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Coding Interview: Format & Rubric

60 min. One Python question with sub-parts. Plain editor — no autocomplete, no AI tools.

SignalHow to Show It
Thought processNarrate: "I'm picking a dict because lookup is O(1)."
Requirement discoveryAsk 2-4 clarifying questions before typing.
Solution designSketch function signatures first; then implement.
EfficiencyMention rough complexity. Write at least one test.
Code qualityReadable names, small functions, type hints.

The FDE Coding Bar

"Could this person sit next to a customer engineer, hear a problem, sketch a solution in Python in 45 minutes, and have it work after one round of revision?" Not LeetCode Hard.

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