>"> If you already know the answer, don't just blurt it out! They will suspect that you already knew the answer and didn't tell them you've seen the question be

>"> If you already know the answer, don't just blurt it out! They will suspect that you already knew the answer and didn't tell them you've seen the question before. At least pretend to be thinking though the problem before you give the answer!" This to me epitomizes the absurdity of this whole "leet code, cracking the algorithm" mania that has blighted the tech interview process. The only way to pass these types of tests is to spend time studying them. But then if you have studied and therefore know the tricks(use two pointers etc.) its seen as unacceptable enough that you should either lie or tell your interviewer "I know the trick" to solving this so ask me something else." The whole thing has become a scripted charade. I get it that these types of tests and interviews work for Google but it's absurd when small startups still building a product adopt these tests simply because Google and FB do it. There's a sad corporate uniformity to it that feels very much at odds with the hacker ethos.