The Kira video interview gives you one take per question, a short countdown to think, and a camera that starts recording on its own. Good preparation is less about memorizing answers and more about getting used to the format. Here is a plan you can follow in the week before your assessment.
1. Know your school's exact format
Every program sets its own number of questions, prep time and answer time. A 90-second answer and a 3-minute answer need very different structures. Check your school's instructions and the format table in our Kira guide, then practice with exactly those timings.
2. Build a bank of 6–8 stories
Most Kira questions can be answered with a story you already know well. Before you practice, write down a few bullet points for each of these:
- A time you led a team or took initiative
- A failure or mistake, and what you changed afterwards
- A conflict or disagreement you resolved
- A time you worked across cultures or with very different people
- Something you are genuinely passionate about outside work
- Your short-term goal, and why an MBA and this school
Keep them as bullets, not scripts. In the real assessment you will adapt a story to whatever question appears, and scripts tend to sound recited on camera.
3. Use the prep window with a simple structure
Thirty seconds goes fast. Decide on one structure in advance so you only have to pick the story, not invent the shape of the answer:
- Answer first. One sentence that directly answers the question.
- One example. The situation, what you did, and the result, in a few sentences.
- Why it matters. What you learned or how it connects to who you are now.
For 60–90 second answers, one example is enough. For 2–3 minute answers, add more detail on what you did and the outcome rather than a second story.
4. Practice under real timing
This is the step most applicants skip, and the one that makes the biggest difference. Answering in your head is not the same as answering on camera with a countdown.
- Do at least three full timed sessions before the real assessment.
- Don't pause or restart. Get used to recovering mid-answer.
- Watch your recordings back once and note one thing to fix each time.
- Practice questions you haven't seen, so you get used to the surprise.
5. Set up your camera and room
Camera and framing
- Put the camera at eye level. Stack books under a laptop if needed.
- Frame yourself from mid-chest up, with a little space above your head.
- Look at the camera lens, not at your own face on screen.
Light and sound
- Face a window or lamp. Avoid a bright window behind you.
- Choose a quiet room and close other apps that might make noise.
- Use wired earphones with a mic if your laptop mic picks up echo.
Background and dress
- Keep the background plain and tidy.
- Dress as you would for an interview with the school.
6. On the day
- Use a stable internet connection, wired if possible.
- Use the practice question to check your setup one last time.
- Keep a glass of water nearby and silence your phone.
- If you stumble, keep going. A calm recovery looks better than a perfect but stiff answer.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Reading from notes on screen. Eye movement is easy to spot on video.
- Spending the whole answer on background and running out of time.
- Giving the same story to every question.
- Practicing only without a timer, then freezing on the real countdown.