Why Computing the Median is the Perfect Software Engineering Interview Question

A software engineering interview question I like: computing the median

I avoid low-value puzzle questions in technical interviews, preferring straightforward tasks like computing the median to reveal a candidate's true skills. This simple problem exposes API design choices, debugging abilities, and statistical understanding while allowing for easy testing. It serves as a practical filter to see if candidates can actually program and think deeply about implementation details.

"I don't ask puzzle questions, I find them low value."