IMC interview: what candidates actually report
IMC threads are dominated by one thing: the sequences test, and whether anyone has ever finished it. The reports are consistent about the format and unusually varied about the platform, because the firm has used different assessment providers across cycles.
This page summarises what candidates have publicly and repeatedly described across forums over recent cycles. It quotes nobody and reproduces no thread; the discussions are linked below so you can read the primary sources yourself. QuantPit is independent and unaffiliated with IMC. Processes change between cycles, roles, and offices, so treat this as a map rather than a schedule, and let your invitation email and the firm's careers page overrule anything here.
What candidates agree on
Reported consistently enough across cycles that you can plan around it.
A pattern or sequences test is the signature first stage
Candidates describe number sequences with a short time limit, ramping from arithmetic and geometric progressions into interleaved and multi-rule patterns. Almost nobody reports completing every item, which appears to be by design.
Speed plus verification is the actual skill
The failure mode described repeatedly is spotting a plausible rule and committing without checking it against every term. Candidates who report success describe a rhythm of hypothesis, quick verification, then commit or discard.
Games and trading simulations appear later
Reports commonly include dice or card-based trading exercises and simulations where candidates trade against each other or against the firm, alongside conventional probability interviews.
Arithmetic still matters
Even where the headline test is patterns rather than sums, candidates describe needing fast mental arithmetic in later rounds and games.
What candidates disagree on
Where accounts genuinely conflict. Anyone stating these confidently is generalising from one data point, their own.
Number of questions and the time limit
Reports differ substantially by region, role, and year, and the firm has used more than one assessment platform. Treat any specific count you read as a snapshot of one candidate's cycle.
Whether the test is adaptive
Some candidates believe difficulty responds to their answers; others describe a fixed ladder. Both experiences appear in the same cycles, which usually means the ramp is fixed and perceived difficulty varies.
How much weight the games carry
Accounts differ on whether trading games are a real filter or an orientation exercise. Treat them as observed either way.
Reported timeline
Assessment invitations are commonly described as arriving within days of applying. The full process to offer is usually reported as several weeks, with Amsterdam, Chicago, and Sydney offices running their own calendars.
Read the discussions yourself
Live searches rather than links to individual threads, so you see current reports rather than a snapshot from an old cycle.
Common questions
What is the IMC sequences test?
A timed assessment of number sequences where you predict the next term, ramping from simple progressions to interleaved and multi-rule patterns. Speed and verification matter more than mathematical depth.
How do you prepare for the IMC assessment?
Learn the pattern families cold, then drill them shuffled and under a clock so recognition becomes automatic. Keep daily mental arithmetic going, because later stages need it.
Is it normal not to finish the IMC test?
Yes. Candidates very rarely report completing every question, and the ramp appears designed so that few do. Accuracy on what you attempt matters more than raw coverage.
Does IMC ask brainteasers in interviews?
Reports describe probability, expected value, and trading games more often than pure brainteasers, though classic puzzles do appear as conversation openers.
Practise the style, free
Reading about it is not preparing for it
The threads tell you what the test looks like. Sitting one tells you whether you would pass it.