Mako Trading Interview Guide

After submitting your CV, Mako’s recruitment team will typically invite you to complete a fast-paced online aptitude test. This 15-minute quiz contains 37 questions designed to assess mental math, logical reasoning, probability, and numerical pattern recognition. The test serves as a primary filter, advancing only those with strong quantitative instincts. 

Test Details

• Number of Questions: 37
• Time Limit: 15 minutes
• Format: Multiple choice; includes arithmetic, logical reasoning, linear Diophantine equations, probability, and pattern recognition
• Navigation: No skipping or revisiting questions

Scoring Mechanism

• +1 point for each correct answer
• No penalties for incorrect or skipped questions

Preparation Tips

• Practice and review the Mako Trading interview questions in our question database.
• Solve pattern and sequence puzzles, including spatial reasoning and dice rotations.
• Review basic probability concepts such as Bayes’ rule, expected value, and combinations. Past candidates have reported dice roll and conditional probability problems.
• Simulate the pressure by practicing under timed conditions with 30 seconds per question.
• Work in a distraction-free environment to build test-day habits.

If you pass the aptitude test, Mako will invite you to a 30-minute phone or video interview with a member of their Recruitment team. This stage focuses on evaluating your motivation, communication skills, and overall fit for the role.

Common Topics

• “Why Mako?” and “Why trading?”
• What do you think a market maker does?
• Behavioral questions such as teamwork, high-pressure situations, and leadership
• Light technical checks such as “What is a strike price?” or “What is 15 percent of 80?”

Preparation Tips

• Prepare concise answers explaining your interest in trading and Mako specifically.
• Learn the basics of market making and trading terminology.
• Structure your responses using the STAR method.
• Anticipate simple mental math or finance questions to test composure.
• Ensure your setup is professional and quiet.

This initial interview is your chance to make a good first impression. The style is usually conversational but professional. Mako’s HR emphasizes punctuality, clear communication, and enthusiasm. Make sure to test your video setup beforehand if it’s a video call, dress presentably, and be ready to ask the interviewer one or two thoughtful questions at the end. Passing this round shows that you have the passion and baseline communication skills for the role, which sets you up for the more intensive technical interviews that follow.

You will be invited to two back-to-back 30-minute interviews with Mako’s traders. These sessions assess your problem-solving skills, trading intuition, and ability to perform under pressure. The interviews are intense and rapid, often involving a series of logic puzzles, brainteasers, mental math questions, and trading-related scenarios.

Focus Areas

• Mental Math: Arithmetic drills such as calculating percentages, ratios, or decimals quickly
• Brainteasers and Logic: Pattern recognition, probability puzzles, and classic logic riddles such as the mislabeled jars or light bulb and switch puzzle
• Probability and Game Theory: Expected value, Bayes’ theorem, and simplified trading games such as the “two-thirds of the average” question
• Financial Math and Options: Calls, puts, spreads, and basic Greeks such as delta and vega
• Market Intuition: Hypothetical trading decisions, pricing exercises, and reasoning through scenarios like how prices respond to news

Preparation Tips

• Practice speaking your reasoning aloud. Interviewers assess your thought process.
• Study classic brainteasers and probability scenarios. Past examples include: “What is the probability of drawing two red cards from a deck?” or “If I flip a coin until I get heads, what is the expected number of flips?”
• Learn the basics of options and trading even if you are not a finance major.
• Anticipate layered or open-ended logic puzzles.
• Clarify the question and stay methodical.
• Stay calm and keep engaging even if you stumble. Keeping composure matters.

Preparing for Mako’s interviews means developing a combination of fast analytical skills and demonstrating a genuine passion for trading. Use this guide and our resources to practice the same mental math and puzzles others encountered by other candidates, but also prepare to show your personality. Mako’s team wants to see that you’re not only quick and smart, but also highly motivated, curious about markets, and resilient. They often emphasize that trading experience isn’t required for grads, as long as you can show your enthusiasm and interest in finance. So, if you’re a student, be ready to talk about any finance-related clubs, competitions, or self-driven projects you’ve done. If you’re experienced, be ready to explain why you love what you do and how you handle the ups and downs of trading life.

Going into each stage of Mako's process, know what its purpose is: the test filters for raw ability, the HR interview checks your fit and communication, the technical rounds probe your problem-solving depth, and the final stage simulates the real job pressures and teamwork. If you understand that, you can tailor your preparation accordingly.

With this guide, some thorough preparation and the right mindset, you should be able to approach Mako Trading’s interview process with confidence. Good luck!