PRACTICE GUIDE AKUNA CAPITAL
Akuna Capital Grid Game Practice Test
The grid game combines reading positions with pricing bets. In Outcry’s model, 26 letters occupy a 13-row, two-column table. A winning row W is drawn uniformly. A plus leg on row r pays r − W; a minus leg pays W − r. Read the rule supplied in your own invitation before using this model.
Candidates report betting and grid exercises during Akuna recruiting, but Akuna does not publish an exact grid specification. The 18-item mock, its clocks and the signed row-payoff rule here are Outcry practice settings. This guide is not a claim that the firm runs a particular spatial-memory or rotation test.
Outcry is not affiliated with Akuna Capital and has no access to their assessment content. This guide describes an assessment format that candidates report publicly; the questions here are generated by Outcry and are not Akuna Capital’s own.
What it screens
A Chicago options market maker with a strong C++ and derivatives-pricing focus.
- ✓Row-column encoding and chunking
- ✓Signed payoff arithmetic
- ✓Expected value and cancellation
- ✓Speed, accuracy and position sizing
Where it sits at Akuna Capital
Use the examples to learn the pricing method before starting Grid Raider or the written mock below. Both practise row lookup and signed payoffs; the mock keeps its board visible and uses hidden cells for partial-information reasoning rather than a disappearing-board recall test.
The format
These are general practice ranges, not a verified current assessment specification for Akuna Capital. Check the employer’s invitation for the actual format.
| Questions | 18 (Outcry mock) |
|---|---|
| Time | 18 minutes |
| Negative marking | No |
| Answer style | Numeric and multiple-choice practice |
| Where it sits | Preparation topics · employer round unconfirmed |
What it tests, with a worked example
Every example below is generated by Outcry, drawn from the same question generators the timed drills run. None of them is Akuna Capital’s.
Read the board and the score rule
Encode each letter as a row and column, then apply the sign. Order and position matter more than the alphabet.
Example
A plus leg pays row − W. A minus leg pays W − row.
G sits in row 7. If row 9 wins, what does G− pay?
Answer 2
For a minus leg, subtract the letter’s row from the winning row: 9 − 7 = 2. Do not use the plus-leg formula.
Chunking and coordinate encoding
Learn small row blocks instead of isolated cells. In a wider memory grid, group 2×2 or 3×3 shapes; for this two-column board, encode adjacent row pairs or a short row-column bitmask.
Example
Rows 3 and 4 are [C, R] and [J, T]. Encode T and its row partner.
Answer T = (row 4, right); partner J
Keep the row pair [J, T] together. Remembering T only as “near the bottom” loses the exact row needed for pricing.
Anchor-and-delta tracking
After a fresh board or stated transformation, recheck an anchor and apply only the specified changes. A shift or rotation is an optional memory exercise, not an asserted Akuna rule.
Example
In a separate coordinate exercise, a marked cell is at (row 2, column 3). Every marked cell shifts down one row without wrapping. Where is it now?
Answer (row 3, column 3)
Add the delta (+1, 0). A changed board must be re-read; do not assume old letter locations survive a shuffle.
Expected value of a single letter
For a uniform winning row from 1 to 13, E[W] = 7. Price a plus leg as r − 7 and a minus leg as 7 − r.
Example
A letter sits in row 10. Its plus leg is offered for $2. What is expected profit per unit?
Answer $1
Expected payout is 10 − 7 = $3. Subtract the $2 purchase price: expected profit $1. This is a positive expectation, not a guaranteed $1 outcome.
Cancel the common uncertainty
A plus leg and a minus leg can cancel W. Compare the exact net payoff with the executable purchase price.
Example
G sits in row 7 and L in row 12. What does (G−, L+) pay?
Answer 5 for every winning row
(W − 7) + (12 − W) = 5. The winning row cancels, so this paired payoff has no row-draw variance under the stated model.
Speed, accuracy and risk
Check signs and certainty before sizing. Under a stated +1/−1 scoring rule, attempt only when confidence exceeds 1/2; use the actual rule if it differs. Grid Raider’s lives and the mock’s marks are different systems.
Example
In a hypothetical +1 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skip test, you are 70% confident. What is expected score if you answer?
Answer 0.4 marks
0.7 × 1 + 0.3 × (−1) = 0.4. This calculation concerns marks, not the trading payoff. For trading size, also consider loss limits and how uncertain the payoff is.
What a good score looks like
No current employer cutoff is verified for these general practice ranges. Use the worked examples to identify what to study and check your role-specific invitation for the actual assessment rules.
How to train for it
- 01Read a small row block, hide it yourself and reconstruct exact row-column pairs. Recheck the board after every shuffle.
- 02Compute single-letter EV, then paired payoffs. Separate expected payout, purchase price, net profit and risk.
- 03Use Grid Raider for repeated drills and the mock for a timed sitting. Review sign errors, stale row locations and unsupported assumptions separately.
TRAIN IT HERE
The drills that match each section
Grid Raider
Practise shuffled letter rows, signed bets and expected values.
Akuna Grid Game mock
18 generated items across open boards, hidden information and sizing.
SIT THE FULL BATTERY
All the sections back to back on one clock, marked the way the real screen marks them, with a by-skill breakdown at the end. Included with any pass.
Also reported at Akuna Capital
Common questions
- Is this Akuna’s exact game?
- No. The exercise is Outcry’s model for practising candidate-reported trading-game skills. Check your invitation and the on-screen rules for the real format.
- What does the plus or minus sign mean?
- In the linked practice model, plus pays the letter’s row minus the winning row; minus reverses that difference.
- Do I need to memorize a disappearing grid?
- The written mock keeps the board visible. You can practise recall by hiding small blocks yourself, but this guide does not assert a universal firm memory-test format.
- Where can I practise?
- Launch Grid Raider or the Akuna Grid Game mock from the existing practice cards below. The mock has 18 generated items in three sections on an 18-minute total budget.
Hiring now: current Akuna Capital quant openings, refreshed daily.