— GUIDE —
PASSED THE QUANT OA: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Passing an OA usually moves you to a recruiter call, a technical phone or Zoom interview, or another assessment. The useful move is to identify the next interviewer and switch from test-speed practice to explaining your reasoning out loud.
UPDATED 2026-10-29 · 10 MIN READ · BY THE VARIANCE EDITORIAL TEAM
Checked 29 October 2026. Official sources describe the next stages at IMC and Jane Street. The waiting-time examples are individual candidate reports and are labelled as such. A firm's published response window, if there is one, is a better starting point.
What happens after the OA?
After a quant OA, the next step is usually one of three things: a recruiter or behavioural call, a technical phone or Zoom interview, or another assessment. A pass does not tell you which one. Read the new invitation for the interviewer's role, meeting length, and any preparation notes, then ask for clarification if those details are missing.
What can come next?
| Next step | Likely focus | Prepare now |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter call | Motivation, eligibility, timeline, role fit | Your story, availability, work rights, questions |
| Behavioural screen | Learning, teamwork, judgement, resilience | Two specific examples with decisions and outcomes |
| Trading technical | Probability, expected value, market making, reasoning aloud | Conversational problem solving, not another silent speed run |
| Research technical | Statistics, modelling, coding, previous research | Defend assumptions and limitations in your work |
| Developer technical | Coding, algorithms, systems, debugging | Code in the permitted language and explain trade-offs |
| Second assessment | A different skill or deeper version of the first screen | Follow the new instructions; do not assume identical rules |
What official process descriptions say
IMC's published early-career example is unusually specific: after the assessment and minimum-criteria review, a campus recruiter sets up an initial behavioural interview by phone or Zoom. A first technical interview and final assessment day follow for candidates who continue.
Jane Street describes phone interviews at the start of its trading process and in-person interviews at the final stage. Its phone calls are not merely recruiter screens; quantitative traders conduct them. So “phone interview” does not tell you whether the content is behavioural or technical.
How long should you expect to wait?
There is no responsible universal estimate. Optiver's current Europe recruitment FAQ says it aims to contact candidates within seven working days. Other firms publish no equivalent window. Recent 2026 reports include an Optiver trading applicant who described a two-day wait and a SIG trading applicant who described about three and a half weeks. Neither account establishes a typical timeline or confirms region.
Silence is ambiguous. Your application might still be under review, or the team may be arranging interviews. Keep preparing and applying while you wait rather than treating the delay as a decision.
When and how to follow up
- If the invitation names a response window, wait until it passes.
- Without one, a single note after roughly seven to ten business days is reasonable.
- Reply in the existing recruiting thread so the role and assessment remain attached.
- Do not send repeated status requests. Continue applying elsewhere.
Hi [name], I completed the [role] assessment on [date] and wanted to confirm my continued interest. Is there an updated timeline for next steps? Thank you, [name].
Stop preparing for the test you just finished
The OA rewarded fast individual execution. The next interview often rewards visible reasoning. Practise stating the problem in your own words, naming an assumption, choosing an approach, and checking the result. Silence followed by a number hides most of what an interviewer is trying to evaluate.
For a recruiter or behavioural call, use the quant phone and Zoom guide. For technical preparation, work through the quant interview question map and role-specific firm skill comparison.
A useful 48-hour plan
Hour 1: preserve what you learned
Write down the sections, pacing, and where you lost time without reproducing protected questions. Note the skills, not the wording. This gives you a clean diagnostic if another firm uses a similar screen.
Hours 2–4: research the role and interviewer
Re-read the job description and the firm's own interview guidance. If the invite names the interviewer, use their role to estimate whether the meeting is recruiting, trading, research, or engineering. Do not turn that into personal research beyond professional context.
Day 1: prepare evidence
- Why this role rather than “quant” in general?
- Why this firm based on its work, not its compensation?
- When did you change your mind after receiving new evidence?
- Which project can you explain from goal through limitation?
Day 2: run one conversational mock
Ask a friend to interrupt, change an assumption, and question your result. The goal is recovery, not a perfect transcript.
What not to infer
- “They replied in two days, so my two-week wait is a rejection.” Different queues move differently.
- “I passed, so the resume no longer matters.” Firms can review the full application again.
- “Recruiter call means no technical questions.” Confirm the agenda rather than relying on the label.
- “I should pause other applications.” A next round is progress, not an offer.
- “The next assessment uses the same rules.” Read every new invitation from the beginning.
US and UK/EU differences
Terminology changes more reliably than substance. US candidates may hear “Superday” or “onsite”; UK and European processes more often use “assessment day” or “final round.” Visa and right-to-work checks can appear at different points. The recruiter's instructions control, particularly for travel and reasonable adjustments.
Sources and evidence
- Official: IMC, how to prepare for an interview, checked 29 October 2026.
- Official: Jane Street trading interviews, checked 29 October 2026.
- Official: Optiver Europe recruitment FAQ, checked 29 October 2026.
- Candidate report, SIG QT 2027, region unspecified: OA-to-interview timeline discussion, 2026.
- Candidate discussion, IMC QT, cycle and region unspecified: post-OA response discussion, 2026.
- Candidate report, Optiver QT 2027, region unspecified: OA-to-technical discussion, 2026.
Revision history
29 October 2026: First publication. 6 November 2026: Reviewed candidate discussions and clarified what the individual reports establish.
Frequently asked questions
What happens after you pass a quant OA?
The next step is commonly a recruiter or behavioural call, a technical phone or Zoom interview, or another assessment. The exact sequence depends on the firm, role, office, and recruiting cycle. The invitation should identify the interviewer or purpose; ask the recruiter if it does not.
How long does it take to hear back after a quant OA?
There is no reliable industry-wide number. Individual candidates report waits ranging from days to weeks, but their accounts do not establish a typical timeline. Use a firm-published response window when one exists and otherwise follow up once after a reasonable business-week interval.
Does no response after an OA mean rejection?
No. It can mean rejection, batched review, interviewer scheduling, a hiring pause, or nothing more than a slow process. Keep applying and preparing until you receive a decision rather than trying to decode silence.
Should you email a recruiter after a quant OA?
Yes, once, if the stated response window has passed or roughly seven to ten business days have elapsed without guidance. Keep it short: name the role, give the completion date, confirm continued interest, and ask whether there is an updated timeline.
What should you study after a quant OA?
Prepare for the likely next interviewer rather than retaking the same screen. For a recruiter call, prepare motivation, role fit, and logistics. For a trading technical, practise probability, expected value, market making, and thinking aloud. For research or development, add statistics, coding, and discussion of your previous work.