I really hope that the magic question is useful, and I agree that many boilerplate Java-specific questions are misguided and less useful. Still, but I find it unwise to bet everything on one question.

Did the author collect data once he perfected his technique. Is there data?

In my experience, the best tests have many questions, including "experimental" ones, because you want to be able to test your hypothesis against various data points.

I'm also not saying that everything needs do be quantified. Open ended questions are very useful. But why not at least collect the data and tally it to the best of your ability.