I suspect the grueling interview process is the result of CS being overrun by people who cheated through their programming classes and/or exaggerated (lied) on

I suspect the grueling interview process is the result of CS being overrun by people who cheated through their programming classes and/or exaggerated (lied) on their resume, things which have become extremely prevalent in recent years. Plus in the US you can't get a meaningful reference anymore because of fear of lawsuits (former employers will often only confirm employment). There's nothing left to trust. Worse, I have come across a number of CS graduates who can't write a working program to save their lives, though many (particular international students) seem to be very well-prepared to talk all day about the technologies and all the cool projects they supposedly did. Not that a surprise exam is a good solution.