Akuna Capital vs Optiver: Which Math Test Is Harder?
Akuna Capital and Optiver both filter traders with infamous mental math tests — and candidates applying to both often prepare for the wrong one. The tests look similar but reward different skills. Here is the honest comparison and how to prepare for each.
The Akuna Capital Math Test
Akuna's screen is the 80-in-8: 80 arithmetic questions in 8 minutes, about 6 seconds each, heavy on decimals and straightforward operations. It is pure throughput — the difficulty is entirely the rate. Akuna pairs it with a 24-in-12 sequences test and a probability test built on expected value. The Akuna gauntlet tests speed first, then pattern recognition, then probabilistic judgment, in separate timed blocks.
The Optiver Math Test
Optiver's version is famously the 80-in-8 as well in some regions, but its signature is different: Optiver leans harder on rapid-fire arithmetic with a notorious accuracy bar and, in later rounds, intense mental-math-plus-probability combinations under interviewer pressure. Where Akuna separates its screens into distinct tests, Optiver blends speed math into live interview rounds more aggressively. Both firms' tests are among the hardest speed screens in finance.
Which Is Harder?
Honestly, it depends on your weakness. If your raw arithmetic throughput is the bottleneck, Akuna's 80-in-8 will hurt more — it is the purest speed test of the two. If you are fast but sloppy under interrogation, Optiver's live pressure rounds will expose you. Most candidates report both as brutal; the practical difference is preparation focus. Akuna rewards candidates who drill the specific 80-in-8 format plus sequences and EV questions as separate disciplines. Choosing the "easier" firm is a mistake — pick the one whose work you want, then prepare for its specific gauntlet.
How to Prepare for Akuna's Version
If Akuna is your target, train the actual Akuna formats: daily timed 80-in-8 sets, 30-second sequence drills, and EV problem batches — using the real recurring question styles, not generic drills. Our 2027 Akuna Capital Coding Challenge Math Test Probability Test On-demand Interview Exact Questions & Answers contains the exact Akuna math test, sequences, and probability questions with answers, so your preparation matches the test you will actually take rather than a generic "trading math" workout.
FAQs
Is Akuna Capital's math test harder than Optiver's? They are comparably brutal; Akuna's is a purer throughput test while Optiver blends math into live interview pressure.
Can I use the same preparation for both firms? Partially — arithmetic speed transfers, but each firm's specific formats and follow-on rounds need targeted prep.
Which firm should I apply to? Choose based on the role and location you want, not perceived difficulty — both bars are elite.
Do both firms use the 80-in-8 format? Akuna is known for the 80-questions-in-8-minutes screen; confirm each firm's current format on their official careers pages for the 2027 intake.
Pick Your Gauntlet — Then Train for It Specifically
Debating which math test is harder is procrastination disguised as research. Both will reject an unprepared candidate in under ten minutes. The candidates who get offers did not pick the easier firm — they picked their firm and drilled its exact test until it felt routine. If that firm is Akuna, the real questions are learnable, the formats are trainable, and the only wasted move is preparing generically.
Preparing for Akuna Capital's math test? Our 2027 Akuna Capital Coding Challenge Math Test Probability Test On-demand Interview Exact Questions & Answers has the exact questions and answers — $79 one-time, instant download.
