The graduate TRADER Options & Futures Course is the best way for you to stand out from other candidates when it comes to the interview process. Over eight modules, this course will teach you the foundations of Market-Making to give you a strong basis of knowledge to ace your Trader interview and help you thrive in your trading career.

This course features tons of real-life market examples and guidance, written by a professional Trader and Recruiter. We’ll cover the methods and strategies used by Traders and Investors in various scenarios to help you understand how to truly “Think Like a Trader”. There are also regular questions and quizzes throughout each module to test your knowledge and develop your learning.

On top of all this, the graduate TRADER Options & Futures course is a fantastic piece to feature on your resume/CV and can help get you through the interview process. It will show potential Recruiters that you have a genuine interest in Trading – one of the most important aspects to prove in the recruitment process!

How is the Course Taught?

This course is entirely online and is delivered to you immediately after it is purchased.

The course is taught over eight modules. Each module should take around 2-3 hours, including the questions and assignments.

At the end of each module, there is a quiz of 10 questions to test your learning.

Course Content

This course is made up of eight modules. These are:

1. Introduction – FREE

Sign in to your account and receive a free taster of the quality of the teaching content and the structure of the course. We start by learning what options are and why they are used. After the brief introduction, there is a small quiz to test your understanding of what we have just learnt.

2. Basics

In the second module, we delve deeper into the options world and learn about the different types of options – call and puts. After this, we look at forwards and futures comparing and contrasting the two types of derivatives. 

3. Option Pricing

We look at the mathematical models that Traders use to calculate the price of options and understand the pricing model’s limitations. 

4. Common Option Strategies and Payoff Diagrams

This module focuses on different ways that call and put options can be “grouped” together to make different option strategies. Throughout the module, we’ll look at each strategy’s trade intention, construct payoff diagrams, calculate break-even points, and use real market examples to ensure a sound understanding of each of the strategies.  

5. Advanced Option Strategies and Payoff Diagrams

Similarly to Module 4, we continue to learn about options strategies; however, we focus on more advanced and less common methods used by market participants this time. Again, we’ll look at each strategy’s trade intention, construct payoff diagrams, calculate break-even points, and use real market examples to ensure a sound understanding of each of the strategies. Knowing these advanced option strategies will prove that you have gone above and beyond in learning about Trading.

6. Option Greeks

In Module 5, we look at the five essential option Greeks commonly used in the Trading world: delta, gamma, vega, theta and rho. Traders use Greeks to understand where their risk lies in their underlying option position and how these risks will change over time.

7. Volatility

In this module, we learn about one of the most important concepts of options trading, volatility. We learn the difference between implied and realised volatility and the methods used to calculate them. Finally, we learn how to Market-Makers trade implied volatility on a day-to-day basis.

8. Put-Call Parity

Last but not least, we look at Put-Call Parity, one of the most important formulas that keeps efficiency within the option market. We look at how Traders use the Put-Call Parity to make quick trading decisions, when this formula breaks down and how to capitalise on arbitrage opportunities in the market.

Course Entry Requirements

Although this course is available to anyone to take, we would recommend participants having the following prerequisites before starting this course:

• An undergraduate degree
• Interest in Trading and the financial markets
• Numerate and comfortable with mathematical equations

It’s important to note that this course is not to be used as a ‘get rich quick’ scheme. The knowledge taught over this course is intended to help you achieve a job and career in a market-making profession.

Course Features

• 8 modules written and designed by an experienced Trader and Recruiter.
• 8 timed quizzes featuring 10 questions at the end of each module with worked solutions.
• Over 50 real-life market examples demonstrating trading strategies with fully worked-out solutions and explanations.
• Online test timed to simulate the real experience

graduate TRADER tests and quizzes are suitable for preparing for these assessments but we are not affiliated with any third-party organisation.

Full Course Syllabus

1. Introduction – FREE

1.1. Welcome to the Options & Futures Course

1.2. Introduction Learning Objectives

1.3. Options

1.4. Introduction Quiz

2. Basics

2.1. Basics Learning Objectives

2.2. Call Options

2.3. Put Options

2.4. Forwards and Futures

2.5. Contract Specifications

2.6. Basics Summary

2.7. Basics Quiz

3. Option Pricing

3.1. Option Pricing Learning Objectives

3.2. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Value

3.3. Black Scholes Model (BSM)

3.4. Binomial Option Pricing Model

3.5. Option Pricing Summary

3.6. Option Pricing Quiz

4. Common Option Strategies and Payoff Diagrams

4.1. Common Option Strategies Learning Objectives

4.2. Call Spread

4.3. Put Spread

4.4. Butterfly

4.5. Condor

4.6. Straddle

4.7. Strangle

4.8. Risk Reversal

4.9. Common Option Strategies Summary

4.10. Common Option Strategies Quiz

5. Advanced Option Strategies and Payoff Diagrams

5.1. Advanced Option Strategies Learning Objectives

5.2. Ladder/Tree

5.3. Ratio Spreads

5.4. Short Iron Condor

5.5. Short Iron Butterfly

5.6. Conversion

5.7. Box Spread

5.8. Advanced Option Strategies Summary

5.9. Advanced Option Strategies Quiz

6. Option Greeks

6.1. Option Greeks Learning Objectives

6.2. Delta

6.3. Gamma

6.4. Vega

6.5. Theta

6.6. Rho

6.7. Greeks Questions

6.8. Option Greeks Summary

6.9. Option Greeks Quiz

7. Volatility

7.1. Volatility Learning Objectives

7.2. Mean, Variance and Standard Deviation

7.3. Realised/Historical Volatility

7.4. Implied Volatility

7.5. Skew

7.6. Volatility Summary

7.7. Volatility Quiz

8. Put-Call Parity – COMING SOON