Kira Talent Interview: Video and Written Questions, School by School
Kira Talent is the platform many universities and business schools use for timed, recorded admissions interviews. You answer pre-recorded questions on camera, and sometimes in writing, before a deadline, with one attempt at each question.
Every school sets its own questions and timings, so this page explains how the platform works, lists the formats schools publish, and shows how to prepare. Facts come from Kira's help center and the schools' own pages, checked 29 October 2026.
Kira at a Glance
What is it?
An admissions assessment platform from Toronto-based Kira Talent, majority-owned by ETS since 2021.
What do you do?
Answer timed video questions on camera and, at some schools, timed written questions.
How long?
It depends on the school: from one 90-second question to about 40–50 minutes.
Can you redo it?
No. Practice questions can be repeated; real answers cannot. Only the school can allow a retake.
Who assesses it?
Reviewers at the school or raters Kira trains for it, using the school's own rubric.
What Is Kira Talent?
Kira Talent was founded in Toronto in 2012. ETS, the organisation behind the GRE and TOEFL, bought a majority stake in 2021, and Kira now runs as an ETS subsidiary. Kira says more than 750 programs use it, from undergraduate engineering, commerce and health sciences in Canada to MBA programs worldwide.
There are two formats. The asynchronous assessment, the subject of this page, is a one-way interview you complete alone before a deadline. A live interview is a scheduled video call with an interviewer, sometimes in several stations. Your invitation says which one you have.
How a Kira Assessment Works
Check-in. You open the link in your invitation, register, and test your webcam, microphone and browser.
Practice, if your school offers it. You can redo and replay practice answers as often as you like. Kira says practice questions may or may not resemble the real ones and the timings may differ.
Video questions. A recorded question plays once and its text stays on screen. A preparation timer runs, then recording starts and a response timer counts down.
Written questions. No video and no preparation time, but usually a longer response window. You type your answer.
Automatic submission. When the timer ends, your answer is submitted. You can submit early, but you cannot go back, re-record or replay a real answer.
Kira monitors activity and browser behaviour during the assessment and reports suspicious behaviour and technical problems to the school, and its SimCheck tool screens written answers for plagiarism and AI-generated text. Complete it yourself, in one sitting where you can.
Kira Formats by School
These are the formats schools publish on their admissions pages for the 2026–2027 cycle, plus one MBA format reported by consultants, marked as such. Your invitation is the final word.
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), School of Medicine MD
6 timed questions, video and written
All applicants are invited after an initial check of their application, and TMU uses the assessment to shortlist candidates for file review, before the interview. For 2027 entry the invitation is sent on 12 November 2026 and the assessment is completed between 19 and 22 November 2026. TMU does not publish the timings.
Video: 10 seconds to prepare, 2 minutes to answer. Written: the page gives 10 minutes in one place and 7 minutes in its FAQ, with no word limit. No redos. Assesses engagement, collaboration, innovation and creativity, and resilience; no technical questions. Opens 1 October 2026; high-school deadline 28 January 2027; $50 CAD fee.
McMaster University, DeGroote (Integrated Business and Humanities)
6 video questions + resume upload
2 minutes 30 seconds per question; the school suggests about 60 seconds to prepare and 90 to answer. At least 2 practice questions, then one attempt per question. Opens in early December; deadline 1 February. Outside help is not permitted. The Commerce supplementary application is optional.
Queen's University (Commerce, Nursing, Health Sciences)
1 written response + 1 video response
Required for Commerce, the four-year Bachelor of Nursing and on-campus Health Sciences. Fall-entry deadline 15 February; the page does not publish the timings.
Required for every engineering program except Architecture. The question asks about the experiences that motivated you to apply; you have 90 seconds and one attempt. Reviewers look at content, not polish.
2 video questions + 1 written question (reported, not confirmed by the school)
Consultants report about 30 seconds to prepare and 60–90 seconds per video answer, and about 10 minutes for the written answer. One forum post says Rotman has stopped using Kira, so check your invitation.
INSEAD's admissions blog confirms four video questions recorded on Kira Talent, and that you can practise as many times as you like. It does not give the timings; consultants report 45 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to answer each question.
Schools write their own questions and keep them confidential. Candidates and consultants describe a few recurring types; the examples below are our own, written to show each type.
Type
Example (ours)
How to approach it
Motivation
Why do you want to study in this program, and why now?
Name something specific to the program and link it to an experience of yours.
Behavioural
Tell us about a time a team you were part of disagreed. What did you do?
One real example: the situation, what you did, the result, what you learned.
Situational
A teammate on a group project stops replying two days before the deadline. What do you do?
Say what you would find out first, what you would do and why.
Unexpected
If you could add one course to any program, what would it be?
There is no right answer; give a clear choice and a reason that shows who you are.
Written
Write a short message to a classmate who missed an important group meeting.
Plan for a minute, then write in short paragraphs; leave time to reread.
Kira Talent Interview Questions to Practise
Twenty more questions, four of each type, written by Candidate Falcon. Answer them against a timer that matches your school's format, for example 90 seconds per video answer, and do not script the answers: your questions will be different.
Motivation
How do you think this field will change in the next ten years, and how do you want to be part of it?
Which part of this program are you most looking forward to, and why?
Which person or experience has most influenced the kind of professional you want to become?
What kind of learning environment helps you do your best work?
Behavioural
Tell us about a time you had to admit you did not know the answer.
Describe a time you had to work closely with someone you found difficult.
Tell us about a goal you did not reach. What did you take from it?
Tell us about a time you kept going after a setback outside school.
Situational
A teammate takes credit in front of the class for an idea you suggested. What do you do?
Your part-time job wants you to work extra shifts during your exam week. How do you handle it?
A friend asks you to proofread an essay and you realise most of it is copied from a website. What do you do?
You are leading a club event and the guest speaker cancels an hour before it starts. What do you do?
Unexpected
What is a small thing that always improves your day?
If you could spend a day shadowing anyone, who would it be and why?
What is a skill you have that would surprise people?
Describe your ideal weekend in three words, then explain them.
Written
Write an email to a professor asking for an extension on an assignment.
Write a short note to a new student explaining the one thing you wish you had known in your first week.
Write a message to your group explaining why you think the project plan needs to change.
Write a reply to a customer who is unhappy that their order arrived late.
How Your Kira Answers Are Assessed
Kira does not score you. Each school chooses the competencies it wants to see and a rubric, and its own reviewers, or raters Kira trains for the school, rate your answers. McMaster Engineering, for example, looks for engagement, collaboration, innovation and creativity, and resilience, and does not share its rubric. Waterloo Engineering says its reviewers assess the content of your answer, not a polished presentation, and that there is no single right answer.
So the goal is not a perfect performance. It is a clear, honest answer that shows the qualities the program says it values, delivered within the time.
How to Prepare for a Kira Talent Interview
Find your format. Read your invitation and your program's admissions page: how many questions, how long to prepare and answer, any written question, the deadline.
Practise out loud against a timer. Answer common questions in 60, 90 and 120 seconds. A simple shape works: your point, one concrete example, why it matters for this program.
Know why this program. Motivation questions are the most common. Have two or three specific reasons ready, linked to your own experiences.
Practise short preparation times. Some schools give only 10 seconds, so practise starting without notes.
Practise timed writing. Type an answer in 5 to 10 minutes and reread it before time runs out.
Set up early. A plain background, light in front of you, a quiet room, a charged laptop and a stable connection. Do the practice questions to test everything.
Finish before the deadline. Kira cannot extend deadlines or grant retakes; only your school can, so leave room for technical problems.
Want to rehearse with your school's timings?
Candidate Falcon's Kira-style practice runs the formats above, or your own, with a prep timer, timed video and written answers that submit automatically, and feedback on every answer. The questions are our own, and Candidate Falcon is not affiliated with Kira Talent, ETS or any school.
Kira Talent is an admissions platform that universities and business schools use for timed, recorded interviews. In the asynchronous (one-way) version you answer pre-recorded video questions on camera and some written questions by typing, on your own schedule before a deadline. Kira, majority-owned by ETS since 2021, says more than 750 programs use it.
How does a Kira video question work?
A pre-recorded question plays once, and its text stays on screen. A preparation timer counts down, then your recording starts and a response timer runs; a bar at the top shows the time left. When the time runs out your answer is submitted automatically, or you can submit early.
How do Kira written questions work?
You see the question and type your answer. Kira says written questions have no preparation time and often a longer response window than video questions. The answer is submitted automatically when time runs out. Kira’s product page says its SimCheck tool screens written answers for plagiarism and AI-generated text.
How many questions are in a Kira assessment and how long do you get?
Each school sets its own. For example, McMaster Engineering uses 3 video questions with 10 seconds to prepare and 2 minutes to answer, plus 1 written question; McMaster’s Integrated Business and Humanities program uses 6 video questions of 2 minutes 30 seconds; Waterloo Engineering uses 1 graded video question of 90 seconds. Check your invitation and your school’s admissions page.
Can you retake a Kira assessment?
Not normally. Once you submit an answer in the real assessment you cannot redo it, and Kira cannot grant retakes or extend deadlines. Only your school can, for example after a technical problem, so contact the school directly. Practice questions, when the school offers them, can be repeated as often as you like.
Are Kira practice questions the same as the real ones?
No. Kira says practice questions may or may not be related to the real questions, and the preparation and response times may differ. McMaster Engineering says its practice questions are completely different from the assessment questions. Use practice to test your camera and get used to the timers.
How is a Kira interview assessed?
By people at your school or by raters Kira trains for the school, using the school’s own competencies and rubric. McMaster Engineering, for example, assesses engagement, collaboration, innovation and creativity, and resilience, and does not share its rubric. Kira also monitors browser activity during the assessment and reports suspicious behaviour or technical problems to the school.
How should I prepare for a Kira Talent interview?
Find out your school’s format and timings, then practise answering out loud against a timer: a short structure (point, example, why it matters) for 60 to 120 seconds. Know why you want this specific program. Practise typing a clear answer under time pressure. Set up a plain background, good light and a quiet room, and finish well before the deadline.
Does Candidate Falcon offer Kira practice?
Yes. Candidate Falcon’s Kira-style practice runs the formats McMaster, Queen’s and Waterloo publish, a reported MBA format or your own timings, with video and written questions, practice and exam modes, and feedback on every answer. The questions are our own, and Candidate Falcon is not affiliated with Kira Talent or ETS. It is included in the video interview plans.
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