Kira Talent is the video platform many nursing, PA, pharmacy, dental, vet, OT, and graduate programs use for admissions interviews. A Kira interview can be live or recorded. In a recorded one, you see a question, get a few seconds to think, and answer to your camera on a timer, with no one on the other end. Here is how Kira works, the settings named programs use, and how to prepare, from Kira’s applicant help center and programs’ own pages.
From Kira Talent and programs’ own admissions pages2026-27 cycleChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:Two kindsHow it worksSettings by programQuestionsHow to prepareFAQ
Two kinds of Kira interview
Kira says it “has two types of assessments: an asynchronous assessment and a live interview” (Kira Talent).
- Asynchronous (recorded). “You record timed video and/or written responses to questions that have been pre-recorded by the school.” “There is no live interviewer.” You do it on your own time before a deadline.
- Live. “You connect directly with an interviewer in real time and move through different questions or stations automatically.” It is scheduled for a set date and time. Some schools run virtual MMIs this way.
Your invitation tells you which one you have. Kira says a live interview email “will usually use the word ‘interview’” and a recorded one “will usually use the word ‘assessment.’”
How a recorded Kira interview works
For video questions, “A pre-recorded video will play for you once,” and the question text stays on screen while you prepare and answer. When the prep time ends, your camera records until the response time runs out or you submit. Written questions are different: “There is no video and no preparation time, but written questions often have a longer response time” (Kira Talent).
- One attempt. “Once your responses to an asynchronous assessment have been submitted, you cannot redo individual questions.” Only the school can grant a retake (Kira Talent).
- Practice first, if offered. During practice “you can redo questions” and replay your answers. In the real one you can’t. Practice questions “may or may not be related to the real assessment” (Kira Talent).
- Set aside time to check in. Kira suggests setting aside 15 to 30 minutes for check-in the first time, before the assessment itself (Kira Talent).
- Activity is monitored. “The Kira platform monitors for suspicious and potentially fraudulent behavior during your assessment and reports this information to the school” (Kira Talent).
Each school sets its own number of questions, prep time, and response time. Your check-in page shows them before you start.
Kira settings at named programs
These come from each program’s own page. Check the page and your invitation for every program you apply to.
| Program | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| Washington State (BSN) | 7 video questions | You get “typically 15 seconds to prepare your response,” with “most questions giving you 120 seconds.” The whole assessment “should take no longer than 30 minutes.” Source |
| UTEP (PharmD) | Recorded round, then live Zoom | Part I on Kira: “45 seconds of preparation time” and “two minutes to record their response.” Part II is a live Zoom interview. Source |
| Des Moines University (PA) | Recorded, about 20 to 30 minutes | “You will be asked a question and given prep time and a set amount of time to respond.” Source |
| Yale (nursing) | Written and video | “The assessment takes approximately 25-30 minutes to complete and includes both written and video-response questions.” You have 2 weeks to finish it. Source |
| Utah State (DVM) | 2 videos and 1 essay | “This assessment will consist of two video responses and one essay response.” It “must be completed within 7 days” of the invitation. Source |
| NYU (DDS) | Recorded, then Candidate Day | “Each applicant to NYU Dentistry must complete an asynchronous video interview via Kira Talent.” Source |
| Baylor (OTD) | Recorded interview | “All interviews are conducted using a video-based platform called Kira Talent.” Source |
| Rosalind Franklin (CRNA) | Recorded, then live small group | “an asynchronous virtual interview, a synchronous virtual small group interview,” with the recorded part on Kira Talent. Source |
| UC Davis (DVM) | Live virtual MMI | “a circuit of 10 stations” in “virtual MMI's conducted using Kira Talent.” Source |
At several of these programs, the recorded round is a first step, not the whole interview. Utah State uses Kira before it invites applicants to interviews, NYU follows it with an in-person Candidate Day, and Rosalind Franklin follows it with a live small group. In pharmacy, the accreditor ACPE told deans that “a pre-recorded video would not meet the expectations outlined in the Standard” for the admission interview (ACPE letter to deans, April 2022), so pharmacy schools with a Kira round also interview live.
What Kira questions look like
Kira doesn’t write the questions; each school records its own. Kira says the platform gives you “the opportunity to showcase your personality, communication skills, and other important qualities to the school’s admissions team beyond your written application” (Kira Talent). Washington State says its Kira round helps it “understand how well you think on your feet” (Washington State).
Schools don’t publish their Kira questions. These are my practice prompts, written to match standard admissions interview topics. They are not questions any school has published:
- Why do you want to enter this profession?
- Why our program?
- Tell us about a time you worked on a team that wasn’t working well. What did you do?
- Describe a mistake you made and what you did about it.
- A classmate asks you for your answers on a take-home exam. What do you do?
- What will you bring to our class that others might not?
At some programs, the reviewers see only your Kira answers. Washington State says its reviewers “have no other information on the other elements of your application” (Washington State). Your answers should still match what you wrote, so reread your own personal statement before you start. If you haven’t submitted yet, see our personal statement examples by program, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor.
How to prepare for a Kira interview
- Read your invitation and check-in page first. Note the number of questions, the prep time, the response time, and the deadline.
- Use the practice questions. Kira calls practice “the best way to get comfortable with how timed questions work in Kira” (Kira Talent).
- Practice short prep times. With 15 to 45 seconds to think, you won’t write anything out. Decide on one point and one example, then talk.
- Practice to the clock. Answer on a timer until you can land a complete answer in 60 to 120 seconds without rushing the ending.
- Record yourself and watch it. If you haven’t been invited yet, Kira suggests “recording yourself answering common interview questions using your computer’s camera, then reviewing your responses” (Kira Talent).
- Set up the room. Kira recommends “a well-lit room with a plain, uncluttered background,” turning off notifications, and closing other apps. For clothing, “Business casual attire is typically recommended” (Kira Talent).
- Don’t read a script. Rosalind Franklin says “Genuine, spontaneous, and candid responses to interview questions are highly valued” (Rosalind Franklin).
Some programs also require Casper, a separate online situational judgment test with its own video section. See our Casper test guide. For live station interviews, see the MMI guide.
Practice with a real interviewer before the real one. My wife, Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who runs mock interviews on Zoom for nursing, PA, and other health and graduate program applicants. She coaches every format: one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video interviews such as Kira Talent. She works on how your answers come across: clear key words, pace, voice, filler words, organizing an answer so it has a point, staying steady when you're nervous, and how you look and sound on camera. It's $250 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Kira Talent interview?
An admissions interview on Kira’s video platform. In an asynchronous one, you record timed answers to questions the school pre-recorded, with no live interviewer. Kira also runs live interviews.
How much prep time do you get on Kira?
It depends on the school. Washington State’s BSN assessment typically gives 15 seconds to prepare and 120 seconds to answer. UTEP’s pharmacy round gives 45 seconds to prepare and two minutes to answer. Written questions have no prep time.
Can you redo a Kira answer?
Not in the real assessment. Kira says you cannot redo questions once submitted; only the school can grant a retake. In the practice section, you can redo and replay answers.
How long does a Kira assessment take?
It varies by school. Washington State says no longer than 30 minutes, Yale says about 25 to 30 minutes, and Des Moines University says about 20 to 30 minutes. Kira suggests 15 to 30 minutes for check-in the first time.
Does Kira watch what I do during the assessment?
Yes. Kira says the platform monitors for suspicious and potentially fraudulent behavior and reports it to the school.
What should I wear for a Kira interview?
Kira says business casual is typically recommended, unless your school gives a dress code.
Every format detail and quotation on this page comes from Kira Talent’s applicant help center, ACPE, or the program’s own admissions page, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.