You have 3 hours, a raw dataset, and a vague business goal: build and present an ML solution.

C3.ai's reported 3-hour data science case, the round their candidates rate hardest. The winners aren't the best modelers; they're the ones who budget the clock, ship a baseline in hour one, and present like a consultant.

Updated Aug 2026 · Grounded in real Forward Deployed Engineer interview loops and written to a senior-engineer editorial bar.