SIG Problem Solving Assessment: Format & Question Types
The SIG problem solving assessment is a timed online test covering logical reasoning, numerical reasoning, and pattern recognition. For the 2027 intake, it sits alongside or before the CodeSignal coding test for trader and quant candidates. It has no calculator, no second chances, and one weakness in any section sinks your score.
What the SIG Problem Solving Assessment Is
SIG's problem solving assessment is the firm's proprietary-style reasoning test for roles where coding alone doesn't capture ability — quantitative trader, capital markets, and equity research tracks. Unlike the CodeSignal test, you write no code here. Instead you work through sequences, numerical series, grid patterns, and probability puzzles under strict per-question timers. It's designed to measure how you think, not what you memorized.
What the Question Types Assess
The SIG problem solving assessment tests three axes:
- Logical reasoning: Pattern recognition in shape grids, sequence completion, odd-one-out. Assesses abstract reasoning speed — critical for trading decisions under uncertainty.
- Numerical reasoning: Number series, mental arithmetic chains, ratio and percentage puzzles. Assesses whether you can manipulate numbers accurately at speed.
- Probability and combinatorics: Dice, cards, and expected-value puzzles. Assesses the mathematical intuition trading roles are built on.
Every section is timed independently. The assessment is deliberately unbalanced across axes because SIG wants specialists in all three — a math genius who can't spot visual patterns still fails.
How to Prepare for the SIG Problem Solving Assessment
The biggest mistake is preparing only your strongest section. The SIG problem solving assessment punishes imbalance by design.
- Diagnose your weakest axis first. Take a timed mixed set and record accuracy per section. Most candidates are strong in one and slow in two.
- Drill pattern recognition with real-style grids. Abstract reasoning improves fast with repetition, but only with test-style material — textbook logic puzzles don't transfer.
- Train numerical speed daily. 15 minutes a day of timed number series builds the fluency the test demands.
Our 2027 SIG Susquehanna Online Problem Solving | Coding Assessment Tutorials include the problem solving question types SIG actually uses — logic, numerical, and probability — with answers and methods, so you walk in having seen the formats before.
A Single Weak Section Ends Your Run
The SIG problem solving assessment doesn't average your strengths — it exposes your weakest one. Traders who aced the coding test get cut here every cycle because they assumed math fluency alone was enough. Every candidate who advances past this stage fixed their weak section before the test, not during it. Start your weak section now, while there's still time to rebuild it.
FAQ
What is the format of the SIG problem solving assessment? A timed online test with logical reasoning (patterns), numerical reasoning (number series and arithmetic), and probability/combinatorics sections.
Do trader candidates take both problem solving and CodeSignal? Typically yes — problem solving screens mathematical and logical thinking, CodeSignal screens implementation ability.
How much time do I get per question? Questions are individually timed with tight limits. Check your invitation email for exact timing; prepare for roughly one minute or less per item.
Is the SIG problem solving assessment harder than the coding test? It tests different skills. Candidates who code well but lack fast pattern recognition fail the problem solving test at high rates.
Preparing for SIG Susquehanna's problem solving? Our 2027 SIG Susquehanna Online Problem Solving | Coding Assessment Tutorials has the exact questions and answers — $79 one-time, instant download.
