> I just always assumed people made things up for these questions and rehearsed their fake story ahead of time.

How could you do that if you've never heard of the questions? (I did hundreds of screens, and it's never came up before.) Does everyone always research what questions each company asks? I guess if you're aware of the trap, it might be possible to avoid, indeed. Then it becomes a test on whether you've researched the company or not prior to the call; whether or not if have ever been fired; and whether or not you're a good liar.

Also, even if you're aware of the question — do you rate yourself below 7, or hide the fact that you've been let go by the person rating you 7 and above?

I've found questions about past jobs and why I left to be common enough. So I feel it's beneficial to have a narrative that paints one in the best light (ignores the negatives, promotes the positives, etc.).

>Also, even if you're aware of the question — do you rate yourself below 7, or hide the fact that you've been let go by the person rating you 7 and above?

That depends on your ethical views on lying. Personally, I don't owe companies anything and they will lie to my face about things if it benefits them (like layoffs, financial state, worth of options, etc.).

And how are you meant to know what your manager actually thought? And even so is it all that relevant? Maybe you are leaving due to a poor relationship with your manager, maybe internal politics. Plenty of reasons why a great candidate wouldn’t be thought of very highly by their current manager.