I have done a fair share of interviewing and have asked people to do things similar to FizzBuzz in their own favourite language. When they fail, it's not about

I have done a fair share of interviewing and have asked people to do things similar to FizzBuzz in their own favourite language. When they fail, it's not about the details. (I don't mind mistakes, although I do ask and see if the candidate can spot them when given a hint.) It's amazing how many people completely and utterly fail at the task. They can't produce a loop, they can't come up with the necessary if statements, they can't even explain in pseudocode or verbally which steps need to be taken. They don't even know where to start. Sometimes it's because of anxiety or stress, but usually when it's an indication someone has no practical programming experience.