Paraphrasing Google here: It's not about finding a master who can do something amazing, it's about finding good problem solvers because eventually, they will figure it out.

I really agree with that statement to some extent. While it's cool that someone can answer a lot of standard technical questions, it's really important to know if the candidate is willing to tackle as well solve complex problems.

If giving someone a computer and a problem helps get you to that answer, then it should be done. And personally, I was given access to a dev environment when I interviewed for the position I had now just to prove that I could do the basics in SQL Server having only MySQL experience. My boss was not looking to hire a master. He was trying to both validate I knew the basics of what I said I did as well how my thought process was to a complex problem he was currently facing.

My role was not to fix the problems directly. My role was to have enough experience and knowledge to find the right people to fix it, which I did. Then later, I slowly took it over completely because my boss saw I had the foundation to do so if given the right opportunities and support to solve those complex problems over time.