Applying to Akuna Capital's trading program in Chicago for 2028? For 2027 it runs as one-week Trading Sneak Peek Weeks rather than a summer internship. Check your resume below, then read when it opens, what the form asks and the timed tests that follow.
Key facts
- When it opens: For 2027, the trading expression of interest went up on Jul 19, 2026 and the quant and tech summer internships on Jul 13, 2026, so expect the 2028 trading programs around mid-July 2027.1,3,16
- The program: For 2027, Akuna runs several one-week Trading Sneak Peek Weeks at its Chicago headquarters in place of a traditional summer trading internship: options classes with trader trainers, trading games and simulations, and time shadowing the trading desks.1,4
- Who it is for: For the 2027 weeks, students graduating between December 2027 and August 2028 in engineering, economics, statistics, math, computer science, actuarial science or a related field, able to attend in Chicago and authorized to work in the US on day one (F-1 students on OPT or STEM OPT included).1
- GPA: Every Akuna form asks for your GPA. The quant intern posting sets 3.5 or above, and the Junior Trader posting a major GPA of 3.5 or above.1,2,3
- Documents: A resume in PDF (the form makes you confirm the format) and short questions. The form has no cover letter or transcript field.1
- Pay and perks: Akuna provides transportation and accommodation for Sneak Peek Weeks. Its 10-week quant research internship lists a minimum annualized base of $145,000, and full-time Junior Traders start from $145,000 base.1,2,3
- Next step: In the 2026 cycle, Chicago trading applicants sat timed online tests without a calculator: mental math first, sometimes with number sequences, then a probability test asked as fair bets. For the 2027 cycle, sequences and probability bets ran on one clock with no mental math section.6,8,9,10,12
Akuna Capital programs on the tracker
Live from the Intervyo tracker, so the dates update as Akuna Capital posts them.
- 2028 Summer Analyst Program
- Dates not announced yet
- 2028 Full-Time Analyst Program
- Opens Jul 13
- 2028 Sophomore Insight Program
- Dates not announced yet
Akuna's free online Options 101 course covers open outcry, electronic trading and option greeks, and the trading form asks whether you completed it.1,5
Check your resume before you apply
Check your resume
Read against the Trader Intern role at Akuna Capital, Trading, the way the first screen reads it.
- A score and a verdict
- An ATS check
- Your lines rewritten
What the Akuna Capital online application looks like
Find the posting
Akuna posts its internships and Sneak Peek Weeks on its careers site, all in Chicago. For 2027 the trading program went up on Jul 19, 2026 as an expression of interest for Trading Sneak Peek Weeks: you join a list and hear when the weeks go live. The quant and tech summer internships went up on Jul 13, 2026.1,3,4,16
Fill in the form
Upload a PDF resume, then answer the required questions: legal and preferred name, university, education level, graduation month and year, whether you will be a full-time student at the program start, GPA, high school graduation date, earlier applications to Akuna, how you heard about the role, any offer deadlines, any options market making experience, work authorization and sponsorship, and how to say your name. LinkedIn and the Options 101 question are optional.1
Take Options 101 first
Akuna's free online Options 101 course introduces open outcry, electronic trading and option greeks. The form asks whether you completed it, so finish it before you apply.1,5
Choose your roles with care
A quant or tech internship application counts as your top choice for those roles that season, but it does not stop you applying to trading roles. A full-time Junior Trader application counts as your one full-time trading choice in the same way.2,3
After you submit
Watch your email for timed online tests. In the 2026 cycle they ran mental math, sometimes with number sequences, then a probability test; for the 2027 cycle, sequences and probability bets on one clock. Applicants who pass have gone on to a short trading game recorded on camera, then interviews with a trader and a recruiter.6,8,9,11,12
What the form asks
- Resume Required
- A PDF resume; you confirm the format before you submit.
- Education Required
- University, education level, graduation month and year, full-time student status at the program start, GPA and high school graduation date.
- Background Required
- Earlier applications to Akuna, how you heard about the role, any offer deadlines and any options market making experience.
- Work authorization Required
- Whether you are authorized to work in the US and whether you need sponsorship now or later.
- Options 101 and LinkedIn Optional
- Whether you completed Akuna's free Options 101 course, and your LinkedIn profile.
Read from the 2027 Trading Sneak Peek Weeks form; the quant and Junior Trader forms add a top-preference acknowledgment. Check each field when you open the live form.1,2,3
Akuna Capital trading resume checklist
- One page, saved as a PDF.
- Graduation month and year and GPA in the top lines.
- Math, statistics or computer science coursework.
- Competitions, research or projects with a number in the result.
- Options 101, trading games or markets you follow, if they are real.
- Programming languages you could use in an interview.
- Nothing you could not explain quickly to a trader.
What to put on it
Akuna wants strong math, numerical and quantitative skills and a real interest in trading and financial markets, and its quant postings say no finance experience is needed. Use the usual student order of Education, then experience and projects, then skills, activities and interests. The examples below are Intervyo rewrites of common resume lines, not questions from the form.1,3,14
- Education: School, degree, major, graduation month and year, GPA, and math, statistics or computer science coursework.
- Quantitative work: Projects, research or competitions that show fast, accurate math and clear results.
- Trading interest: Options 101, trading games, markets you follow, and games of chance or strategy you play seriously.
- Skills: Programming languages you really use, and anything you could explain to a trader in a minute.
Example questions and how to answer them
Education line"Rewrite this education line: "UIUC, Math and Stats, 3.8""1,14
- 1University and location on the first line.
- 2Degree and majors, with the graduation month and year.
- 3GPA to two decimals with the scale.
- 4A line of relevant coursework: probability, statistics, algorithms.
Tip: Akuna asks for your graduation month and year and your GPA on the form, so make both easy to find on the page too.
Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics, expected May 2029. GPA: 3.82/4.00 Relevant coursework: Probability Theory, Statistical Inference, Stochastic Processes, Data Structures
Trading interest"Rewrite this activity: "Investment club; play poker.""15,1,5
- 1Turn the club into a role or a result.
- 2Name the course or game that shows you understand risk.
- 3Keep games you play seriously, and be ready to talk about strategy.
Tip: Poker and games of chance can help a trading resume, as long as they do not take over the page. Listing Akuna's Options 101 course shows interest it asks about on the form.
Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)
Options and Derivatives Club, vice president (40 members): run a weekly market-making game with dice and cards. Completed Akuna Capital's Options 101 course (2027). Interests: no-limit hold'em (tracked results over 2 years), bridge.
Project bullet"Rewrite this project line: "Built a betting model in Python.""14,3
- 1Say the question you set out to answer.
- 2Name the data and the method.
- 3Give the result in numbers.
- 4End with what you would test next.
Tip: Show statistics and data analysis in Python with a number in the result: Python is the skill quant postings ask for most.
Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)
Tested whether closing betting lines beat opening lines on 4 seasons of NBA games in Python; a logistic model on line moves picked the closer line 58% of the time against 50% by chance, but the edge vanished after fees, which I now model directly.
Offer deadlines"Answer the form: "Do you have any offer deadlines that we should be aware of?""1
- 1Answer yes if any offer has a date on it, even an informal one.
- 2Name the firm and the date in the follow-up box.
- 3Update your recruiter if a new deadline comes in later.
Tip: The question is required on every Akuna form, with a box for the company and the date.
Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)
Written by Intervyo as an example. Yes. A summer 2028 trading internship offer from another Chicago firm, with a decision due Oct 15, 2027.
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How long to hear back after the online application
Akuna's postings give no reply time. The first test has come within about a week of applying, and the recorded game within days of the tests.10,11
Feb 2025 (summer 2025)
Trader intern, Chicago
Heard back within a week with a test of mental math and number sequences; two days after it, a recorded video while playing a trading game.11
Jul 2025 (2026 cycle)
Junior Trader, Chicago
A math test the week after applying: about 70 timed mental math questions with no calculator, then quick-decision scenarios.10
Aug 2025 (2026 cycle)
Quantitative Trader, Chicago
Two online tests, mental math then probability, then a Zoom with a trader: why Akuna and why trading, then 5 or 6 probability and game questions.9
Nov 2025 (2026 cycle)
Junior trader, Chicago
An 80-question mental math test, then a probability test of expected-value questions.8
Feb 2026 (2026 cycle)
Junior Trader, Chicago
Mental math and sequences, then probability asked as fair bets, then a market-making game on camera with a behavioral question at the end; 2 to 3 months in all.6
Aug 2026 (2027 cycle)
Junior Trader
30 sequences then 30 probability bets on one 28-minute clock, with no mental math section, then a letter-grid betting game with a short video.12
Top performers in Akuna's one-week Options 201 course, which has its own application and a quiz each day, have been fast-tracked to the final rounds.6,7,12
Best guessExpect the first test link within a week of applying, and allow one to three months from application to offer.
What happens after the online application
Online applicationYou are here
This page. A PDF resume and a short form; no cover letter.1
Online tests (math and probability)
Timed tests without a calculator. In the 2026 cycle, mental math, sometimes with number sequences, then a probability test asked as fair bets; for the 2027 cycle, sequences and probability bets on one 28-minute clock.6,7,8,9,10,12
Recorded trading game
A short market-making or betting game played on camera, with a behavioral question at the end.6,11,13
Trader and recruiter interviews
A Zoom with a trader: why Akuna and why trading, then probability and game questions, such as how much you would risk to win $100 on a roll of two dice. A recruiter or HR call on your motivation comes before or after it.9,7,12
Final round
In the 2027 cycle, an in-person superday of interviews with traders and market making games. In Jan 2026 (2026 cycle), one Chicago final was a single one-hour interview with a trader.12
Offer
Recent Chicago processes ran from under a month to two or three months from application to a decision.6,7,8,9,10
2028 summer analyst status
For 2027 the trading expression of interest went up on Jul 19, 2026, so expect the 2028 programs around mid-July 2027 and apply in the first weeks.1
FAQ
When does the Akuna Capital 2028 trading internship open?
Going by the last cycle, around mid-July 2027: the 2027 Trading Sneak Peek Weeks expression of interest went up on Jul 19, 2026, and the quant and tech summer internships on Jul 13, 2026.1,3
Does Akuna still run a summer trading internship?
For 2027, no: Akuna hosts several one-week Trading Sneak Peek Weeks at its Chicago headquarters instead, with options classes, trading games and desk shadowing, and covers travel and housing. Its quant and tech internships still run for 10 weeks.1,3,4,16
Does Akuna need a cover letter?
No. The form asks for a resume, which must be a PDF, and short questions; it has no cover letter field.1
What GPA does Akuna want?
The form asks for your GPA. The quant intern posting sets 3.5 or above and the Junior Trader posting a major GPA of 3.5 or above, so expect the same bar on the trading route.1,2,3
What tests come after you apply to Akuna?
Timed online tests without a calculator. In the 2026 cycle: mental math first, sometimes with number sequences, then a probability test asked as fair bets. For the 2027 cycle, sequences and probability bets ran on one clock with no mental math section. A short trading game recorded on camera has followed.6,8,9,10,11,12
Online application at other firms
Sources
Firm pages first, then dated candidate reports. Last checked Nov 12, 2026.
- 1Akuna Capital (Greenhouse job board): Expression of Interest: 2027 Trading Sneak Peek Weeks, posting and application form (first published Jul 19, 2026)
- 2Akuna Capital (Greenhouse job board): Junior Trader (Chicago), posting and application form
- 3Akuna Capital (Greenhouse job board): Quantitative Research Intern, Summer 2027 (Chicago), posting and application form (first published Jul 13, 2026)
- 4Akuna Capital: Internships
- 5Akuna Capital: Options 101
- 6Candidate report on a public forum: Junior Trader interview, Chicago (Feb 2026)
- 7Candidate report on a public forum: Junior Trader interview, Chicago (Apr 2026)
- 8Candidate report on a public forum: Junior trader interview, Chicago (Nov 2025)
- 9Candidate report on a public forum: Quantitative Trader interview, Chicago (Aug 2025)
- 10Candidate report on a public forum: Junior Trader interview, Chicago (Jul 2025)
- 11Candidate report on a public forum: Trader intern interview, Chicago (Feb 2025)
- 12Trading Interview: Akuna Capital Interview Process 2027: OA, Canditech, Junior Trader (updated Nov 5, 2026) · prep site
- 13QuantVault: Akuna Capital Online Assessment: Format, Questions & Free Practice · prep site
- 14OpenQuant: Writing the Perfect Quant Resume · prep site
- 15Mergers & Inquisitions: Sales & Trading Resume Template · prep site
- 16Akuna Capital (Greenhouse job board): Platform Engineer Intern, Summer 2027 (Chicago), posting (first published Jul 13, 2026)
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