IMC Trading hires student and graduate traders in all three of its regions: Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific. This guide covers its internships and graduate roles in each region, every stage of the process, and what changed in the 2027 cycle: candidates applying for the summer 2027 internships reported a new first assessment.
- Where IMC hires trading students
for 2027, trading internships in Amsterdam, Chicago and Hong Kong, and graduate trading roles in Amsterdam, Aarhus and Chicago. IMC’s Sydney internships run over the Australian summer, on their own calendar. - When applications open
for the 2027 internships, IMC opened applications in July and August 2026, almost a year before the start date. Aarhus graduate roles followed in October. - First assessments
2027-cycle candidates in Europe and the US report an SHL test (a work-style questionnaire, then inductive-reasoning puzzles with shapes and colours). In Amsterdam a short HackerRank test followed a few hours later, while a US candidate went straight on to interviews. IMC itself does not name a vendor. - Rounds after that
a first-round interview on motivation, technical interviews with market-making games and probability, then a final round with several interview stations.
Table of Contents
IMC 2027 internships and graduate roles
IMC’s summer internships last 10 weeks (9 in India) and are aimed at students in their penultimate year. IMC does not usually offer off-cycle internships.
- Amsterdam Trader Intern and Quantitative Trader Intern
for penultimate-year students in mathematics, physics, econometrics or a related quantitative field who graduate in 2028. Both start on 28 June 2027. The postings opened on 31 July 2026. IMC’s European summer internship takes place in Amsterdam. - Chicago Quantitative Trader Intern (Summer 2027)
a 10-week trading internship for students graduating between September 2027 and July 2028, starting on 7 June 2027. Interns who meet IMC’s expectations can secure a full-time Graduate Trader position at the end. The posting opened on 1 July 2026. - Hong Kong Quantitative Trader Intern 2027
a 10-week internship for students who have started their penultimate year, with a minimum Distinction average and the ability to start in May or June 2027. It opened on 12 August 2026. The posting says most IMC interns secure a graduate position at the end. - Sydney
IMC’s Sydney internships run over the Australian summer and ask for Australian working rights. The Sydney Launchpad (see below) can fast-track students to a 2027/28 summer internship offer. - Amsterdam Graduate Trader
for final-year students in a quantitative field, joining full-time in February or August 2027. - Aarhus Graduate Trader
for final-year quantitative students joining in August 2027. It opened on 1 October 2026. - Chicago Graduate Quantitative Trader
applications ran from 1 July to 2 October 2026.
IMC’s current openings are listed on our IMC company page.
Every IMC graduate hire joins its Graduate Traineeship, which starts twice a year, in February/March and in August/September. Graduate Traders from all three regions begin together in a six-week Global Trainee Programme, then continue training in their own office with a mentor. That local part lasts 6 to 14 weeks, depending on the office.
IMC accepts one application per role per year, and each role runs its own selection process, so apply to a single role. If you are not selected, you can reapply in IMC’s next recruitment season, ideally after working on your skills.
Programmes before the internship
IMC runs short programmes for first- and second-year students in all three regions, and several of them lead to a faster route into the internship process.
- Launchpad
IMC’s discovery programme, with an edition in each region.- Amsterdam
two days on 20-22 April 2027, for pre-penultimate-year students at European universities. Trading students play market-making games and a trading simulation. Previous attendees wrote in September 2026 that Launchpad makes no offers but fast-tracks attendees to a later stage of the internship process, from the first interview to the onsite depending on performance, and that nearly all of them got some form of fast track. - Chicago
two days, for second-year students interested in quantitative trading or software engineering. Successful participants fast-track their progress in future internships. - Sydney
three days in October, for first- and second-year STEM students, with applications in June and July 2026. Taking part can fast-track you to a 2027/28 summer internship offer.
- Amsterdam
- Women in Trading & Technology
IMC hosts several programmes for women students each year.- Amsterdam
runs on 23-25 March 2027. - Mumbai
runs on 1-2 December 2026, for IIT and BITS students graduating in 2029. Selection is an application, an online assessment and a virtual screening interview. - Chicago
the posting for the January 2026 edition said participants would go through an accelerated interview process for the summer 2027 internship before applications opened to the public.
- Amsterdam
- Spring week (London)
an applicant to IMC’s London spring insight week in January 2026 had a HireVue video interview of 3 questions in 15 minutes in total, testing communication, motivation and technical skills, to be completed within 72 hours. - Prosperity
IMC’s global algorithmic trading challenge, mainly for STEM students. The 2026 edition ran from 14 to 30 April 2026.
Overview of the IMC interview process
IMC’s assessments vary by role, and only some are online. They are there to test your abilities, not to trick you. For trader roles, the process candidates describe runs in this order:
- Online assessment
for summer 2027, candidates reported an SHL test. - First-round interview
introductions, then your motivation for applying and how you see the role. - Technical interviews
market-making games, probability and expected value, with a trader. - Final round
several interview stations with different people.
Stage 1: the IMC online assessment (SHL in 2027)
Candidates in the 2027 cycle describe IMC’s first online assessment as an SHL test in two parts. Several summer 2027 Quantitative Trader internship applicants named SHL as the platform in July and August 2026, and an Amsterdam Graduate Trader candidate interviewed in August 2026 described the same two parts. A Chicago Quantitative Trader candidate named the same inductive reasoning test in September 2026, and a Graduate Quantitative Trader applicant was invited to the SHL assessment a few days after applying that month. IMC’s Asia-Pacific recruitment page says most positions use an aptitude assessment that starts with a few practice questions, and that some trading roles also get a technical home assignment.
- Part 1, work style
a questionnaire where you are repeatedly shown three statements and rank them by how well they describe you. It matches SHL’s OPQ32r personality questionnaire, which has no time limit and takes 15 to 25 minutes on average. - Part 2, inductive reasoning
puzzles where you complete a sequence, built from shapes and colours rather than numbers, by working out the rule. A candidate pointed others to SHL’s interactive inductive reasoning practice test for this part, and SHL’s fact sheet for that test gives 18 minutes for at most 15 adaptive questions.
Most of those reports said it was not the mental maths, probability and sequences test of earlier years. Candidates consistently found it easy, and two said it was easier than SHL’s public practice test. Invites gave 40 or 35 minutes for the whole session, but only the reasoning part has a clock. In the previous cycle, Amsterdam candidates interviewed in October and November 2025 reported the NeurOlympics brain test instead, testing reaction speed and concentration. A candidate who applied in March 2026 said it took about 45 minutes.
IMC does not publish the settings of its version, so check your invitation for the exact timing. SHL’s free practice site has the interactive inductive reasoning test in a drag-and-drop format, and a separate interactive numerical test built on data tables. For IMC you only need the inductive one: asked whether the test includes anything else, a candidate who had taken it in July 2026 confirmed that it is only the inductive reasoning test.
The HackerRank technical assessment (Amsterdam)
In August 2026, Amsterdam Quantitative Trader internship candidates were invited to a short HackerRank technical assessment a few hours after the SHL test. The invitation described about 12 to 15 minutes of logic and mathematics questions. A candidate who took it said it was 3 medium probability questions with about 4 minutes each, time that does not carry over to the next question, and answers typed in rather than multiple choice. Another Amsterdam candidate interviewed in August 2026 also mentioned a further online assessment after the first one. US candidates did not report this second test: one went from the SHL test to a 30-minute call and then straight to a technical interview.
Hearing back after the test
How quickly candidates heard back depended on the office. In Amsterdam, the HackerRank invitation came within hours of the SHL test. US applicants for the 2027 internship were sent a visa questionnaire, and many heard nothing for weeks after taking the SHL test in July and August 2026. One US candidate was invited to a 30-minute call in August 2026, then went straight to a first technical interview.
In our course
the IMC Round 1 lesson in our Company Preparation Course has practice tests in this format. Its SHL Inductive Reasoning Test gives you 15 interactive items on one 18-minute clock, and its IMC HackerRank Test three typed probability questions with 4 minutes each. If your invitation names the NeurOlympics games of earlier cycles instead, the same lesson has our NeurOlympics full run.
Monitoring and the rules during assessments
IMC’s Interview Conduct Policy says some technical assessments run on a monitored third-party platform. It forces full-screen mode, blocks other apps and copy-paste, records and AI-analyses the screen, and takes a still webcam image every 15 seconds. It records no audio. The webcam features are only switched on after you consent, an unmonitored alternative with the same content is available on request, and a person reviews every flagged finding.
During all interviews and assessments, AI tools and extra devices are banned and you may only use pen and paper for notes. If you recognise a technical question, tell the interviewer: they have backup questions ready.
Stage 2: the video interview
In the 2026 cycle, trader candidates reported a one-way recorded video interview with three questions: two behavioural or motivational and one technical. The platform varied. Amsterdam candidates interviewed in October and November 2025 named HireVue. Graduate Trader candidates in January and March 2026 named Spark Hire: one list of typical questions was why you want a career in trading, your biggest achievement and a small probability question, with one attempt each. Reported preparation time ranged from 30 seconds to about a minute and a half per question. These reports all come from the 2026 cycle.
In our course
the IMC video assessment lesson.
Stage 3: the first-round interview
IMC Europe’s first-round interview opens with introductions, then moves to your motivation for applying and how you interpret the role. Quantitative Trader Intern candidates in October 2026 describe it as a recruiter screen with only behavioural questions. In Hong Kong it was a 30-minute Zoom call with a campus recruiter covering logistics such as location preference and trading versus research, four behavioural questions and an overview of IMC. A US candidate’s first call, in August 2026, was also 30 minutes. Behavioural skills are assessed throughout the process, including in technical rounds, so be ready to explain your real motivation for trading and for IMC, with examples structured using the STAR method.
Stage 4: technical interviews
Parts of IMC’s trader process simulate a trader’s daily decisions: setting prices, adjusting them as new information arrives and managing uncertainty. The aim is sound reasoning about value and risk, clearly explained, not perfect numbers.
- Market-making games
you quote a two-sided market to the interviewer, for example 95-105 on a product you value at 100. The interviewer trades against you and you update your market over several rounds. - Probability and expected value
IMC’s own guide tells candidates to study expected value, conditional probability, independent events and Bayes’ theorem. - Problem breakdown
interviewers care more about how you break down a complex problem than about the right answer.
A Quantitative Trader Intern candidate (October 2026) described the second round as a technical interview with a trader, with one problem and a market-making game. An Amsterdam Quantitative Trader candidate (October 2025) said the technical stage was an online interview with a member of the recruitment team, with basic probability and a mini trading game. A Quantitative Trader Intern candidate reported in November 2025 a technical screen built around a betting game on a series of matches with given odds, updated as new information came in, ending with an explanation of their P&L and strategy. A brainteaser about allocating funds in an election followed.
Two candidates were told the format of the first technical interview in their invitation. A Chicago Quantitative Trader candidate (September 2026) was told it would be two technical stations, longer problems with several parts, in 45 minutes. A Graduate Broker Trader candidate (May 2026) expected 40 minutes with two long questions and follow-ups. Pace yourself so you still reach the second problem.
The interviews are meant as a collaboration. Interviewers went through the same process themselves, give hints and are not trying to trick you. Saying you are unsure is fine, and speed is valued but not at the cost of the right answer.
In our course
the IMC technical interview lesson includes our IMC market-making game, so you can practise this format.
Stage 5: the IMC superday
IMC’s final round can consist of several interview stations, each with different people. An Amsterdam Graduate Trader candidate (November 2025) listed an online HR interview and then a final-round assessment day after the video interview. A Quantitative Trader Intern candidate (October 2026) described the final round as an onsite superday with many technical and behavioural stations and time on the desk. A Chicago Quantitative Trader intern candidate had their superday coming up in early October 2026. For onsite interview days, IMC books flights and accommodation. IMC Europe aims to give feedback within a couple of days after interviews.
In our course
the IMC superday lesson.
How to prepare for IMC
IMC publishes its own trading interview preparation guide, Inside the Trading Interview, and links it from its 2027 Graduate Trader postings. Its advice, in short:
- What interviewers look for
mathematical rigour, simplifying a problem to its core, communicating clearly under uncertainty, and knowing when to be confident in your ideas. - Mental maths
daily timed drills, such as multiplying 2- or 3-digit numbers and estimating percentages, plus logic puzzles, riddles and estimation problems. - Reading
Fooled by Randomness, Thinking in Bets, Zhou’s A Practical Guide to Quantitative Finance Interviews and Heard on the Street. - Background
no prior finance knowledge is required. Programming in Python, MATLAB or R is a plus: IMC’s traders spend a lot of time on Python data analysis.
Our IMC practice hub puts our IMC practice tests and the training we recommend for IMC on one page.
For the questions themselves, see our IMC interview questions and the full IMC lesson in the Company Preparation Course.
FAQ
Does everyone get the IMC online assessment?
For most roles, yes. Assessments vary by role and only some are online, but most positions include an aptitude assessment at some point in the process. In the 2027 cycle, trading candidates in Europe and the US reported the two-part SHL test as the first step after applying.
How long does the IMC SHL test take?
Invitations in July 2026 gave 40 or 35 minutes for the whole session, but only the inductive reasoning part has a clock. SHL’s fact sheets give 18 minutes for at most 15 questions in its interactive inductive reasoning test, and no time limit for its personality questionnaire, which takes 15 to 25 minutes on average.
Is the IMC OA automatic?
Candidates disagree. One said IMC’s portal says CVs are screened before the test is sent; another believed the CV is reviewed afterwards. One candidate received the test a few days after applying, and US applicants were sent a visa questionnaire before hearing more.
Is there an IMC practice test?
IMC does not publish one. Candidates recommend SHL’s free practice tests for the inductive-reasoning part, and SHL’s practice site has an interactive inductive reasoning test. For both online tests you can also use our own SHL Inductive Reasoning Test and IMC HackerRank Test.
Is there a HackerRank test after the IMC SHL test?
For Amsterdam Quantitative Trader interns in August 2026, yes: an invite arrived a few hours after SHL for a short HackerRank test, described as 12 to 15 minutes of logic and maths. One candidate said it was 3 probability questions with about 4 minutes each. A US candidate had no second test and went straight on to interviews.
Does the IMC assessment record video?
Nothing public says the SHL test does. IMC’s Interview Conduct Policy covers some technical assessments on a monitored platform: they take a still webcam image every 15 seconds with no audio, and only after you give separate consent.
How hard is the IMC interview?
IMC does not publish pass rates. The interviews are meant as a collaboration: interviewers give hints and value sound reasoning over perfect numbers.
Can I apply to more than one IMC role?
You can, but it is better to pick one: IMC accepts one application per role per year, and each role runs its own selection process.
When do IMC internships start?
In 2027, the Chicago Quantitative Trader internship starts on 7 June, the Amsterdam internships on 28 June and the Hong Kong internship in May or June. Sydney’s internships run over the Australian summer, and IMC’s internships in India run for 9 weeks from July.
We are not affiliated with IMC Trading. This guide is based on IMC’s own pages and candidate reports. Processes can differ by office and role.