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The desired result is not "X golf balls will fit in a bus" but the process of how the interviewee approaches the problem.

Are they entirely baffled by the question? Are they stuck, with no idea about how to proceed? Or do they ask for more information from the interviewer? Interviews are not about quizzes; they're a discussion. This question is a great way to start a discussion with someone.

"Well, I've never played golf, but I do play squash. So, I'll use a squash ball as a start."

"I have no idea how big a bus is. Let's assume a cuboid of let's say 10 ft by 10 ft by 30 ft."

"Really this question has some sphere packing stuff in there. Being honest, visualising that kind of thing is not my strong point. I'm much better at things like $TOP_THREE_HERE. So, I'll use a weak version first to get a ballpark figure. Let's just line the balls up in a grid (as if each ball is a cube), where each ball touches 6 other balls, or the some other balls and the floor, sides, or roof of the bus."

If anyone is using the question as you've suggested then yes, it's a bad question and they've failed. But you've missed the point of the question.




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