This question was unexpected because most people who are currently working in IT project management need to have a working knowledge of the software development process, even though they may have not moved from being a code slinger to a project manager. Without any context or the ability to ask a clarifying question and 60 seconds to respond, it's not clear whether they want to know whether you can read/write Java code, or you know it's not the same a JavaScript. Also, the job posting specifies that WillowTree is seeking candidates with experience managing large, complex technical projects from start to finish, which makes the question seem rhetorical.