Interview Prep Curriculum

Mental Arithmetic Foundations

Build the core speed arithmetic needed for prop firm tests

• Multiplication shortcuts (×5, ×25, ×125, near-100s)
• Division tricks and divisibility checks
• 3-digit × 2-digit calculations in under 5 seconds
• Percentage calculations without a calculator

Order-of-Magnitude & Fermi Estimation

Develop the estimation instincts that separate good traders from great ones

• Powers of 10 and when to use them
• Chain multiplication from reference anchors
• Sanity checks from multiple angles
• When to estimate vs. compute exactly

Probability & Expected Value

The core of every trading decision

• Basic probability rules (independence, conditional)
• Expected value calculations
• Combinatorics and counting
• Common distributions (binomial, normal) by feel

Markets & Price Intuition

Build the market mental model interviewers expect you to have

• Market capitalization of major companies
• Index levels and compositions
• Rate and yield intuition
• Volume and liquidity order of magnitude

Finance & Valuation

The numbers behind the assets you'll trade

• P/E, P/S, EV/EBITDA — what they imply
• Options Greeks: delta, gamma, vega, theta intuition
• Discounted cash flow in your head
• Options pricing order of magnitude

Speed & Full Simulation

Put it together under interview-style time pressure

• 60-second blitz sprints (target: 12+ correct/minute)
• Mixed-category random practice
• Weak-spot targeted drilling
• Calibration: trust your instincts at the right confidence level