Martin Spamer's Journal: Programming Tests

I recently attended an interview for a role as Software Architect. At the interview I was asked to complete a written programming test. The first two questions where to write in Java the functions IsOdd() & ToUpper(). This was so monumentally stupid I didn't know where to begin. My first through was that the test was really designed to see If I would stand up and point out the stupidity of the situation. Apparently not. They really did want to test a Software Architects skills with a programming test. They really didn't understand why these two functions are out of place in an OO language. They really didn't understand why static utility functions are a really bad idea. They really did want two functions that broke the Java language naming conventions. They really did want two functions that not only re-invent the wheel but have a cyclomatic complexity of 1. After two hours of this and other stupidity I asked why they had spent two hours asking a Software Architect programming questions. To which the interviewer responded "Oh we call our Developers, Software Architects because it impresses the customers". Needless to say I made my excuses and left, something I should have done much earlier.