Yes, that’s what I do with leads and architects. With senior developers, I find the “silly tests” do in 15 minutes what 30, 60 minutes of talking would do. It’s a time saver for everyone.

If you handle it right, no one cares. You laugh about it. “Hey, look, you’d be surprised, but I found out I gotta ask a few really basic questions, this should take you a couple minutes and we can move on” and a real senior is answering them as fast as you ask them. And if they are a fake, they get embarrassed, and after a few flubs you say, “I’m not interested in going on any further” and show them the door.

Real seniors appreciate it. They know they are joining a team of strong people, not a team full of phonies and freeloaders.

J.Ja