Technical phone screen
A senior engineer runs a 30-minute technical screen: system design basics, trade-offs, and how you reason about a problem out loud.
No account needed · First session free today · Instant scored feedback
1 practice runs · average score 7.1/10
Who will I be talking to?
Marcus Obi. The AI plays a hard counterpart who stays in character for the whole conversation, asks one question at a time, and pushes back when your answers are vague. It never coaches you mid-conversation; feedback comes at the end.
What is the goal of this scenario?
Think out loud, clarify requirements before designing, propose a concrete data model and ID strategy, explain caching and failure modes, and defend trade-offs when challenged.
What will the AI ask me?
It opens with: Hi, Marcus here. Quick format: a few minutes on your background, then one design problem we'll work through together. To start, what's the most interesting technical thing you've shipped in the last year, and what was hard about it?
From there it follows your answers with realistic follow-ups, so no two runs are the same. The conversation lasts up to 14 of your turns, or you can end it early to get scored.
How is my score calculated?
You get a score out of 10 for each of these criteria, and an overall score weighted as shown. Each criterion comes with a one-line note on what you did and what to change.
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Clarifying requirements 20%
Asks about scale, read/write ratio, and constraints before jumping into a solution.
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Technical depth 30%
Proposes a workable data model, ID scheme, and caching layer with correct reasoning.
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Trade-off reasoning 25%
Explains why one approach was chosen over alternatives and acknowledges its costs.
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Thinking out loud 15%
Narrates reasoning clearly so the interviewer can follow, including when uncertain.
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Composure 10%
Handles pushback and hints without getting flustered or defensive.
How hard is it?
Difficulty 4 of 5 (hard). Expect interruptions, skepticism, and demands for evidence. After your first run you can retry at a harder level.
Do I need an account?
No. You can run one free session a day without signing up and see your overall score. A free account unlocks full coaching notes, five scored sessions a month, history, and shareable results.
People also ask
How do I practice for a job interview by myself?
Pick an interview scenario, answer each question out loud or by typing as if it were real, and read the scored feedback at the end. Repeat the same scenario at a harder difficulty until your answers are specific and under two minutes.
What is the STAR method and does the AI check for it?
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. The rubric on most interview scenarios rewards answers that follow that arc, name what you personally did, and state a measurable outcome.
How many practice interviews should I do before the real one?
Most people see clear gains after three to five sessions. Spread them over a few days so you can act on the feedback between runs rather than repeating the same mistakes.
Will the AI interviewer ask follow-up questions?
Yes. The persona probes vague answers the way a real interviewer does, asking what exactly you did and what happened. Higher difficulty levels push harder and interrupt rambling.
Is AI interview practice free?
You can run one free interview session a day without an account. A free account gives five scored sessions a month, and paid plans unlock more sessions and deeper feedback.