[curtis]

I think this partly depends on how hard the coding question is. If they give you FizzBuzz, I think you're pretty much required to ace it, even if you've never seen it. FizzBuzz is really simple though.

At Facebook I was getting I guess what you'd call classic algorithm questions but with an extra twist thrown in. If you combine that twist with excessive time restrictions (the Facebook interviews were strictly 45 minutes), you not only have to code well, you have to do it fast. On an algorithm that they appear to be hoping you've never seen before.

[soham]

Yeah, that hope from them is baseless. Truth is, you're competing with candidates who have practiced a lot. They know it, and candidates know it too.

I'll re-iterate: Technical interviews are a competition. You cannot go unprepared. Testing your "raw" skill is stupid and a myth. It's as stupid as saying you want to see Usain Bolt (and everyone else) compete without practice. Those days are gone.

[Margh]

What they are describing is putting Usain Bolt at the beginning of an obstacle course and then saying he's not an Olympic level athlete when he trips on a tire.

[davelnewton]

What you're forgetting is that most developers, as with most athletes, aren't competing at the international level.