Video interview tips: how to prepare for a one-way interview

A one-way video interview, also called a pre-recorded or on-demand interview, asks you to record answers to set questions on a platform such as HireVue, with no interviewer on the call. You usually get some thinking time, then a fixed time to record each answer. Each employer decides how many questions there are, how long you get and whether you can re-record, so read the instructions carefully and always take the practice question. Prepare five or six real examples, put your camera at eye level with light in front of you, and give each answer a clear structure.

How does a one-way video interview work?#

Prospects describes pre-recorded interviews as questions shown on screen, as a video or in writing, that you answer on camera, often to a time limit, at a time of your choosing up to a deadline. The National Careers Service says they usually open at a set time and stay open for a few days.

The settings belong to the employer, not the platform, so two interviews on the same software can feel quite different. Two published examples:

• EDF. Its early careers video interview has four questions and takes 15 to 20 minutes. You get some thinking time before each question, up to three minutes to record, and the option to re-record. You have five days from receiving the link.
• PwC. Its early careers process includes an on-demand video interview on the SHL platform. Questions appear on screen, you describe your experience, and one of its assessors reviews your answers afterwards.

The University of Oxford Careers Service notes that some platforms let you do a practice question and re-record answers, choosing the one you think is best. Others do not. Before you press start, find out:

• how many questions there are
• how much thinking time and answer time you get
• whether you can re-record, and how many times
• the deadline, including the time of day
• whether there is a practice question

How is it different from a live video interview?#

A live video interview is an ordinary interview held over Microsoft Teams, Zoom or similar, with an interviewer or panel asking questions in real time. A one-way interview has no one on the other end.

The Oxford careers service points out that in a pre-recorded interview there is no opportunity for the interviewer to ask you to clarify an answer, so each answer has to make sense on its own. For live interviews, the National Careers Service advises telling the interviewer if something goes wrong technically, and restarting if you need to.

What questions do video interviews ask?#

Most one-way interviews ask the same kinds of question as a first-round interview:

• Motivation: why this role, why this employer, why this sector. EDF says its questions cover your motivation for applying and the key skills for the role.
• Competency or experience: “Tell me about a time when you…” questions, where you describe something you have done.
• Strengths: what you enjoy and what you do well.
• Situational: what you would do in a given work scenario.
• Role-specific: for technical roles, perhaps a question about a project or a tool you have used.

Typical questions look like this:

• Why have you applied to this programme?
• Tell me about a time you worked with others to reach a goal.
• Describe a time you had to learn something new quickly.
• Tell me about something that did not go to plan. What did you do?
• What would you do if two deadlines landed on the same day?

Our guide to graduate interview questions explains what each type of question is testing and how to prepare for it.

How do you set up for a video interview?#

• Camera at eye level. Prospects and the National Careers Service both recommend this. Raise a laptop on books. EDF suggests propping a phone up so it is stable and your hand is not shaking.
• Light in front of you. Prospects suggests natural light from a window or a lamp in front of the camera, to avoid shadows. Do not sit with a bright window behind you.
• Good sound. Choose a quiet room with the door closed. The National Careers Service suggests headphones. Prospects advises closing any software that might play notification sounds and silencing your phone.
• A stable connection. Plug in or charge your device, check your internet connection, and log in with at least half an hour to spare, as the National Careers Service suggests.
• A plain background. A tidy wall is fine. Remove anything you would not want an employer to see.
• A test run. Prospects suggests testing your equipment a few days before. Use the practice question to check the picture and sound and, as the National Careers Service suggests, whether you can stop or re-record.

How do you structure an answer in the time you are given?#

With no interviewer to prompt you, structure does the work. For “tell me about a time” questions, use STAR: the situation, the task, the action you took and the result. For a two-minute limit, a rough split is:

• Situation and task: 20 to 30 seconds. Just enough context to follow the story.
• Action: about a minute. What you did, step by step, using “I” rather than “we”.
• Result: 20 to 30 seconds. What changed, with a number if you have one, and what you learned.

A few habits help:

• Use the thinking time to jot three or four keywords, not a script.
• Open with a one-sentence answer to the question, then give the example.
• Look at the camera lens, not at your own face on the screen, and speak clearly. Oxford’s careers service suggests practising by recording yourself under the same conditions, and your phone is enough.
• If re-records are allowed, decide in advance to use them only for a real problem, such as losing your thread completely. The first solid take is usually good enough.

Are video interviews scored by AI?#

Sometimes, but it depends on the employer, and some large employers say people review the answers.

• Some employers say people do the scoring. EDF says your answers “will be reviewed by our trained Recruitment Team - no computers involved”. PwC says it does “not use AI to assess candidate performance within the Early Careers selection process”. Oxford’s careers service says pre-recorded interviews are usually reviewed by members of the recruitment team.
• HireVue dropped facial analysis. In a January 2021 statement, HireVue said that early in 2020 it removed the visual analysis component from all of its new assessments, because advances in language analysis meant visual analysis no longer added significant value. Its 2025 explainability statement says that where its AI is used, it relies only on what the candidate says, converted to text, and does not assess facial expressions, body language, background or tone of voice. The statement also says the final decision always remains with the employer, and that candidates who opt out of AI evaluation have their answers rated by recruiters instead.
• The UK regulator has audited these tools. In November 2024 the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) reported on AI recruitment tools, including tools that score competencies from transcripts of video interviews. It found the tools it reviewed were designed to support human recruiters rather than make decisions on their own, and made almost 300 recommendations. These included that recruiters must tell candidates how AI will process their information, and that tools should prevent recruiters from progressing or rejecting candidates based only on AI scores.
• AI is used less than students think. In a Prospects survey published by the Institute of Student Employers in June 2026, 95% of students and graduates believed employers use AI to shortlist applicants. ISE employer data, however, suggests most assessment and decision-making remains human-led, and that use of AI in hiring is currently minimal.

In practice, what you say matters most either way: relevant, specific examples that answer the question asked. If you want to know how your recording will be assessed, read the employer’s privacy notice or ask the recruiter.

Can you ask for reasonable adjustments?#

Yes. The disability charity Scope explains that in England, Scotland and Wales employers must provide reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, and gives examples such as more time, the interview questions in advance, and help with computer-based tasks. It advises asking as early as possible and summarising your request in an email, so there is a written record.

Employers often say what they can offer. EDF, for example, says it can provide an audio-only option or other adjustments if you tell it in advance. If a timed, on-camera format would put you at a disadvantage, contact the recruiter before you start, not after you have submitted. Your university careers service or disability service can help you work out what to ask for.

Video interview checklist for the day#

The day before

• Reread the job description and the employer’s values, and note five or six examples you could use.
• Check the instructions: number of questions, timings, retakes and the deadline.
• Test your camera, microphone and connection on the device you will use.
• Book a quiet room and a time, and tell anyone you live with.

On the day

• Charge or plug in, close other apps and notifications, and put your phone on silent.
• Set your camera at eye level, with light in front of you and a plain background.
• Dress as you would for an in-person interview.
• Have water, a pen and paper for keywords.
• Do the practice question.
• Look at the lens, speak a little slower than normal, and smile at the start.
• If something goes wrong, take a screenshot and email the recruiter straight away.
• Leave plenty of time before the deadline, not the final hour.

Afterwards, write down the questions while you remember them. They are useful practice for the next stage, which for many graduate schemes is an assessment centre.