BAE Systems Software Engineer interview: redacted feedback and internal-candidate concern

The process was long and did not feel meritocratic to me. I had an in-person interview with two interviewers and another person remote. They took turns asking STAR questions. It felt like a formality, as though an internal candidate had already been chosen.

Recruitment had suggested bringing project examples could help, so I prepared one for a "tell me about a time" question. Although the in-room format itself was fairly standard, the later feedback was heavily redacted and felt petty and unprofessional. The notes said I had been penalized for "couldn't think of an example" and for reading from notes, even though I had prepared and brought an example. I learned who got the job on LinkedIn before receiving a rejection. I did not receive an offer and left with a strong sense of bias.

Location: Washington, North East England, England. Overall feedback: negative. Offer status: no offer.