When I was preparing for the Akuna Capital Super Day, I realized that almost every interview post online focused on the Online Assessment. Very few people actually described what happens during Super Day in detail. Since I recently completed the entire process for a Quant position in Toronto, I decided to document everything I can share in hopes that it helps future candidates.
The entire event took place in a single day with around a dozen candidates attending together. It was an intense but well-organized process that evaluated much more than coding ability. Throughout the day, interviewers tested problem-solving, C++ fundamentals, engineering judgment, communication, and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
Akuna Capital Interview Process
The overall recruiting timeline was surprisingly fast. From application to final decision, the process took roughly three to four weeks.
The interview process consisted of two major stages:
- Online Screening
- Mental Math Assessment
- Personality Measure
- HireVue Video Interview
- Onsite Super Day
- HR Behavioral Interview
- Technical Coding Interview
- Algorithm Competition
- Whiteboard System Design Interview
Akuna has offices in Chicago, Boston, Sydney, and several other locations. The interview process varies slightly between Quant and Trader roles. This article focuses specifically on the Quant Software Engineering path.
Online Assessment Stage
Mental Math Assessment
The first screening round was entirely speed-based mental arithmetic.
The assessment consisted of two sections:
- 15 minutes of arithmetic calculations
- 7 minutes of sequence recognition
The arithmetic questions included two-digit multiplication and division, five-digit addition and subtraction, negative numbers, and mixed operations. Time pressure was extremely high, so both speed and accuracy mattered.
The sequence section contained several well-known pattern questions. For example:
- Month initials: J, F, M, A, M, J, J, A → S (September)
- Planet initials: M, V, E, M, J → S (Saturn)
These weren't mathematical puzzles but knowledge-based patterns. Memorizing month names, weekdays, planets, and similar sequences beforehand saves valuable time.
One popular preparation resource is RankYourBrain. Spending ten minutes a day for two weeks noticeably improves calculation speed.
Personality Measure
The personality questionnaire appeared straightforward, but the second half included logical reasoning questions that clearly served as another screening stage. It is best to answer consistently rather than attempting to guess what the company wants.
HireVue Interview
The HireVue consisted of one behavioral question followed by three math questions.
Examples included:
- A 10 × 10 × 10 cube has its outer layer removed. How many cubes remain?
- A coin is flipped three times. Given that at least one flip is heads, what is the probability that exactly one flip is heads?
Since responses were recorded rather than live, organizing your thoughts clearly before speaking was important.
Super Day Interview Breakdown
Round 1 — HR Behavioral
This was the easiest interview of the day.
There were no technical questions, only standard behavioral topics such as:
- Why Akuna Capital?
- Describe a conflict with a teammate.
- Tell me about a difficult problem you solved.
- Why Quant?
Preparing several STAR-format stories beforehand was more than enough.
Round 2 — Technical Coding Interview
This was easily the most challenging technical interview.
The primary task was implementing a custom memory pool class from scratch.
The interviewer expected candidates to:
- Allocate memory using
malloc. - Store released memory inside the class.
- Reuse previously allocated memory whenever possible.
- Support generic types using C++ templates.
- Handle constructors, copy semantics, and resource management correctly.
After completing the implementation, candidates moved to a Battleship coding challenge.
The environment was intentionally minimal. Only a MacBook with Vim and internet access was provided—no IDE, debugger, or graphical editor. The coding portion lasted approximately ninety minutes.
Once finished, the interviewer conducted an extensive code review. Every design decision was questioned, including data structures, memory management choices, complexity analysis, and edge-case handling. Simply producing working code was not sufficient; candidates had to justify every implementation decision.
Round 3 — Algorithm Competition
This round was unlike any interview I had previously experienced.
All candidates participated simultaneously in a live programming competition.
Akuna provided a server implementation, while each participant implemented their own client that connected to the server. The client then competed against other candidates' implementations in a Battleship-based game.
The two core functions involved:
- Ship placement strategy
- Shooting strategy
Performance was measured through continuous head-to-head matches with a running leaderboard.
The competition emphasized much more than algorithms. Reliable engineering mattered just as much. A stable client with a reasonable strategy generally outperformed an aggressive solution that frequently crashed or behaved unpredictably.
Round 4 — Whiteboard Design Interview
The final interview paired each candidate with a senior engineer.
The first exercise involved implementing a finite state machine (FSM) based on a provided specification. After producing an initial solution, the interviewer continuously asked optimization questions covering:
- STL implementation details
- Boundary conditions
- Performance improvements
- Possible optimizations using unordered_set and related containers
The second discussion became more open-ended.
The interviewer presented a market exchange price ladder and asked how to design a system capable of distributing real-time pricing updates efficiently to traders.
There was no single correct answer. The interviewer primarily evaluated system thinking, communication, architectural reasoning, and whether every design decision remained logically consistent under continuous questioning.
Frequently Tested Topics
- C++ memory management
- Memory pool implementation
- Templates and copy constructors
- Probability and expected value
- Algorithm implementation
- Engineering quality under time constraints
- Trading system design
- Finite state machines
- STL internals and optimization
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every applicant receive an Online Assessment?
Most applicants receive the OA after submitting an application. The screening becomes significantly more selective afterward.
Can someone without a finance background pass the Mental Math assessment?
Yes. The test focuses almost entirely on calculation speed rather than financial knowledge.
How long does Super Day last?
Expect to spend approximately six to eight hours onsite.
How different are the Quant and Trader interview processes?
Trader interviews place greater emphasis on mental math, probability, and market intuition, while Quant interviews involve substantially more programming, C++, and engineering-focused questions.
Preparation Tips
Akuna is not looking for candidates who memorize interview answers. Instead, the company evaluates how clearly you think while working under sustained pressure.
Spend at least two weeks practicing mental math before the OA. Develop a deep understanding of C++ memory management rather than simply memorizing syntax. Practice probability questions until analytical solutions become second nature. For system design interviews, always clarify constraints before proposing an architecture.
During my preparation, I also used the interview resources available on InterviewShow. Their collection of Quant interview experiences was especially helpful for reviewing C++ internals, probability, memory management, and trading system design before Super Day.
Mock interviews that simulate time pressure can also be extremely valuable, especially for explaining implementation decisions out loud during code reviews.
Final Thoughts
Akuna Capital's Super Day packs an enormous amount of technical content into a single day. Every interview evaluates a different skill set, and there is very little downtime between rounds.
The memory pool implementation requires solid C++ fundamentals, the algorithm competition rewards reliable engineering rather than flashy ideas, and the whiteboard interview demands structured thinking under constant follow-up questions.
If you're preparing for Akuna Capital, Jane Street, Citadel, IMC, Optiver, or other quantitative trading firms, resources like InterviewShow can help you become familiar with common interview patterns before the real interview. Good luck with your preparation!
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