Give yourself a repeatable first response instead of expecting an instant solution.

A tricky prompt is designed to make you think. The problem is not needing a moment; it is letting the uncertainty turn into rushed questions or an unfocused structure.

Restate the objective, clarify anything essential, and ask for a short moment to organize your thoughts. That creates a controlled transition from uncertainty to a workable approach.

Practice with unfamiliar prompts and deliberately wait a few seconds before speaking. Train the sequence you want under pressure rather than trying to eliminate uncertainty entirely: Keep a short note of what improved and what still broke so the next practice session has a clear purpose. Related CaseBasix guide: https://www.casebasix.com/pages/case-interview