To use CoPilot Interview Mock Interview, open the desktop app, add your résumé and the job description, choose the level, 3, 5 or 8 questions, the question mix, your coding language and an optional focus, then answer each question out loud. The app reads every question aloud, scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what worked, what to fix and a model answer, and finishes the round with a report card you use to plan your next attempt.
Mock Interview is included on the free plan, which gives you 15 minutes every day with no account and no credit card. This guide walks through each step, the settings that matter, how to read your score, and a simple redo plan. Disclosure: we make CoPilot Interview.
What you need before your first mock interview
- The desktop app on Windows 10+ or macOS 12+. Download, unzip and run it; no signup is needed. If you haven't installed it yet, follow the CoPilot Interview setup guide first.
- A working microphone. Mock Interview listens to your spoken answers. A wired headset gives the cleanest audio, but a laptop mic in a quiet room works.
- Your résumé as text or a file you can paste from.
- The job description for the role you applied for. The interview is built from both documents, so the questions match the job.
- A quiet 20 minutes. Free sessions run up to 15 minutes, so a 3- or 5-question round is a comfortable first run.
Can't install software on your computer? Skip to the browser option below.
How to use CoPilot Interview Mock Interview in 7 steps
Step 1: Open Mock Interview
Launch the app and choose Mock Interview from the four modes (Mock Interview, Candidate Mode, Interviewer Mode and Resume Builder). Mock Interview is the practice mode, and it's where most people should start.
Step 2: Paste your résumé and the job description
Paste the full job description, not just the title. Responsibilities and requirements give the AI the material for role-specific questions. Paste the résumé you actually sent for this job, because interviewers ask about what's on it.
Step 3: Choose your settings
Pick the level, how many questions (3, 5 or 8), the mix (behavioral, technical, system design, coding), your coding language and an optional focus. The table in the next section shows what each one changes.
Step 4: Listen to the question
The app reads each question aloud, like a real interviewer. Don't read along on screen if you can avoid it. Hearing the question once is closer to the real thing.
Step 5: Answer out loud
Speak your answer as you would in the interview. Aim for one to two minutes on a behavioral question. Coding questions never auto-submit, so you can think in silence before and while you work.
Step 6: Read the score, what to fix and the model answer
Each answer gets a score out of 10, notes on what worked and what to fix, and a model answer. Read the "what to fix" line before the model answer, so you think about your own gap first.
Step 7: Review the report card
At the end of the round you get a report card. Write down your two lowest-scoring questions; they become your next session.
Which Mock Interview settings should you choose?
These are our recommendations for a first round. Change one setting at a time between rounds so you can tell what made the difference.
| Setting | What it changes | Recommended choice |
|---|---|---|
| Résumé | Questions about your own projects and experience | The exact version you sent for this job |
| Job description | Role-specific questions and the skills they probe | The full posting, including requirements |
| Level | How deep and demanding the questions are | The level of the job you applied for, then one step up once you score well |
| Number of questions (3, 5 or 8) | Round length | 3 for a first run or a quick warm-up; 5 for regular practice; 8 for a full rehearsal close to the interview (free sessions stop at 15 minutes; paid plans run longer) |
| Mix (behavioral, technical, system design, coding) | Which question types you get | Match the interview stage: behavioral for a recruiter or hiring manager screen, technical and coding for a technical round |
| Coding language | The language for coding questions and model answers | The language you'll use in the real interview |
| Optional focus | Narrows the questions to a theme | A weak spot from your last report card, such as "conflict with a stakeholder" or "API design" |
How to read your score out of 10
The score is a coaching signal for your next attempt, not a prediction of a hiring decision. Use the three parts of the feedback in this order:
- What worked. Keep these parts the same in your next attempt. People often fix one problem and lose a strength in the process.
- What to fix. Pick one fix per answer. Trying to fix four things at once usually produces a longer, weaker answer.
- The model answer. Read it for structure, not wording. Note how it opens, where the result appears and how long it is, then say your own version in your own words.
Example we wrote: turning feedback into a redo
Here is an illustrative example we wrote, not real app output. Question: "Tell me about a time you missed a deadline." Suppose your first answer spent most of its time on background and ended without a result, and the feedback said the action was vague and the outcome was missing.
- First attempt (example): "So, at my last job we had a lot going on, the team was small, and there were a lot of changing requirements, and the client kept adding things..."
- Redo (example): "I missed a launch date by four days on a client dashboard. I'd underestimated the data cleanup. I told the client two weeks before the date, split the release so the core charts shipped on time, and the rest followed four days later. Since then I add a cleanup estimate to every data project."
The redo answers the question in the first sentence, names one specific action, and ends with a result and a lesson. That is the kind of change one "what to fix" note should drive.
What should you do after the report card?
A report card is only useful if it changes your next round. Here's a simple plan we suggest:
| When | What to do | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Right after the round | Write down the two lowest-scoring questions and the one fix for each | None |
| Same day or next day | Rerun a short round focused on those weak spots | 3 questions, focus set to the weak topic |
| Two or three days later | Run a fresh round to check the fix holds on new questions | 5 questions, same mix |
| Two days before the interview | Full rehearsal at the real interview's stage | 5 or 8 questions, the real mix |
If you aren't sure how many rounds you need, read how many mock interviews to do before a real interview. For behavioral weak spots, draft the story first in the free STAR story builder, then say it out loud in your next round. Our guide to practicing interview answers out loud has a 20-minute routine for the days between rounds.
No install? Use the browser mock interview
The browser AI mock interview needs nothing installed. It has 113 real questions across 9 tracks: behavioral, system design, coding, data science and ML, frontend, DevOps, SQL, product and security. It's a good way to try scored practice before you install the app, or to practice on a computer where you can't install software.
The difference: the browser version uses a fixed question bank, while the desktop Mock Interview builds questions from your own résumé and job description and lets you choose the level, count, mix, coding language and focus.
Common mistakes with AI mock interviews
- Typing instead of speaking. Mock Interview is built for spoken answers. Saying an answer out loud exposes rambling and missing results that written drafts hide.
- Memorizing the model answer. Interviewers notice recited answers. Use the model answer for structure and keep your own words. Our guide to putting AI answers in your own words shows how.
- Chasing a 10 on every question. Aim for steady improvement on your weakest questions, not a perfect round.
- Using a generic job description. A vague posting produces vague questions. Paste the real one.
- Never changing the mix. If your real loop includes a coding round, practice coding questions too, not only behavioral ones.
Mock Interview is separate from Candidate Mode, the app's live mode. Follow the rules of the employer or assessment you're in — many people use it only to practice, which works on the free plan.
Limits to know: scores and feedback come from AI models, not a human coach, and AI feedback can be wrong, so check it against your own judgment. The full app is desktop only (Windows and macOS). For plan details, see CoPilot Interview pricing.
Run your first scored round
Answer a few real questions out loud and get a score out of 10, what to fix and a model answer for each. Free, no card, no signup.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
How do I use CoPilot Interview Mock Interview?
Open the desktop app, choose Mock Interview, paste your résumé and the job description, then choose the level, 3, 5 or 8 questions, the mix, your coding language and an optional focus. The app reads each question aloud, you answer out loud, and each answer is scored out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer, followed by a report card.
Is CoPilot Interview Mock Interview free?
Yes. Mock Interview is included on the free plan, which gives you 15 minutes every day in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with no account and no credit card. Paid plans add longer sessions.
How many questions should I choose?
Start with 3 questions for a first run or a warm-up, use 5 for regular practice, and save 8 for a full rehearsal close to the interview. Free sessions stop at 15 minutes, so shorter rounds fit the free plan best.
Does Mock Interview use my résumé?
Yes. Mock Interview builds its questions from your résumé and the job description you paste in, so the questions match the role. The Resume Builder also uses both documents. Candidate Mode does not read your résumé.
Do coding questions submit automatically?
No. Coding questions never auto-submit, so you can think in silence and finish your solution before moving on.
Can I practice without installing anything?
Yes. The browser AI mock interview at copilotinterview.com/ai-mock-interview needs nothing installed and has 113 real questions across 9 tracks. The desktop app adds questions built from your own résumé and job description.