Lightweight C++ Quiz for Quant Interviews – Looking for Feedback

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9/24/25
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Hi everyone,

While preparing for quant interviews myself, I noticed that most resources either go very deep (MOOCs, textbooks) or very broad (LeetCode-style).
I wanted something shorter and more focused, so I built a small side project: 15 C++ interview-style questions (easy → hard)

Each question comes with a 3-layer explanation:
- Code behavior (what runs, what prints)
- Memory model (stack/heap, references, etc.)
- Quant finance perspective (why this matters in an interview setting)

Each session takes about 3 minutes — meant for quick daily practice rather than long study sessions.

I previously worked as a quant developer (C++ focus) in a major investment bank, and I built this tool after seeing how challenging interview prep can be for candidates.
I’d love to get some honest feedback from people who are also prepping interviews before I expand the question set.

If this sounds interesting, I can share the beta link with a few volunteers.
(Or if you prefer, I can post a couple of sample questions here so you can see the format first.)

Thanks in advance — any comments or suggestions are very welcome!
 
Thanks for the suggestion — here are two sample questions from the beta, to give a sense of the style:

Sample Question 1 [easy]

int x = 5;
int y = x;
y++;
std::cout << x;

What does this program print?
A) 5​
B) 6​
C) Compilation error​
D) Undefined behavior​

Answer: A) 5

Explanation:
- Code behavior: y is a copy of x. Incrementing y does not change x.​
- Memory model: Two separate stack variables (x=5, y=6).​
- Interview relevance: Interviewers use this to check if you really understand how copying vs referencing affects data — a mistake here can change results silently.​

_____________________________________

Sample Question 2 [medium]

#include<memory>
int main(){
std::unique_ptr<int> p1(new int(5));
std::unique_ptr<int> p2 = p1;
}

What happens here?
A) None​
B) Compilation error​
C) Memory leak​
D) Undefined behavior​

Answer: B) Compilation error

Explanation:
- Code behavior: std::unique_ptr enforces exclusive ownership and cannot be copied.​
- Memory model: Attempting to bind p2 to the same resource as p1 is disallowed at compile time.​
- Interview relevance: In quant code, std::unique_ptr often manages large or complex resources (e.g. payoff objects, model configurations). Copying would risk double ownership, so interviewers test it to see if candidates understand safe resource transfer.​

_____________________________________

Happy to share a couple more if useful — and if anyone wants to try the full 15-question set, I can provide the beta link privately.
 
Questions to challenge the developer's intelligence beyond the somewhat 1d syntax questions.
That’s a great point, thanks Daniel!

The current MVP focuses on short C++ output-prediction questions because they are common in screening tests.

But the roadmap is indeed to move beyond “syntax traps” into deeper areas:
- memory management & RAII,
- object-oriented design pitfalls,
- performance trade-offs,
- template/concurrency gotchas.

The goal is to train both reflexes and higher-level reasoning, in a format that’s quick to practice.

Feedback like yours helps me sharpen the direction — thanks again!

Out of curiosity — what type of “intelligence-challenging” questions do you think would add the most value?
 
education.webp


A layered approach.
 
That’s a great point, thanks Daniel!

The current MVP focuses on short C++ output-prediction questions because they are common in screening tests.

But the roadmap is indeed to move beyond “syntax traps” into deeper areas:
- memory management & RAII,
- object-oriented design pitfalls,
- performance trade-offs,
- template/concurrency gotchas.

The goal is to train both reflexes and higher-level reasoning, in a format that’s quick to practice.

Feedback like yours helps me sharpen the direction — thanks again!

Out of curiosity — what type of “intelligence-challenging” questions do you think would add the most value?
See this .. all in there
 
The best way to learn C++ is to program an application until it works. Then those cute multiple choices fade into the background.
 
The best way to learn C++ is to program an application until it works. Then those cute multiple choices fade into the background.
I totally agree — nothing replaces the experience of building and debugging a real application.

The quiz format is not meant as a substitute, but rather as a complement:
a quick way to train reflexes for screening tests and review core concepts under time pressure.
 
Thanks Paul, glad you find it useful!

Out of curiosity — is there a particular type of C++ question you’d like me to add (e.g. memory management, templates, STL)?
I'd focus on just the basics, almost C like. Class big 4 constructors, questions about shallow vs deep copy and implement it for a dummy example. Things like that.
 
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