After submitting your resume and landing an interview with your dream company, it’s normal to feel a rush of nerves — the kind of panic where you flail your arms like Kermit the Frog. You want to perform well, make a great impression, and ultimately sign on the dotted line. But preparation matters: research the company, anticipate possible questions, and choose an appropriate outfit.
Still, some interview questions feel impossible to prepare for.
Like studying for an exam without a study guide, you may not know what an interviewer will ask. To help, we’ve collected 40 of the most unusual interview questions you might encounter and explained how to approach them with confidence so you can stay calm and answer clearly.
Are you a pen or a pencil?
This isn’t a poetic test. Interviewers ask this to gauge your personality and working style. If you describe yourself as a pen, you’re signaling confidence, decisiveness, and authority. If you choose pencil, you’re emphasizing flexibility, creativity, and a willingness to revise and iterate. Pick the option that genuinely reflects how you work, and briefly explain why with a work-related example.
You’re a new addition to the crayon box — what color would you be and why?
This playful question tests how you translate personality into workplace value. Choose a color that represents a relevant skill or trait — for instance, blue for calm reliability, orange for creative energy, or green for steady growth — and tie that color to a professional example that shows you’re a good fit for the team.
You have a cake and three cuts to make eight equal pieces. How do you do it?
This is a classic problem-solving prompt. One straightforward solution is to make two perpendicular cuts across the top to divide the cake into quarters, then stack the four quarters and use the third cut to halve them all at once. Explain your reasoning step by step so the interviewer can follow your logic.
What would the name of your debut album be?
Some companies ask creative questions like this to see how you think and to spark conversation. Have fun, but connect the title to your strengths or work philosophy. A clever or sincere title followed by a short explanation reveals personality, creativity, and communication skills.
What is the probability of rolling a sum of 10 with two dice?
For math-based questions, asking for paper to work things out is fine. Two dice produce 36 possible outcomes (6 × 6). The combinations that sum to 10 are (4,6), (5,5), and (6,4) — three outcomes. So the probability is 3/36, which simplifies to 1/12, or roughly 8.33%. Walk through your calculation aloud so the interviewer sees your approach.
How would you sell hot cocoa in Florida?
This question assesses creative problem solving and market thinking. You could research seasonal microclimates or target tourists and theme events, create limited-time winter-themed pop-ups, or position hot cocoa as a comfort beverage for cool evenings or rainy days. Show that you’d gather customer insights and test multiple approaches.
How many tennis balls can you fit into a limousine?
This is a “guesstimate” question to see your assumptions and calculation process. Ask clarifying questions if needed, estimate the limo’s internal volume, approximate the volume of one tennis ball and packing efficiency, and then compute an estimate. Explain each assumption rather than trying to reach a perfect final number.
Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
Funny hypotheticals like this test quick thinking and cultural fit. Start by avoiding aggression and emphasizing collaboration when possible, then explain your tactical reasoning. For example, choosing a single large opponent might be preferable because it’s a one-on-one challenge you can focus on, whereas many small opponents could overwhelm you. Keep your tone light and illustrative.
How would you describe this job to a child?
This question checks whether you understand the role and can communicate simply. Avoid jargon and explain the company’s purpose in plain terms, then describe your main responsibilities in a way a child could grasp. This demonstrates clarity, audience awareness, and that you’ve researched the position.
How would you get an elephant into a refrigerator?
Weird questions like this measure your creativity and logical thinking. Offer a range of answers — a playful creative answer (e.g., using a shrink ray) and a practical mathematical breakdown — and emphasize the skills your answer highlights, such as problem decomposition or inventive thinking.
Would you rather win at Jeopardy or Survivor?
Instead of focusing on prizes, explain why you’d choose one over the other and how it reflects your strengths. Jeopardy suggests preparation, broad knowledge, and quick recall. Survivor suggests adaptability, social skills, and resilience. Tie your preference to workplace abilities or career goals.
Who is your favorite Disney princess?
Answering this reveals values and cultural fit. Choose a character whose traits you admire — leadership, kindness, curiosity, persistence — and explain how those qualities influence how you work or interact with teammates.
You’re president for a day — what’s the first thing you would do?
Politics can be sensitive, so focus on leadership approach rather than policy. Describe priorities, decision-making framework, and how you’d mobilize teams and advisors to address urgent issues. This demonstrates strategic thinking, responsibility, and the ability to lead under pressure.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how lucky are you?
Use this as an opportunity to show humility and gratitude. You might pick a number and explain how you couple opportunity with preparation — that is, you create your own luck through hard work, relationships, and learning from setbacks.
If you could be any animal, which would you be and why?
Interviewers often use this to reveal personality and cultural fit. Choose an animal whose traits reflect your strengths — the perseverance of a dog, the independence of a cat, the teamwork of a dolphin — and briefly connect that trait to how you work with others.
If you were a pizza delivery person, how would scissors help you?
Take a moment to think and then answer practically. Scissors could be used to cut coupons, open packaging, adjust promotional materials, or trim receipts. Show that you can identify small efficiencies that improve customer experience and operations.
What would you do if you found a penguin in the freezer?
Retailers have asked this question to assess humor and creativity. Offer a thoughtful answer that balances practicality and playfulness: check the animal’s welfare, take steps to ensure safety, and notify the appropriate person — while keeping a light tone that shows you can stay composed in unusual situations.
You buy coffee and a doughnut for $4. The coffee costs $3 more than the doughnut. How much did the doughnut cost?
Simple algebra helps here. Let the doughnut cost x. Then coffee costs x + 3, and together they total x + (x + 3) = 4, so 2x + 3 = 4. Solving gives x = 0.50. The doughnut costs $0.50. Explain the steps to show clear analytical thinking.
Estimate how many pet dogs there are in the United States.
Estimation questions demonstrate how you break down a large problem. Start with broad facts: roughly 330–350 million people in the U.S. Assume an average household size (for example, three people) to estimate the number of households. Estimate the percentage of households with dogs — perhaps 40–50% — and whether those households have more than one dog. Show each assumption, then calculate: for example, 350 million ÷ 3 ≈ 116 million households; if 50% have dogs and average dog count per household is 1.3, you’d estimate around 75 million dogs. Emphasize the logic behind your assumptions.
Which weighs more: a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?
Watch for trick questions. A pound is a pound, so both weigh the same. Use the opportunity to show you read the question carefully and answer clearly.
What would your pet say about you if I asked it for a reference?
Even if you don’t have a pet, answer as if you did. Describe qualities your pet would highlight — loyalty, patience, playfulness, dependability — and give a brief example that shows those traits in a work context. This question is an opportunity to show warmth, self-awareness, and how others would describe you.