Many freshers study seriously before interviews.
They watch tutorials, learn new technologies, and even complete projects.
Still, during the interview the interviewer asks a very simple question like

What is OOP
What is array
What is database
Difference between stack and heap

And suddenly the mind becomes blank.

After leaving the interview you remember everything.
This situation is very common and it happens because of how our brain learns and recalls information.

Knowing vs Explaining

There are two levels of learning.

First level is understanding while seeing
When you read notes or watch a video, everything feels clear. You feel confident.

Second level is explaining without help
You must speak in your own words without looking at notes.

Most students stay in the first level.
Interviews test the second level.

So the problem is not lack of knowledge
The problem is lack of recall practice

Memorizing Instead of Understanding

In college exams, questions look similar to what we studied.
So many students remember definitions line by line.

But interviewers never ask textbook questions.
They change the sentence or ask why and how.

Example
Instead of asking definition of inheritance
They may ask where inheritance is useful in real life

If you memorized words, your brain searches for the exact sentence and fails.
If you understood the idea, you can explain easily.

That is why simple questions become hard.

Nervousness Blocks Thinking

During interviews, your brain feels pressure

You want the job
Someone is judging you
You fear making mistakes

Because of this, your brain goes into alert mode.
In this mode, thinking becomes slow and memory access becomes weak.

So you know the answer but cannot bring it out at that moment.
Later when you relax, the answer comes automatically.

This shows the issue is confidence and practice, not intelligence.

Too Many Topics, Less Depth

Many students try to learn everything quickly

multiple languages
many frameworks
many tools

But they spend very little time on basics.

Interviewers start from basics because basics show thinking ability.
If fundamentals are weak, advanced knowledge has no value.

Learning ten topics lightly creates confusion
Learning five topics deeply creates clarity

No Habit of Speaking Concepts

While studying, students mostly read silently.
But interview is a speaking test.

If you never explained concepts aloud before, your brain struggles to form sentences.
You pause, repeat words, and lose confidence.

Knowledge in mind and knowledge in speech are different skills.
Only practice converts one into another.

No Practical Connection

When you only read theory, the topic stays abstract.
The interviewer asks practical questions like

Where will you use this
Why do we need it
What problem does it solve

Without real examples, the brain cannot connect ideas quickly.
So even easy questions feel confusing.

How to Improve

Revise fundamentals slowly and clearly
After studying any topic, explain it aloud in your own words
Teach a friend or imagine teaching a beginner
Practice mock interviews regularly
Focus on fewer topics but understand deeply
Relate every concept with a real life example

Within some weeks you will notice basic questions becoming the easiest part of the interview.

Final Thought

Interviewers ask basic questions to check clarity of thinking, not to trap you.

If you cannot answer simple questions, it does not mean you are weak.
It means your learning is incomplete.

You learned to read
Now you must learn to express

Once you practice explaining, confidence and answers both improve automatically.