Mental math test practice for trading firms
Optiver, Maven Securities and Flow Traders all name mental math as something they test, and Optiver bans calculators. Practice timed arithmetic in the formats candidates report, including the “80 in 8”, with whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percentages.
Choose 80 in 8, 60 in 6 or 50 in 5, multiple choice or typed answers, with or without minus-one marking. Every question has a worked answer.
Or try the free two-minute sprintWork it out:
0.25 × 152 =
What the firms say
- Optiver: “the use of calculators is not permitted” in its assessment, and its advice is to practice “mental math and strategy games.”
- Maven Securities: its numerical assessment “is designed to understand your mental maths ability”; it recommends timed practice.
- Flow Traders: Graduate Trader applicants “complete a numerical test to evaluate your mental math and sequences skills.”
- Akuna Capital and PEAK6 candidates also report a timed arithmetic round; neither firm publishes its format.
Firm guides: Optiver · Maven Securities · Flow Traders · IMC · PEAK6
Reported formats, and our timed mock
No firm publishes its question counts, timings or scoring. The timed formats below are what candidates and prep sites report for recent cycles; use them as practice settings and follow the instructions in your own invitation.
80 questions in 8 minutes
Reported by Optiver candidates (the “80 in 8”) and by Akuna candidates in the 2026 cycle. Reports disagree on whether a wrong answer costs a point.
Practice this format60 questions in 6 minutes
Reported for Flow Traders’ math test, with a point lost for each wrong answer.
Practice this format50 questions in 5 minutes
Reported by Maven Securities candidates for its numerical (mental maths) test.
Practice this format
What our questions cover
- Two- and three-digit addition and subtraction with carrying and borrowing
- Times tables to 19 and two-digit by two-digit products, squares to 59²
- Exact division, including by 12, 15, 16 and 25
- Decimals: placing the point, multiplying one-place decimals, dividing by 0.5, 0.25 and 0.2
- Fractions: a fraction of a number, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing
- Percentages: common percentages, percentage change, “what percent is…”, and reversing an increase
Free drills
- Mental math sprint
Twenty mixed arithmetic questions in two minutes: whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percentages.
- Fractions, decimals and percentages sprint
Twenty questions in three minutes on the conversions that slow most people down.
Drill mental math, then sit the timed test
Choose 80 in 8, 60 in 6 or 50 in 5, multiple choice or typed answers, with or without minus-one marking. Every question has a worked answer.
Or try the free two-minute sprintHow to get faster
- Learn the anchors: 1/8 = 0.125, 3/8 = 0.375, 1/6 ≈ 0.167, 12.5% = 1/8, 15% = 10% + 5%.
- Multiply by splitting: 37 × 24 = 37 × 20 + 37 × 4. Square by (a + b)² = a² + 2ab + b².
- Divide by a decimal by multiplying: ÷ 0.25 is × 4, ÷ 0.2 is × 5.
- With minus-one marking, skip a question you would only guess. Without a penalty, never leave one blank.
- Use the options: when they differ only in the last digit, compute the units digit first; when they differ by a factor of ten, place the decimal point first.
Common questions
What is the Optiver 80 in 8?
“80 in 8” is the name candidates and prep sites use for a mental arithmetic section they report in Optiver’s online assessment: about 80 questions in 8 minutes with no calculator. Optiver itself does not publish section names, counts or scoring. It confirms only that calculators are not permitted and recommends practicing mental math.
Is there negative marking on trading mental math tests?
It varies, and firms do not publish it. Some candidate reports for the 80-in-8 describe a point lost for each wrong answer; others say wrong answers are not penalized. Our mock lets you choose either rule so you can practice both strategies.
Should I practice with multiple choice or typed answers?
Both. Candidates describe multiple-choice arithmetic at some firms and typed answers at others (for example, HackerRank-style math sprints). Typed answers are harder because you cannot use the options to check your work, so practice that setting before your test if you are unsure.
What score is good on the 80 in 8?
No firm publishes a pass mark. Prep sites quote figures but cite no source and disagree with each other. Aim to answer quickly and accurately: your results show correct, wrong and blank answers and your net score under minus-one marking, so you can track both speed and accuracy.
Choose 80 in 8, 60 in 6 or 50 in 5, multiple choice or typed answers, with or without minus-one marking. Every question has a worked answer.
Or try the free two-minute sprintMore trading test practice
Firm statements checked November 2026: Optiver Europe recruitment FAQ · Optiver Sydney campus recruiting FAQs · Optiver US campus recruiting Q&A · Maven Securities emerging talent · Flow Traders graduates · IMC recruitment process.
Optiver, Maven Securities, Flow Traders, Susquehanna International Group (SIG), IMC, Akuna Capital and PEAK6 are trademarks of their respective owners. Game Assessment Prep is an independent practice site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of these firms. Every question is original; none is taken from a firm’s assessment or another prep provider.