about markets, sports, news, interests
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Case studies: Analyze trading scenarios, P&L, risk parameters
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Group interviews: Assess teamwork solving problems
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Shadowing: Observe traders at work on the floor
The superday is an endurance test, both mentally and physically. Come well-rested, focused, and ready for anything.
While exhausting, remember the superday is your time to shine. Be confident, personable, and clarify anything you don’t understand. Ask thoughtful questions to learn as much as possible about the role, culture, and your potential future coworkers.
Below are some of the most common PEAK6 trader superday interview questions with examples of strong responses:
Q: You flip a coin 5 times and it comes up heads each time. What are the odds it comes up heads again on the next flip?
- The odds don’t change based on previous flips. There’s still a 50% probability of heads on the 6th flip since each toss is an independent event.
Q: Estimate how many gas stations there are in the United States.
- I’d start by determining the U.S. population, around 330 million people. Assume there is approximately 1 gas station per 3,000 people. That’s ~110,000 gas stations nationwide.
Q: If you owned a casino with slot machines that had a 10% house edge, how would you price the slots?
- I’d aim for an average player loss of 10% per spin. If the average bet was $1, I’d pay out 90 cents per spin on average. I’d tune the payouts so over thousands of spins I retain 10% of the total amount wagered.
Do mock interviews to practice and get comfortable responding spontaneously. Stay calm under pressure, think out loud, and jump right into calculating reasonable estimates.
After the Superday
Within a week of your superday, HR will contact you with a hiring decision or request a final reference check. The entire process wraps up in 1-3 months.
If extended an offer, congratulations! Be prepared to negotiate your compensation package including base salary, bonus, and profit sharing.
While intense, the rigors of the PEAK6 interview process are specifically designed to filter for exactly the skills needed to thrive in the firm’s meritocratic, high-pressure trading environment. With diligence and practice, you can turn this challenge into a highly rewarding career opportunity.
We wish you the best of luck on your journey to landing your dream job at PEAK6! You’ve got this.
Peak6 InvestmentsProprietary Trading
Based on the Interview Insights at this company, the Interview Experience is a score between 1 star (very bad) and 5 stars (very good).
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. If you move your mouse over the different parts of the doughnut, you’ll see exactly how each score was calculated.
The title percentile score is based on an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates that is applied to the whole Company Database. This is done to account for companies that don’t have many interview insights. For easy explanation, when a business gets more reviews, the belief in its “true score” grows. This makes it move closer to its own simple average and away from the overall average of the dataset. 3. 6.
Based on the Interview Insights at this company, the Interview Difficulty is a score that goes from “very difficult” (red) to “very easy” (green).
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. The higher the number, the more difficult the interviews on average. This doughnut has different parts that, when you move your mouse over them, show you the 20% breakdown of each score given.
The title percentile score is based on an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates that is applied to the whole Company Database. This is done to account for companies that don’t have many interview insights. That is, as a business learns more, it becomes more sure of a “true score,” which moves it closer to its own simple average and away from the overall average of the data set. 3.
Based on reviews at this company, the 20% of interns getting full-time offers chart is meant to give you a good idea of how the company hires people.
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. This doughnut has different parts that, when you move your mouse over them, show you the 20% breakdown of each score given.
It uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates to account for companies that don’t have many reviews, which is how the percentile score in the title is found. To put it simply, when a business gets more reviews, the “true score” becomes more likely to be accurate. This makes it move closer to the simple company average and away from the average of all the data. 37%.
