Derivatives trading simulator for students

A derivatives simulation that moves from payoff diagrams to managed positions.

Let students use an options and futures course simulator to make contract, structure, size, hedge, and lifecycle decisions—then evaluate how those choices behave through changing markets and time.

Create FREE instructor account Pricing & class setup
  • Options + futures workflows
  • Structured strategy logic
  • Virtual and historical testing
Derivative lab · scenario
ObjectiveHedge, income, directional, or volatility view
WHY
StructureLegs, contract rules, expiry, and strike
WHAT
Risk policySizing, exits, and lifecycle decisions
LIMIT
EvaluationScenario, backtest, and virtual observation
LEARN
COURSE MODEDERIVATIVES LAB
Course adoption snapshot

A payoff-to-position derivatives pilot.

Move beyond static payoff diagrams by asking students to choose contracts, express the hedge, and review lifecycle behavior.

Best syllabus role

Instrument lab or hedge project

Add an implementation layer to options, futures, hedging, risk transfer, and advanced investments coursework.

Recommended first use

Hedge design and lifecycle journal

Students select an exposure and supported derivative structure, explain contract choices, size the hedge, and monitor how it behaves over time.

Student prerequisites

Derivatives fundamentals; coding optional

Students should understand payoff, moneyness, expiration, leverage, and course-defined pricing or risk concepts before managing simulated positions.

Platform path

Options and futures workflows

Use contract selection, supported multi-leg structures, virtual positions, lifecycle rules, historical tests, and forward observation.

Assessable evidence

Structure, hedge rationale, and review

Grade the exposure diagnosis, instrument selection, size, entry and exit policy, simulated trades, limitations, and lifecycle reflection.

Planning boundary

Simulation is not a complete pricing terminal

Contract, data, order, fill, exercise, assignment, margin, and expiration behavior depends on current platform and provider support.

Instructors + TAs free First class free Invite by email or class link Students must be 18+ Use alongside your LMS Student plans 50% off after pilot
See pricing and setup
Recognizable catalog titles

For option, futures, and derivative-risk courses.

Financial DerivativesDerivative SecuritiesDerivatives and Risk ManagementFutures and OptionsOptions and Futures MarketsOptions MarketsFutures MarketsOptions StrategiesCommodity MarketsEnergy FinanceAgricultural FuturesMetal FuturesInternational Financial MarketsForeign Exchange MarketsQuantitative Risk ManagementFinancial Engineering
Learning outcomes

Make every payoff a set of decisions.

Students move beyond naming a structure to explaining when, how, and under what controls it should exist.

Match instrument to objective

Distinguish hedging, directional, volatility, and income objectives before choosing a position.

Specify contract selection

Make expiry, strike or delta, structure, and futures-contract rules explicit.

Manage lifecycle risk

Plan exits and address expiration, assignment, roll, and session behavior where supported.

Critique model versus market

Compare intended payoff logic with simulated fills, path dependence, data limitations, and observed outcomes.

Assignment-ready labs

Six applied derivative experiments.

Lab 01

Protective hedge

Start with an equity portfolio, define the risk to protect, select an option structure, and critique cost versus protection.

Lab 02

Structure comparison

Compare a single-leg option with a vertical or other supported multi-leg structure under the same market thesis.

Lab 03

Contract-selection rules

Test how DTE, strike, or delta selection changes the position generated by the same underlying signal.

Lab 04

Expiration policy

Specify exit, expiration, and assignment behavior before deployment, then review whether the policy matches the objective.

Lab 05

Futures risk budget

Translate contract and tick behavior into position limits, entry logic, stop distance, and roll-aware monitoring.

Lab 06

Hedge versus speculation

Give teams the same market view but different mandates and compare how objective changes instrument and sizing choices.

Course-to-platform map

Connect structure, signal, and lifecycle.

Investfly capabilityLearning useStudent evidence
Option chains and contract dataInspect expiries, strikes, and supported quote fields.Contract-selection rationale and comparison.
Option structuresBuild supported single- or multi-leg position logic.Leg specification, objective, payoff reasoning, and limits.
Futures selectorsWork with products, contracts, sessions, ticks, and roll rules.Contract policy, sizing calculation, and monitoring plan.
Virtual portfolio tradingObserve derivative positions without real capital.Orders, positions, trade history, and lifecycle decisions.
Strategy and backtest toolsApply repeatable underlying signals and contract-selection policies.Rules or code, hypothetical results, limitations, and revisions.
Suggested project sequence

A structure-to-lifecycle project.

01

State the exposure

Define the portfolio or market risk, time horizon, objective, and conditions under which action is justified.

02

Select the instrument

Choose the derivative type, structure, contract-selection rule, and size with an explicit rationale.

03

Define lifecycle policy

Specify entry, exit, expiration, assignment, roll, and loss-control decisions where applicable.

04

Evaluate the path

Compare the intended behavior with simulated results and explain where model assumptions were insufficient.

Teaching boundary

Use simulation to expose complexity—not hide it.

Derivative results depend on contract availability, data, pricing, fills, volatility, liquidity, expiration, assignment, roll, and provider behavior. Investfly is not an institutional pricing terminal or exchange-level simulator.

  • Confirm current supported instruments and data before finalizing assignments.
  • Teach model and simulation assumptions explicitly.
  • Use instructor-configured contest permissions for option and futures exercises.
  • Backtests and virtual trades do not predict real results.
Related course labs
Risk objective

Risk Management & Behavioral Finance

Frame hedges inside exposure limits and decision policy.

Model layer

Financial Engineering & Computational Finance

Implement quantitative selection and risk ideas in a bounded runtime.

Systematic layer

Algorithmic & Quantitative Trading

Connect underlying signals to repeatable derivative strategy rules.

Course planning questions

Using Investfly in derivatives coursework

Can an instructor run an options-only or futures-only contest?

Yes. Each contest selects one asset class, so an instructor can create a focused options or futures simulation with equal starting cash and a common schedule.

Can students test multi-leg option ideas?

Investfly supports current option structure and position-group workflows. Exact structures, data, and execution behavior depend on current product support.

Is this an institutional derivatives pricing system?

No. Use Investfly for applied contract, position, strategy, and simulated lifecycle exercises alongside the course’s pricing models and analytical software.

From payoff to policy

Design a derivatives lab around structures students must explain.

Create a free instructor account and shape the lab around the instruments and lifecycle decisions you want students to practice.

Create FREE instructor account Explore All Course Families
Derivative availability and simulated behavior depend on current data, product, provider, and plan support.