Coding Interview: Format & Rubric
60 min. One Python question with sub-parts. Plain editor — no autocomplete, no AI tools.
| Signal | How to Show It |
|---|---|
| Thought process | Narrate: "I'm picking a dict because lookup is O(1)." |
| Requirement discovery | Ask 2-4 clarifying questions before typing. |
| Solution design | Sketch function signatures first; then implement. |
| Efficiency | Mention rough complexity. Write at least one test. |
| Code quality | Readable 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.