Funny interview questions like "If you were an animal, what would you be?" or "How many golf balls fit in a school bus?" aren't really about the answer. The interviewer wants to see how you think when the script runs out: whether you stay calm, reason out loud and land on a sensible answer to a silly question. So take the question seriously without taking yourself too seriously. Pause, pick an angle, explain your thinking, and connect it to work if it fits.
Below: why interviewers ask them, 20 weird questions by type with how to approach each, a four-step method for any curveball, and what to do when a question crosses a line.
Why interviewers ask weird questions
- Composure. Prepared answers show what you've rehearsed. A question you couldn't prepare for shows how you react when you're caught off guard, which is closer to a normal Tuesday at work.
- Thinking out loud. Estimates and puzzles let them hear how you break a problem down and check your own logic.
- Personality. "If you were a kitchen utensil…" gets past the polished version of you, briefly.
- Breaking the ice. Sometimes the interviewer just wants a lighter moment. That's allowed.
To be fair to you, odd questions aren't a great way to predict who'll do a job well; structured, job-related questions do that far better. But you don't choose the questions, so be ready for a curveball.
20 weird and funny interview questions, by type
Estimation questions
1. "How many golf balls would fit in a school bus?" Don't guess; build the number out loud:
"Say the inside of a bus is 10 metres by 2.5 by 2, so 50 cubic metres. A golf ball is about 4 centimetres across, so with the gaps each takes up roughly a 4-centimetre cube. That's about 15,000 per cubic metre, or 750,000 in total. Take off space for the seats and I'd say half a million, give or take."
Nobody's checking the number. They're checking that you got there sensibly.
2. "How many pizzas are eaten in this city on a Friday night?" Start from people: the population, the share who'd have pizza on a Friday, how many share one. Say each assumption out loud so they can follow.
Logic puzzles
3. "Why are manhole covers round?" There's a real answer: a round cover can't fall through its own hole whichever way you turn it, and it's easy to roll. If you don't know, reason it out. "Something to do with not falling in?" is a good start.
4. "How many times a day do a clock's hands overlap?" Twenty-two. They meet a little more than once an hour, so it's 11 times in 12 hours, not 12. A wrong answer with clear reasoning still does well.
5. "How would you test a toaster?" Ask what "working" means first: who uses it, and for what? Then cover the basics (even toasting, the timer), safety (is the outside safe to touch?) and odd cases (bagels, frozen bread).
"If you were…" questions
6. "If you were an animal, which would you be?" Pick one, give one reason linked to how you work, and stop. "A border collie: happiest with a job to do, and quietly herding everyone towards the deadline." Maybe skip the shark.
7. "If you were a kitchen utensil, what would you be?" "A colander. I keep what matters and let the rest drain away." A skill (prioritising) and a sense of humour in one line.
8. "If you could have any superpower, what would it be?" Choose something with a work angle: "Reading a 40-page report in a minute. I'd still read it properly afterwards, but I'd like the head start."
9. "What would the title of your autobiography be?" Short and slightly self-mocking works best: Read the Instructions First, or I'll Just Check One More Thing.
Sell me something
10. "Sell me this pen." Don't list features. Ask questions first: "When did you last use a pen? What for? What annoyed you about it?" Then sell to their answer ("So your pens keep dying mid-signature. This one…") and ask for the sale. Selling is mostly listening, and that's the test.
11. "Explain what you do to a ten-year-old." A test of clarity. Use one everyday comparison and no jargon: "I'm a data analyst, so I'm a bit like a detective for numbers. Someone asks 'Why did we sell fewer ice creams in June?' and I follow the clues."
Questions about you, with a twist
12. "What's the last thing that made you laugh?" Honest, brief, work-safe. A funny thing your nephew said beats a joke you'd have to explain.
13. "What would your friends say is your most annoying habit?" Something real and harmless, with a hint of self-awareness. "Turning every weekend away into a shared spreadsheet. They complain, then they use it."
14. "What's something you believe that most people don't?" Keep it work-adjacent and away from politics and religion. "Most recurring meetings should be a short written update. We tried it in my team and got an hour a week back."
15. "Tell me a joke." Have one short, clean joke ready. "I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down." If it falls flat, laugh at yourself and move on. That's the real test.
16. "Cats or dogs? Tea or coffee? Favourite biscuit?" Rapid-fire questions want a quick answer with a reason. Overthinking is the only wrong answer.
Strange scenarios
17. "You've been shrunk to the size of a coin and dropped into a blender. What do you do?" There's no right answer, only a structured one. Ask a clarifying question (is it switched on?), list two or three options (climb out, lie flat under the blades, jam them) and pick one with a reason.
18. "A zombie apocalypse starts tomorrow. Which three skills do you want on your team?" A teamwork question in fancy dress. Pick skills that complement each other (someone practical, someone calm, someone who plans) and say what you'd bring.
Pressure questions
19. "If you were me, would you hire you?" Say yes, give your strongest reason, and name one gap honestly with how you'd close it. It's a cousin of "Why should we hire you?".
20. "What's the question you were hoping I wouldn't ask?" Name a real one, then answer it well: "Why I left my last job after a year. Short version: the role turned into something quite different from what I was hired for."
A four-step method for any curveball
- Pause. "Good question, give me a second" buys three seconds, which feels endless to you and perfectly normal to them.
- Frame it. Ask one clarifying question or state an assumption: "I'll assume a standard school bus."
- Think out loud. Silence followed by a number tells them nothing. The reasoning is the answer.
- Land it. Give an actual answer and, if it fits, connect it to the job in one sentence. Then stop.
If your mind goes blank, say so with a smile and start somewhere: "I've genuinely never thought about manhole covers. Let me work it out." To get used to it, add one curveball to every mock interview you run.
When a "quirky" question crosses a line
Some questions dressed up as small talk aren't fine at all:
| Weird but fine | Crosses a line |
|---|---|
| "If you were an animal, what would you be?" | "Are you planning to have children?" |
| "Sell me this pen." | "How old are you?" |
| "What's your favourite biscuit?" | "Where are you really from?" |
| "What made you laugh this week?" | "What does your husband do?" |
| "How would you test a toaster?" | "Do you have any health conditions?" |
In many countries it's unlawful to base hiring decisions on characteristics such as age, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, disability or sexual orientation, so well-trained interviewers don't ask about them. In the US and the UK, for example, employers generally can't ask about your health or disability before offering you the job, with narrow exceptions (such as whether you need adjustments for the interview itself). Rules vary by country; this is a general picture, not legal advice.
If it happens, you have three options:
- Answer the concern, not the question. "Do you have kids?" is often a clumsy question about hours: "If you're asking about availability, the early starts are fine for me."
- Redirect politely. "I'd rather keep the focus on the role, but I'm happy to talk about how I'd manage the travel."
- Ask why. "Can I ask how that relates to the job?" Calm, not combative. It often makes the interviewer hear what they've just asked.
Afterwards, note what was asked and by whom. You can raise it with the recruiter or HR, and if you think you were treated unfairly, an employment rights organisation or lawyer in your country can explain your options. Either way, how a company interviews is a preview of how it manages.
For the questions you can prepare for, start with 30 behavioural interview questions and "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?". And if an interviewer asks you to "think outside the box", our corporate buzzwords translator has you covered.
Frequently asked questions
Why do interviewers ask funny interview questions?
To see how you think and react without a prepared answer. Your reasoning and composure matter more than the answer itself.
What if I can't solve a brainteaser?
Say how you'd approach it and work through as much as you can out loud. A clear, structured attempt usually impresses more than a lucky guess.
Can I use humour in an interview?
Yes, lightly. A smile and a quick line are fine; a stand-up routine isn't. Follow the interviewer's lead, and never joke at someone else's expense.
What should I do if an interview question feels inappropriate?
Answer the underlying concern, redirect politely, or ask how it relates to the job. Note what was asked, and raise it with the recruiter or HR if it worries you.