About IMC Trading
IMC is a market maker founded in Amsterdam in 1989 with major offices in Chicago and Sydney. IMC is known for a deep trader-development culture and a flat, collaborative engineering org. They trade options, futures, ETFs, and equities, and have a sizable FPGA / low-latency infrastructure team.
For current openings see our IMC listings.
Interview Process
- Online assessment: timed math + probability test (no coding for trader roles)
- Phone interview: probability and a market-making game
- On-site / virtual final: three to five interviews including more games, a behavioral round, and (for engineering roles) a technical deep-dive
Probability and Mental Math
IMC's probability questions are classic but fast. Expect:
- Coin flips and dice problems
- Expected value puzzles with multiple stages
- Combinatorics that reduce to clever counting
- Mental arithmetic — IMC grades on speed
The Market-Making Game
IMC runs a game similar to SIG's and Optiver's. The setup varies — sometimes guessing a hidden number, sometimes pricing a process — but the skill is the same: quote a tight spread, update on new information, manage inventory. IMC uses the game heavily for trader candidates.
Engineering Rounds
For engineering candidates, IMC's technology stack is C++ and Python. Expect:
- System design for a low-latency component
- Modern C++ questions (move semantics, templates, atomics)
- Discussion of FPGA basics for low-latency roles
Behavioral
IMC interviewers are friendly and conversational. They look for collaborative people who can disagree productively. Expect questions about teamwork, how you handle being challenged, and what kinds of problems you find interesting.
How to Prepare
- Master mental math — IMC values speed without errors
- Drill probability puzzles; the depth is moderate but the pace is high
- Practice market-making games — see our resources page
- For engineering: review C++ fundamentals and have a strong project to discuss