Also, if "audition projects" were to become the norm then you'd see rampant cheating. Simply farm out the project to a competent freelancer and then pass it off

Also, if "audition projects" were to become the norm then you'd see rampant cheating. Simply farm out the project to a competent freelancer and then pass it off as your own. The freelancer may not even know they're working on an audition project. And they may not even end up being paid more than the candidate since they could likely finish the project in much less time (and thus work at a much higher effective hourly rate). And how do you filter the candidates who you give audition projects to in the first place? That's very difficult without a technical interview.