London S&T Recruiting
For those who’ve been through S&T recruiting in the last few years, especially for macro desks with a quantitative bend or ability to warehouse risk:
- How much mental math is tested beyond brainteasers and market questions?
- For these kinds of desks (so not quant strat/systematic), are you expected to write full, syntactically correct code, or is being pragmatic with tools like ChatGPT, Cursor, etc. to get analysis and simple automation done good enough? Are there desks that ask Leetcode easy questions?
- Does being good at poker, chess, or blackjack carry any weight, or just resume filler?
For London S&T recruiting, especially for macro desks with a quantitative focus or risk warehousing, here's what you need to know based on the most helpful WSO content:
Mental Math Testing:
Mental math is definitely tested, particularly for roles with a trading focus. While brainteasers and market questions are common, mental math questions can also come up, especially at elite boutiques (EBs) or prop trading firms. For example, you might be asked to calculate something like 23x23 in your head. Practicing mental math drills (e.g., Arthur Benjamin's techniques or specific trader tests) is highly recommended.
Coding Expectations:
Poker, Chess, or Blackjack:
These skills can carry some weight, but only if you can tie them to relevant traits like strategic thinking, risk management, or probability analysis. Otherwise, they might just be seen as resume filler. If you bring them up, be prepared to explain how they enhance your decision-making or analytical abilities in a trading context.
To excel, focus on sharpening your mental math, understanding probability and expected value (common in poker/dice game questions), and being comfortable with coding basics or data manipulation.
Sources: So you want to be a Quant?, MathHeads.net - Level up your mental math skills, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/job-search/qa-undergraduate-quantitative-trading-decision-process-advice?customgpt=1, So you want to be a Quant?, London recruitment-can't understand how it works.
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