OnScreen is HackerEarth's AI interviewer, which it also calls its AI Interview Agent: a first-round technical interview led by a lifelike video avatar that speaks with you, adapts its questions to your answers within a fixed plan, and can verify your identity before you start. HackerEarth launched it for enterprise customers on April 14, 2026, and employers choose a length of 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. This page explains what HackerEarth OnScreen is, what the interview is like, what it scores, the rules and practicalities, and how to prepare. We researched HackerEarth OnScreen's own candidate pages and independent reports on November 12, 2026; employers configure these tools differently, so your invitation has the final word.
What HackerEarth OnScreen is
HackerEarth was founded in 2012 by IIT Roorkee graduates Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash, is based in San Francisco and Bengaluru, and is best known for coding assessments and hackathons; it says more than 10 million developers use its platform. OnScreen turns a recruiter's template into an interview in phases such as Introduction, Background and Resume, and Technical discussion, covering technical and soft skills. HackerEarth's general writing on AI interviewers describes code written in an embedded editor, but its help centre does not mention an editor for OnScreen, so ask the recruiter whether your round includes live coding.
Who uses it: Discover Dollar is the OnScreen customer HackerEarth quotes in launch coverage; HackerEarth says its wider platform is used by Google, Amazon, Microsoft and more than 500 enterprises.
What the interview is like
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| How you get it | An invitation from the recruiter, who may set an expiry date after which you cannot start; you take it whenever you are ready |
| Format | Video with an avatar that speaks with an American, British or Indian accent; employers can switch to audio-only for weak connections |
| Length | 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes, chosen by the employer |
| Structure | Phases such as Introduction, Background and Resume, and Technical discussion, with questions that adapt to your answers |
| Coding | Not confirmed for OnScreen; ask the recruiter |
| Afterward | An optional survey, and HackerEarth says candidates receive a feedback report by email |
What it scores
- An overall score out of 100 and a score for each skill the template covers.
- An integrity index rated Good, Needs review or Poor, and an AI-likeness result that compares your answers with AI-generated language.
- HackerEarth says every candidate is scored against the same rubric in a deterministic framework, and that it assesses how you think, not just what you answer.
- Recruiters see the transcript and your responses and move candidates through invited, under review, shortlisted and archived.
Rules and practicalities
- Employers can switch on four controls: AI-likeness detection; enforced candidate video, which flags a missing candidate, more than one person or phone use; Smart Browser, which prevents other applications; and ID verification before you start.
- Smart Browser runs on Windows 10 and 11, recent macOS (HackerEarth's pages give different minimums, macOS 11 on Apple silicon or macOS 13.5) and Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04; it does not work on Android or with a VPN, multiple monitors are prohibited, and you get 10 seconds to return after a warning.
- HackerEarth calls itself desktop-first; its assessments support the last two versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari.
- Retake and disconnection rules for OnScreen are not published; contact the recruiter at once if the session breaks.
- Your data is kept until you ask for it to be deleted or the employer deletes it, under HackerEarth's general privacy terms.
What candidates say about AI technical rounds
We found no substantial independent accounts of OnScreen itself yet, which is unsurprising for a product launched in April 2026 for enterprise customers. HackerEarth's own summary of engineering candidates' reactions to AI interviews names relief at the scheduling flexibility, discomfort at the loss of rapport and worry about whether looking away from the camera counts against them. On the last point, enforced video flags a missing candidate or a second person; glancing down to think is normal, but keep your face in frame and your eyes back on the screen while you answer.
How to prepare
- Ask the recruiter for the length, whether Smart Browser and ID verification are on, and whether there is any coding.
- If Smart Browser is required, install and test it a day early on your own computer, off VPN and with one monitor connected.
- Prepare a two-minute walk through your résumé, then go deep on two projects: the design, the trade-offs, what broke and what you would change.
- Practice explaining core concepts in your stack out loud, such as how an index speeds up a query or why a cache goes stale, in under two minutes each.
- Keep your phone out of reach and stay in frame; phone use and a second person are flagged.
Answering well when an AI is asking
- Look at the camera, not your own image, and keep your face lit from the front.
- Answer in a clear structure: the situation, what you did, and the result, in about a minute or two.
- Use specific examples with numbers; AI scoring rewards concrete evidence of the skills in the job description.
- Pause briefly to think rather than filling silence with filler words.
For a free practice routine, see how to practice for an AI interview for free. Other platforms work differently, so compare the HackerEarth assessment, a coding interview with an AI interviewer and the HackerRank AI interviewer.
Your rights and what happens next
After a HackerEarth OnScreen interview, a recruiter usually reviews the scores, transcript or recording, often within days, and decides whether to move you forward; most vendors say a human makes the decision. If you hear nothing in a week or two, a short, polite follow-up to the recruiter is reasonable.
Depending on where you live, the law may give you rights over automated interviews. Illinois requires employers to explain and get consent before using AI to analyze video interviews, New York City requires bias audits and advance notice for automated hiring tools, and the EU AI Act treats AI used in recruitment as high risk. You can ask the employer how your recording is stored and who reviews it, and request an alternative if you need an accommodation.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
AI-led interviews are screening rounds you take on your own, and they almost always forbid outside help; some log tab switches, pasted text or a second voice. So the useful preparation is practice. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant; its free AI mock interview builds questions from your résumé and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of ten, which is close to how many automated interviews work. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. On the day, follow your employer's rules and the instructions in your invitation.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What is HackerEarth OnScreen?
HackerEarth's AI interviewer, launched in April 2026: an avatar-led video interview for first-round technical screening, with optional ID verification and integrity checks.
How long is the HackerEarth AI interview?
The employer picks 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
Does the HackerEarth AI interview include coding?
HackerEarth has not confirmed live coding in OnScreen; its help centre describes phases such as background and technical discussion. Ask the recruiter.
Will I get feedback after HackerEarth OnScreen?
HackerEarth says candidates receive a feedback report by email after the interview.
Can I use an AI assistant during my HackerEarth OnScreen interview?
No. AI-led screening interviews are meant to be answered on your own, and many log signals such as tab switches, pasted text or another voice. Practice beforehand instead, and follow your employer's rules.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
Start a mock interview