It's an ambiguous question.

One answer is that all the mvc code runs on the application layer. This correct in a nearly tautological way (the code is where the code is).

The other answer is how does it relate. The model relates to the database in their three tier example.

Indeed, I think this question definitely implies something other than "where does the mvc code exist?"

I really don't think his answer is even a pedantic one. It's bending over backwards to read a question in a certain way that his preferred clever answer could be considered correct.

I do agree that they aren't the same thing, but they are pretty clearly related to me.

The interview question was “How does this architecture relate to the model-view-controller pattern?”

How about we look at vectors of change? Or dependency relationships? You see, in many systems changes[0] to the UI affect changes to the View and changes[1] to the database affect changes to the Model.

[0][1] I don't mean to say the UI changes and then the View is updated to match. I mean that stakeholders will have decided that the UI needs to display different information, so the View is updated to accommodate such a change (which can then be passed to the UI). The same story above for the Model/Database relationship.