A HireVue AI interview is a job interview on HireVue's platform in which software, not a person, presents the questions and evaluates your answers: either an on-demand video interview or assessment that you record alone, or HireVue's newer AI Interviewer, which holds a two-way conversation and checks each answer against criteria built from the job description. HireVue says the AI informs recruiters and people make the hiring decisions, and it lists accommodation requests and AI opt-out paths for candidates. Everything below comes from HireVue's own candidate FAQ, help center and product pages, read on October 20, 2026.
Take the assessment yourself and follow the employer's rules — use CoPilot Interview to practice beforehand. This guide covers format, scoring and preparation. If you're a software engineer, our list of HireVue software engineer questions covers the questions themselves.
The three kinds of HireVue AI interview
HireVue runs several formats, and the employer chooses which one you get. Your invitation and the first screens of the interview tell you what's coming.
| Format | What happens | How it's evaluated |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand video interview | You record answers to preset questions at a time that suits you, after optional practice questions. Most answers are on video; some questions may ask for a written essay or multiple choice. | The hiring company reviews your submission. Whether AI scores it depends on whether the employer adds a HireVue assessment. |
| Video-based assessment | Usually five to eight questions, each shown as text or video, with several minutes to respond: situational judgment, scenarios you act out, and past-behavior questions. | HireVue's models evaluate job-related skills and soft competencies such as communication, conscientiousness, problem-solving, team orientation and initiative. |
| AI Interviewer | A two-way conversation: the AI asks questions from a script built on the job description, asks probing follow-ups and records your answers. | Each answer is checked against the employer's role-specific criteria. Qualification questions are marked meets or does not meet; skill questions use a custom 1 to 5 rubric. |
HireVue also runs live video interviews with a person and game-based assessments. Those have their own pages in its help center; this guide sticks to the AI-evaluated formats.
How the HireVue AI interview is scored
What HireVue says it evaluates
The HireVue candidate FAQ says its video-based assessments look at what you know about the job plus general competencies chosen from organizational psychology research on what matters in that role. It says responses are judged in full context rather than by keywords, and that each model is built for a specific role, so there is no universal "perfect candidate."
What HireVue says it ignores
- Your face. HireVue says it never uses your interview video to identify you; it does not use facial recognition.
- Demographics and your résumé. The FAQ says assessments don't look at age, race or gender, or at résumé details such as GPA or the college you attended.
- Eye contact. Its interview tips say not to worry about making eye contact with the camera and to be natural.
How the AI Interviewer scores you
On its AI Interviewer page, HireVue describes the flow from the employer's side: the AI suggests questions and answer rubrics from the job description, the employer customizes and approves them, the AI asks and probes, then it evaluates each response against the criteria, highlights whether it meets them and explains why. Recruiters see the scores in their applicant tracking system. HireVue says scores tie back to behavioral anchors, candidates grant consent to the AI, and recruiters always make the final call.
Who makes the decision
HireVue's FAQ says its interviews and assessments are first steps that recruiters use to make a first cut, that people make the hiring decisions, and that most companies follow up with person-to-person interviews for finalists. Some candidates also receive a Candidate Insight Report describing their work-related competencies; HireVue's help center says getting one doesn't mean a decision has been made either way.
The practical takeaway: you can't game it, and HireVue says as much. What works is a clear, specific answer that shows the competency the question is aimed at, delivered within the time limit.
The on-demand HireVue interview, step by step
HireVue's walkthrough for computers describes this sequence. Screens can differ depending on how the employer set up the interview.
- Open the invitation and click Practice or Interview. HireVue recommends Google Chrome.
- Read the overview. It shows the company, the role, the number and types of questions and an estimated time to complete.
- Accept the terms and conditions. Questions about them go to the hiring company.
- Watch any intro video from the employer. You're not in the interview yet.
- Run the equipment check and allow camera and microphone access.
- Do practice questions. You can do as many as you like. They're recorded so you can watch them back, but they aren't saved and no one else sees them. A blue ribbon at the top means you're in practice mode.
- Check your attempts. A screen tells you how many attempts you get per question; the hiring company sets this.
- Answer each question. A prep-time countdown runs, marked Not Recording; you can click Start Recording early. After a 3-second countdown, recording starts with a response timer. Click Done Answering, or the answer submits when time runs out.
- Finish. Your responses upload and the employer reviews them.
Two rules catch people out. Once you submit an answer, you can't go back to it, and HireVue's retake article says only the hiring company can authorize a full retake. Before you click Start Now, though, you can close the window and return to practice mode later with the same link. HireVue's FAQ suggests setting aside 45 minutes, an internet speed of at least 0.35 Mbps for on-demand interviews, and says you can pick up where you left off with the same link if you disconnect.
Accommodations, opt-outs and your data
- Extra time. Per HireVue's accommodations article, click "Click here to request accommodations" on the interview's first page, then Request Additional Time. Other accommodations go through the hiring company.
- Questions in advance. The FAQ says you may be able to ask for the interview questions in advance, and you can request accommodations from your recruiter or the hiring team.
- Opting out of AI. HireVue's AI Interviewer page lists AI opt-out paths, equivalent non-AI paths and access to human support. Ask the recruiter how that employer handles it.
- No previews. Candidates for the same position get identical questions and the same time, and HireVue says it prevents viewing questions early.
- Your recording. You can't review it in HireVue afterward; the hiring company decides whether to share it.
- Retention. HireVue keeps data for the retention period the employer chooses and then purges it; deletion requests go to the employer.
How to practice for a HireVue AI interview
HireVue's own tips page says to prepare as you would for any interview: research the role, think about how your skills match, and build a list of brief stories about challenges, the approach you took and the result. It suggests practicing answers out loud, recording yourself on a phone or computer, and using the practice questions inside the interview. It even says you can keep notes next to you as a reminder. Here is a plan that puts those tips in order.
| Day | Focus | What you should have at the end |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the job description and list the five or six competencies it stresses | A short list of what each question is likely aimed at |
| 2 | Write six to eight stories with a clear situation, action and result | One story for teamwork, conflict, a mistake, learning fast, a deadline and leading something |
| 3 | A scored mock interview built from your résumé and the job description | A score for each answer and a list of what to tighten |
| 4 | Timed practice: two-minute answers, plus "what would you do" scenarios answered out loud | Answers that land inside the limit without a long preamble |
| 5 | HireVue's practice questions on your real device, in your real room | No surprises about lighting, sound or the countdowns |
For day 2, the free STAR story builder gives each story a clear shape. For day 3, CoPilot Interview's desktop Mock Interview builds the interview from your résumé and a job description, reads each question aloud, scores your spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer, and ends with a report card. With nothing to install, the browser AI mock interview has 113 real questions across 9 tracks, including behavioral.
For the format in general, see what a one-way video interview is; for how employer AI interviews work across vendors, what an AI interviewer is; and for scoring and setup across platforms, how to pass an AI interview.
Rehearse before the real recording
CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview reads questions aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix, so your HireVue attempt isn't your first. The free plan includes 15 minutes every day.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
Does HireVue use AI to score interviews?
It depends on the format the employer chose. HireVue's video-based assessments use models to evaluate job-related competencies, and its AI Interviewer checks each answer against the employer's rubric. A plain on-demand video interview may simply be watched by the hiring team.
Does HireVue use facial recognition?
No. HireVue's candidate FAQ says it never uses the video recording of your interview to identify you, and that its assessments don't look at age, race, gender or résumé details such as GPA.
Can you retake a HireVue interview?
The hiring company sets how many attempts you get per question, and once you submit an answer you can't return to it. Only the hiring company can authorize a full retake, so contact them if something went wrong.
How long does a HireVue interview take?
HireVue says most assessments have five to eight questions and suggests setting aside 45 minutes. The overview screen at the start shows the number of questions and an estimated time for your interview.
Can I opt out of HireVue's AI?
HireVue's AI Interviewer page lists AI opt-out paths, equivalent non-AI paths and accommodation requests. Ask your recruiter how the employer handles it. For extra time on timed questions, use the accommodations link on the interview's first page.
Does a person see my HireVue interview?
Yes. HireVue says recruiters use its interviews and assessments to make a first cut, people make the hiring decisions, and most companies follow up with person-to-person interviews for finalists.
Can I use AI tools during a HireVue interview?
Take the assessment yourself and follow the employer's rules — use CoPilot Interview to practice beforehand. HireVue says there is no way to game its assessments, and its AI Interviewer can flag suspicious cases for human review.