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This question already has an answer here:

Original: puzzling.se question

The OP was given the following question as part of an interview:

Find the next letter in the sequence: H,A,H,L,U,?

My question is, What possible value could this type of question have for making a hiring decision?

I can see more obvious patterns being a screener for baseline knowledge, but I really can't see "Trick Questions" being useful.

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marked as duplicate by David K, BSMP, Community♦ Mar 21 at 16:21

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

  • That's not a trick question, it's an aptitude test. It can be valuable in determining what kind of thinker you are, what your problem solving approach is, etc. A trick question is a question where the interviewer is actually trying to trick you. I see no value in trick questions. They're some persons idea of cleverness. I personally don't and won't entertain companies that traffic in the whole "trick question" interview and hiring process. – joeqwerty Mar 21 at 17:53
  • What aptitude is this testing for? – Chris Cudmore Mar 21 at 17:55
  • Deductive reasoning. – joeqwerty Mar 21 at 17:56
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It can indicate what type of person the candidate is. If you just give up without trying, it may indicate that you aren't a problem solver and won't go deeper than the explicit instructions you have. If you're analytical, that may benefit in some situations.

That's just a guess. In other situations, if you try and give a wrong answer without asking for more information, that could be a red flag. In some jobs, they may WANT an employee that won't go further than he/she is given directions for. It really just depends on what they want in a candidate.

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