The interview is going well. Your answers are thoughtful, your pacing is natural, and you’re beginning to find a rhythm. It’s clear you came prepared, and your answers are landing.
Then, without warning:
“How many soccer balls could fit inside a school bus?”
You pause. A dozen thoughts race through your mind, none of them helpful.
You’re not sure whether to start estimating volume or question the entire premise of the conversation.
But this isn’t a math problem. And it certainly isn’t about soccer balls.
What’s actually being tested is your ability to navigate ambiguity.
These kinds of hypotheticals are never actually about the question. They’re tests of your poise, your thinking style, and how you navigate gray area.
Can you stay composed when presented with a question that has no clear answer?
Can you reverse-engineer the logic behind it?
Can you create structure where none has been provided?
This isn’t about precision.
It’s about your process, and your poise.
No one cares if you know the internal dimensions of a school bus.
What they do care about is whether you:
Stay calm when thrown off script
Can make reasonable assumptions with limited data
Think in systems, not just answers
Know how to probe for context to solve the right problem
So your goal is twofold:
Demonstrate clear, structured thinking
Ask smart questions that help you reverse-engineer what real-world need this might relate to
Let’s go back to the soccer ball question.
Instead of guessing a number, you say:
“Interesting...to estimate that, I’d start by assuming the size of a standard school bus and a regulation soccer ball. But I’d also want to understand the use case: Are we maximizing capacity for transport? Are we working within space or time constraints? Is this a proxy for something like supply chain optimization or load balancing?”
In one sentence, you’ve done the following:
Signaled you’re not flustered
Made clear, reasonable assumptions
Shown that you think like a businessperson, not a trivia nerd
Repositioned the question as a practical challenge, not a riddle
That’s the real flex.
Once you’ve framed the problem, walk them through your thinking.
“Assuming we’re removing the seats and using the full interior volume of the bus, I’d estimate the cubic feet available and divide that by the approximate size of a soccer ball. I’d also account for the fact that spheres don’t pack perfectly and maybe reduce the total by 30% for inefficiency.”
You’ve taken a nonsense question and turned it into a smart, calm, real-world problem-solving moment. You win.
Don’t just answer. Understand.
When you get a curveball interview question:
Stay calm
Ask clarifying questions that get to the heart of the business challenge
Make your assumptions explicit
Talk through your process like someone who builds solutions for a living
This isn’t a pop quiz. It’s a performance. Show them how you think.