Quick answer: Mercor screens every applicant with an AI interviewer that asks role-specific questions, records a transcript and scores your answers. Most interviews take about 20 minutes. You can take a free practice interview as often as you like, retake the real one up to three times, and you only complete each unique interview once (Mercor AI interview help, checked on 8 November 2026).
Everything below comes from Mercor's help centre unless it says otherwise.
How the Mercor AI interview works
You start it from the Application tab of your Mercor dashboard, at a time that suits you. The AI interviewer asks questions for the listing, Mercor generates a transcript, and the interview is evaluated for that role. If another application needs the same interview, your existing result is reused.
Some interviews go deep into your past experience; others test language or reasoning. Some include a whiteboard, which saves automatically, and some ask you to share your full screen.
Practice interview and retakes
Mercor offers a free practice interview that is not tied to any application and does not affect your chances. Take it at least once.
You can retake an official interview up to three times across all applications that use it. A retake resets your application progress, hiring managers can see how many times you retook it, and the waiting room asks you to keep retakes for technical problems. So treat the first attempt as the real one.
Set-up: browser, camera and sound
Mercor recommends the latest Google Chrome; Edge and Safari are supported and Firefox is not. Some interviews need a computer: on a phone you will see "This interview needs a computer" and can copy the link to open it on a laptop.
Use a quiet room and a stable connection, keep your whole face visible with light in front of you, and wear headphones with an external microphone if you can. Run the set-up checks and the test sound in the waiting room. Interviews are in English unless stated, and captions are on by default.
Keep pen and paper, and a calculator if relevant, next to you.
Answering when the interviewer is an AI
Speak clearly and keep answers concise. Long silences can make the AI interject; if it interrupts before you finish, tell it you were not done. If a question is unclear, ask it to repeat or clarify.
Structure each answer: the answer first, then how you did it, then the result. Use real numbers from your work where you can. For behavioural questions, the STAR method guide shows the format, and the recruiter phone screen guide covers the background questions that often come first.
Mercor's rules on AI tools
Mercor asks candidates to follow its LLM usage policy: you may check grammar and wording, but you must not use large language models to compose your responses, rate model responses, write rationales or explanations, or evaluate code. It also asks you not to share specific questions or screenshots online.
Mercor says it keeps recordings and transcripts of official interviews to evaluate you and recommend your profile, does not sell interview data, does not use it to train AI models, and does not share practice interviews with companies.
Practise beforehand, then interview on your own
CrackInterviewAI is a Windows 10/11 app that turns a spoken or typed practice question into a short answer outline using your resume and the job description. New accounts get 30 free minutes; after that, international prices start at $3.99 for one hour, with no subscription (USD plans). Use it to rehearse before the interview, never during an AI interview whose rules forbid outside help. Download for Windows.
Practise before your Mercor interview
Rehearse role-specific answers out loud with your resume as context. New accounts get 30 free minutes on Windows.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Mercor AI interview?
Mercor says most interviews take about 20 minutes, though some are shorter or longer.
Can I retake the Mercor AI interview?
Yes, up to three times across all applications that use the same interview. A retake resets your application progress, and hiring managers can see your retake count.
Is there a Mercor practice interview?
Yes. Mercor offers a free practice interview that is not linked to any application, does not affect your opportunities and is not shared with companies.
Which browser should I use for the Mercor interview?
The latest Google Chrome is recommended. Edge and Safari are supported; Firefox is not.
Can I use AI chatbots or other AI tools during the Mercor interview?
Mercor's policy allows grammar and wording checks but not using large language models to compose your answers, rate responses, write explanations or evaluate code.
Keep exploring
Return to the CrackInterviewAI homepage to download the Windows app, or browse all guides on the interview prep blog.