[randompi]

It's a programming "test" right? Sometimes I wonder if it's better to solve the problem in isolation, to show that I can sit on a problem and go at it, or to solve it in a collaborative manner with the interviewer, to show I'd play well in a team.

Sometimes when I read people saying the end goal is not to solve the problem weird. Does that mean those who solved the problem alone by losing a few hairs actually scored worse than an outspoken candidate who solved it with help from the interviewer?

[viraptor]

You can ask them what they prefer. Also, communication is an important element - in real work you may be spending time on something that's already obvious to someone else, or getting stuck on an approach which is known to not work.

I think actually solving those problems or failing in the end is random (unless you know the answer already). But if you get a good chat out of it, it may be in your favour.

[mandelbrotwurst]

Yes.