OA: Balanced Permutation (Is 1..k a Contiguous Block, for Every k)

OAMicrosoftLast reported March 2026Low Frequency

Reported: 3× across candidate reports
First seen: October 2025
Last reported: March 2026
Reported outcome: pass

Problem Overview

Microsoft online assessment question, reconstructed from 3 candidate reports (October 2025 to March 2026). The write-up includes a Python solution that passes 8 test cases.

The full problem statement — full requirements, constraints, and edge cases
Approach and trade-offs — what passing candidates did, and the mistakes that sink people

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Verified Source

Every question is reconstructed from multiple independent candidate reports. Follow-ups candidates reported, not invented ones.

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Interviewer Follow-ups

The follow-ups candidates reported, with the trigger that prompts each one — plus the mistakes that sink people.