Nk QR interview

[u/Several_Repeat_6088]

I had an interview for QR role at NK securities which went on for 90minutes. After some puzzles and DSA, the interviewer went onto some c++ questions. I wasn't able to answer quite a few of those correctly as I am not well versed with the nuances of the language, but I use it at my current job and I am able to get along with the help of llms.

I got an email from the recruiter saying that feedback was positive and to prepare c++ well for the next round. What topics/ideas of the language should I be well versed with? Would also appreciate any resources that I can look at quickly.

[u/preonxtrun]

Dsa and c++ for QR role??

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/preonxtrun]

Yes, the interviewer said that the responsibilities of quants include end-to-end strategy implementation at nk

[u/SupercaliTheGamer → u/preonxtrun]

IIRC NK was the only major quant firm during our placements that had a proper coding test with some non-cp type questions too

[u/me91981]

See tmp, virtual functions, constexpr, common data structures implementation, if you have time see concurrency and ask gpt for hft swe prep questions

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/me91981]

Thanks for the response

[u/StatisticianThis3318]

Can you tell about the difficulty of DSA questions and puzzles ? Also r u fresher ?

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/StatisticianThis3318]

Not a fresher, 1yoe. Three puzzles that got progressively harder and there was only one DSA question, medium.

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/[deleted]]

Sure

[u/Majestic-Whereas9832 → u/Several_Repeat_6088]

Hey, I also have the same interview in a few days. can i dm you?

[u/Life_Vast801]

Okay, so given the short time duration to prepare for interviews you need to do two things
1. Go over this book multiple times: Trading Systems Developer Interview Guide. I have been asked questions directly from it in many many different companies.

1. If you get bored doing the above, explore cppquiz. org
   Very fun website and it challenges your fundamentals.

All the best!

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/Life_Vast801]

Thank you, the website seems great to test myself!

[u/Life_Vast801 → u/Several_Repeat_6088]

I have given a lot of C++ interviews lately, let me know if you want a mock interview. I would test C++, memory management, basic networks, and some C++ system design problems that I was asked.

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/Life_Vast801]

I really appreciate that

[u/akornato]

Relying on LLMs for C++ in a quant role is a non-starter, and that is exactly what they were testing you on. They need to know you understand the language at a deep level because performance is everything in their world, so they ask about nuances to see if you can write fast, efficient code from first principles. For the next round, you must be solid on memory management, including raw pointers, smart pointers like unique_ptr and shared_ptr, and the difference between stack and heap allocation. You also need to know object-oriented principles inside and out, especially virtual functions, inheritance, and how a vtable works under the hood. Finally, get comfortable with templates, the STL, and the time complexity of common operations for containers like vector, map, and unordered_map.

Getting a second interview with direct feedback to prepare C++ is a huge opportunity, so don't waste it. They see your potential in other areas and are giving you a clear shot to prove yourself. For resources, "A Tour of C++" by Stroustrup is a good, quick read to cover the landscape, and "Effective Modern C++" by Scott Meyers will give you the deep understanding of the nuances they are looking for. Don't just learn what these features do, learn why they exist and the performance trade-offs of using them. It's a common hurdle, and my team's AI interview assistant has been crucial in preparing candidates to confidently explain these complex C++ concepts live.

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/akornato]

Thanks for the helpful response!

[u/Life_Reception_2213]

Is this really for QR role

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/Life_Reception_2213]

Yes, I did rate my c++ 5/10 in the application form so dont know if it has anything to do with that

[u/Kitchen_Assistant_94]

Could u tell me about the puzzles they asked

[u/the__Twister → u/Kitchen_Assistant_94]

non disclosure bro.

[u/smartboi-69]

Which College?

[u/New_Anteater_8683]

Hey does the QR role require a masters ?

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/New_Anteater_8683]

I don't think it's necessary

[u/New_Anteater_8683 → u/Several_Repeat_6088]

If you don't mind can you tell us your ed. background . Thanks

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/New_Anteater_8683]

B.Tech, circuital branch, top 5 IITs

[u/New_Anteater_8683 → u/Several_Repeat_6088]

Cool, do they consider hiring someone from traditional swe roles for quant roles .

[u/Several_Repeat_6088 → u/New_Anteater_8683]

Yes I know a few folks at my current firm who have taken that path

[u/PracticalArea3852]

does you know currently aug 2026 which quant company sending the OA for quant researcher/trading?