One-Way, Live & Which Schools Use It
Kira Talent is a platform, not a test. Your school decides whether you record timed answers alone or meet interviewers live, how long you get and who scores you. This guide covers both formats, the programs that use Kira and how to practice.
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Photo: Adam Sofen · CC BY 2.0 · Photo: University of Alabama at Birmingham · Public domain · Photo: Rytyho usa · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kira Talent is an admissions platform, not a test. Each school writes its own questions, sets its own timers and scores the answers with its own reviewers. Kira offers schools two ways to assess applicants: an asynchronous assessment, where you record timed video and timed written answers to questions the school has pre-recorded, and live interviewing, which Kira says covers everything “from one-on-one to panel interviews and Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMIs).”
That is why two applicants can describe “the Kira interview” in completely different ways. At the University of Cincinnati it is six recorded questions you answer alone, before two live one-on-one interviews on Microsoft Teams. At UAB Heersink it is the whole virtual interview day: a one-on-one interview plus a nine-station MMI. James Cook University’s pages describe a live online panel for Medicine.
There is no Kira score that follows you from school to school: Kira says your responses “can only be accessed by the school you applied to.” So prepare for the version your school runs, not for Kira in general. Your invitation, and the Learn More slides on your Kira check-in page, tell you which version you have.
Check-in and the finish follow the same pattern everywhere, though your school picks the check-in steps. In between, it chooses one-way video questions, written questions, a live interview, or a mix.
The link in your invitation opens a landing page. Click Learn More first: the second slide lists the type and number of questions or stations and the expected duration. Then click Check In. Depending on how your school set it up, the steps are a welcome video, registration, supplemental materials, device setup, payment, practice, and finally the assessment or live interview. Each step stays grayed out until you finish the ones before it, and you can leave and come back any time before your deadline or start time.
A pre-recorded video of the question plays once. The question text stays on screen through your preparation time and your response time, and a countdown and timer bar show what is left. Your recording submits automatically when the response time ends, or you can click Submit to finish early.
The question appears as text for the whole response time. There is no video and no preparation time, but Kira says written questions “often have a longer response time.” Your answer submits automatically when time runs out.
Live interviews run at a fixed date and time. Each station starts with preparation time, then a 10-second connection period, then live time with your interviewer. Some stations show the question during prep, some show “There is no question for this station” and the interviewer asks it live, and some are rest stations where you are not assessed. Expect follow-up questions, and when one station ends you move straight into the prep time for the next.
You see a closing video, a short feedback form and a page that says you have completed your assessment or interview. Clicking your invitation link again later shows a submission confirmation page if everything went through. Your school’s portal can take time to update: Kira suggests checking again after a day, then contacting the school if it still has not changed.
Kira does not set a standard length; your school does. Kira suggests 15 to 30 minutes for a first check-in (registration, device setup and practice) on top of the assessment itself. What schools publish:
Your check-in page may include a practice step; whether it does is up to the school. Practice questions are always one-way, even if your real interview is live. You can redo them, replay your recordings and repeat them as often as you like, and nobody else sees them. Kira warns that practice questions “may or may not be related” to the real ones, and that preparation and response times may also differ.
In the real assessment you get one attempt per question or station. Once you submit a one-way answer you cannot redo it, once a live station ends you cannot repeat it, and you cannot watch your answers back. Kira cannot grant retakes, extend deadlines or reschedule live interviews: only your school can, at its discretion, for example after a technical problem. Marian says applicants whose recordings are affected by technical difficulties will be allowed a retake under its policy.
Some schools give you a window, some a fixed slot. TMU’s 2027-cycle window is November 19 to 22, 2026, and JCU’s interviews usually run in two rounds, late November and early January, so check your invitation for your slot. The University of Vermont requires you to log in to Kira, set up your profile and complete the practice question at least 12 hours before interview day, or you will not be permitted to interview.
No complete public list exists, and Kira does not publish one for applicants. The table lists programs whose own admissions pages name Kira: MD and DO programs in the US, Canadian MD programs, the University of Auckland’s MBChB in New Zealand, James Cook University’s MBBS in Australia, and two physician assistant programs.
The column that matters most is how each school uses Kira. A one-way assessment, a live MMI and a written autobiographical sketch need different preparation even though they all happen “on Kira.” If your school is not listed, check its interview page and your invitation: prep blogs that list Kira schools are often several cycles old. Applying in New Zealand or Australia? See our guides to Auckland’s Kira MMI and the JCU medicine interview.
| Program | How it uses Kira | What the school says |
|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine MD · US | How it uses KiraLive virtual interview day | What the school saysInterviews are held virtually on Kira Talent: one traditional one-on-one interview with an admissions committee member and a nine-station MMI, plus a student panel. Interviewers see your AMCAS and secondary applications but not your grades, MCAT scores or letters. Source |
| California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM) MD · US | How it uses KiraOne-way video and written | What the school saysCUSM administers the Kira Timed Video Assessment and Timed Written Assessment during its September 2026 to April 2027 interview invitation period. Casper is also required for applicants invited to the secondary. Source |
| University of California, Irvine School of Medicine MD · US | How it uses KiraOne-way video, before interview day | What the school saysA required Kira Talent Video Assessment of six core competencies, completed asynchronously before your scheduled interview day. The interviews themselves are with faculty and current medical students. Source |
| Roseman University College of Medicine MD · US | How it uses KiraOne-way video and written (secondary stage) | What the school saysA Kira Video Assessment of timed video and written responses is part of the secondary application, alongside essay questions. Roseman says it looks at communication, professionalism, problem-solving and critical thinking. Source |
| University of Cincinnati College of Medicine MD · US | How it uses KiraOne-way video, then live on Teams | What the school saysFor 2026–27: an informational webinar, then a required six-question asynchronous Kira interview reviewed by trained professionals, then two one-on-one Microsoft Teams interviews (one faculty member, one student). The live interviews depend on completing Kira first. No outside help or AI tools, and no sharing of interview content. Source |
| Burnett School of Medicine at TCU MD · US | How it uses KiraMMI on Kira during a virtual visit | What the school saysInvited applicants attend a three-day virtual visit and complete multiple mini interviews on the Kira platform on the Monday afternoon. The school does not publish the station count or length. Source |
| University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine MD · US | How it uses KiraVirtual MMI on Zoom and Kira | What the school saysInterview day starts at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on Zoom and Kira Talent and includes an MMI circuit. Set up your Kira profile and complete the practice question at least 12 hours before, or you cannot interview. Laptop or desktop only. Source |
| Marian University Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine DO · US | How it uses KiraLive group session, then one-way video | What the school saysThe COMversation is a live session on Kira of about 3 hours, with up to six applicants per group. It is followed by a recorded Kira video assessment of up to 45 minutes, with one chance per question, due within three days. Practice is unlimited and Kira is free to applicants. Source |
| University of Northern Colorado College of Osteopathic Medicine DO · US | How it uses KiraLive one-on-one on Kira | What the school saysSelected applicants first take an asynchronous MMI (the page does not name its platform). Based on the results, some are invited to a live virtual one-on-one, semi-structured interview on Kira Talent. Source |
| Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine DO · US | How it uses KiraLive one-on-one | What the school saysA 30-minute live virtual interview with a DMU faculty member on Kira Talent, held on select Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. It follows a separate virtual dean’s overview on Zoom. Source |
| Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine MD · Canada | How it uses KiraOne-way video and written (shortlisting) | What the school saysEvery applicant is invited. There are six timed video and written questions on mission and values, communication, reasoning and problem-solving. Invitations go out November 12, 2026 and the assessment is completed November 19 to 22, 2026. The results produce the shortlist for file review, and you can take it from any country. Source |
| Western University, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry MD · Canada | How it uses KiraWritten autobiographical sketch | What the school saysThe Western Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) is completed on Kira Talent after the OMSAS application closes. It is a written component, separate from Western’s interviews. Source |
| Memorial University of Newfoundland, Faculty of Medicine MD · Canada | How it uses KiraVirtual MMI and Competency Assessment | What the school saysInterviews are virtual on Kira Talent: an 80-minute MMI and a 30-minute Competency Assessment built around the CanMEDS roles, with personal questions about your experiences. Source |
| University of Auckland MBChB · New Zealand | How it uses KiraOne-way MMI | What the school saysEight stations: seven assessed plus one ID station, each with 30 seconds to read and 3 minutes to answer. Everyone sits it at one fixed time (11:00 a.m., September 8, 2026 for 2027 entry). Handwritten notes are allowed during the 30 seconds. Source |
| James Cook University MBBS · Australia | How it uses KiraLive online panel (as JCU describes it) | What the school saysJCU’s pages describe a live online panel interview booked and held on Kira Talent. Panels typically include a health practitioner, an academic and a community member, and interviews usually run in two rounds, late November and early January. JCU’s pages block automated readers, so confirm on your invitation. Source |
| McMaster University Physician Assistant Program Physician assistant · Canada | How it uses KiraVirtual MMI (video and written) | What the school saysThe virtual MMI runs on Kira with video and written prompts on communication, collaboration, ethics, health policy, critical thinking, health issues in Canada and personal qualities. There are no science questions. You complete it alone, after signing an integrity agreement. Source |
| Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Physician Assistant Program Physician assistant · US | How it uses KiraMMI stations and individual interview | What the school saysOHSU uses Kira for its MMI stations and the individual interview, with Webex for the group activity and program events. Practice questions and a device check are available beforehand. Source |
Most Kira windows open within days or weeks of the invitation, so plan from the day it arrives.
Open it, click Check In, then Learn More. Write down the type and number of questions or stations, the expected duration, and your deadline or live slot with its time zone. Check whether the questions are video, written or both, and whether the interview is one-way or live.
Complete registration, device setup and any payment now, not the night before. If you need accommodations, ask the school straight away; Kira’s accessibility team can also contact the school for you. Run the practice step once to see how the timers feel.
Read the school’s mission statement and list three things that connect to your own experience. Write down eight to ten short stories from your application: a setback, a team conflict, a time you were wrong, a patient or client interaction, a leadership moment, something you would do differently. For each, note what happened, what you did and what you learned, in one line each. Read up on two or three health issues in your school’s region in enough depth to argue both sides.
Answer the practice prompts below on camera, using your school’s timings if it publishes them (otherwise try 30 seconds to prepare and 2 minutes to answer). Watch every recording once, and check whether you answered the question in your first two sentences and finished before the cutoff. For written questions, type answers against a timer with Grammarly and other extensions off, as Kira asks. For a live interview, rehearse with a person who interrupts with follow-up questions.
Run Kira’s practice step again in the room, on the device and at the time of day you will use. Replay the recordings to check lighting, framing and sound. Install operating system and browser updates now, so nothing restarts mid-assessment.
Close other apps and tabs, turn off notifications on every device, plug in, and start early. If you are working to a window, do not wait for the last day: a problem then leaves no time for the school to help. Afterward, use your invitation link to confirm your submission, and contact the school if its portal has not updated after a day.
A one-way answer has no interviewer to rescue you. Nobody nods, asks you to go on or steers you back to the question, so the structure has to be yours.
In a video question the text stays on screen during prep and response, so you do not need to memorize it. Use the seconds to pick one example and your first sentence. Take notes only if your school allows them: Auckland lets you write handwritten notes during its 30-second preparation time. Cincinnati also requires you to complete every part on your own, without help from other people or AI tools.
A shape that fits two or three minutes:
Kira’s own tip is to look into the camera while speaking, which reads as eye contact. Put the camera at eye level so the screen sits just below it.
Your answer submits when the time ends, mid-sentence or not, so aim to finish with about 15 seconds left. If you go blank, say so in a sentence and start again from your answer; a short pause reads better than filler. Kira tells applicants that “fitting more words into your response does not necessarily make it stronger.”
You get no prep time, so spend the first moments on a one-line plan, then put your answer in your opening sentence. Kira asks you to turn off browser extensions, including Grammarly, so proofread yourself before time runs out.
You get 10 seconds between prep and live time: use them to sit back and breathe. Expect follow-ups, and answer the new question directly rather than repeating your prepared point. If a station shows “There is no question for this station”, the interviewer will ask it live.
These ten prompts were written for this guide in the style of Kira video and written questions. They are not taken from any school’s assessment: schools such as Cincinnati make applicants agree not to share interview content. Set a timer, record yourself on the video prompts and type the written ones, then watch or read your answer back once before moving on.
The timer on each card is our suggested practice setting, not any school’s timing. Use your school’s own timings when it publishes them.
Tests: Openness, reflection and whether you can describe your own thinking honestly.
Approach: Open with what you used to believe and what you believe now, in one sentence. Then give the conversation that shifted you, why it landed, and one thing you now do differently. Choose a real disagreement over a trivial one.
Tests: Integrity, fairness and how you raise a concern without jumping to conclusions.
Approach: Say first that you would talk to the classmate privately before doing anything else, because you might be wrong. Weigh fairness to other students and the classmate’s own learning. Explain when you would take it further, and to whom.
Tests: Patient safety, knowing the limits of your role and respect for the patient.
Approach: Lead with safety: you would not explain medication beyond your role or language ability. Acknowledge the patient’s worry, find the pharmacist or clinician, and ask about phone interpreting. Say what you can do meanwhile, such as staying with them.
Tests: Awareness of community needs, motivation and depth of understanding.
Approach: Name a specific problem, not a broad field. Say who it affects and why it persists, and link it to something you have seen or done. Close with one realistic thing a doctor could contribute.
Tests: Resilience, ownership and written clarity under time pressure.
Approach: Start with the setback in one sentence, without excuses. Spend most of your words on the concrete steps you took that week, then one line on what you would repeat or change. Keep it to three short paragraphs.
Tests: Balanced reasoning, understanding of access and safety trade-offs, and taking a position.
Approach: Argument for: faster access, especially where clinics are scarce. Argument against: missed diagnoses and fragmented records. Finish with a clear view and the safeguard that would make it work, such as referral rules or shared records.
Tests: Teamwork, leadership and empathy under pressure.
Approach: Step one: reach out privately and ask how they are, without accusing them. Step two: agree on a realistic share of the work, or reassign it with the group. Step three: tell the instructor early if the deadline is at risk. Mention that there may be a personal reason behind the silence.
Tests: Mission fit and whether you have researched the program.
Approach: Pick one or two features of the school’s mission or curriculum and connect each to something you have actually done. Then name a concrete contribution, such as a skill, a perspective or a project you would continue. Avoid praise that would fit any school.
Tests: Empathy, judgment about confidentiality and attention to safety.
Approach: Begin by listening and thanking them for telling you. Respect their privacy, but say plainly that if you thought they were at risk of harm you would get help. Suggest support they control, such as a doctor or counseling service, and offer to go with them.
Tests: Honesty, knowing your role and communication in an emotional moment.
Approach: Do not guess or give false reassurance. Acknowledge their fear, say honestly that you are not the right person to answer, and promise to bring the doctor leading his care, then do it. Practice with a partner who pushes back: “But what do you think?”
Applicants often mix these four up, because all of them happen online and none happens in a room with an interviewer. Casper and PREview are standardized tests, with one score sent to many schools. Kira and SAMMI are platforms that a single school uses to run its own interview, scored by that school. You may need more than one: CUSM, for example, asks for Casper and also runs a Kira assessment.
| Kira Talent | Casper | AAMC PREview | SAMMI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Kira TalentAn admissions platform. Each school writes its own questions and scores them. | CasperA standardized situational judgment test from Acuity Insights. | AAMC PREviewA standardized situational judgment exam from the AAMC. | SAMMIA recorded MMI platform from Sammi-Select, a University of Surrey spin-out. Each school sets its own questions. |
| Format | Kira TalentTimed video and written answers to the school’s questions, or live interviews: one-on-one, panel or MMI. | CasperTwo sections, 11 scenarios: 4 answered on video, 7 typed. | AAMC PREview186 questions; you rate each response from 1 (very ineffective) to 4 (very effective). | SAMMIRecorded video answers to questions read out on a pre-recorded video, with a timer and breaks between questions. |
| Live or recorded | Kira TalentEither, depending on the school. | CasperRecorded. | AAMC PREviewNeither: you rate responses rather than answer aloud. | SAMMIRecorded. |
| Length | Kira TalentSet by the school, for example up to 45 minutes at Marian or an 80-minute MMI at Memorial. | CasperAbout 65 to 85 minutes, including two optional breaks. | AAMC PREviewAbout 75 minutes. | SAMMISix to eight questions of four to five minutes at the UK medical schools that publish it. |
| Redo an answer | Kira TalentNo. One attempt per real question; only the school can grant a retake. | CasperNo. One sitting per test type per cycle; Acuity allows a retake only after a verified technical problem. | AAMC PREviewYou can retest, up to twice a year and four times in total. | SAMMINo. Only the practice question can be repeated. |
| Scoring | Kira TalentThe school’s reviewers, or trained raters it hires through Kira. No shared score. | CasperCertified human raters; you receive a quartile about a month later. | AAMC PREviewA 1 to 9 scale, reported through AMCAS. | SAMMITrained people at the school. On City St George’s remote MMI, for example, each answer is scored separately. |
| Practice | Kira TalentA practice step if your school enables it, repeatable but not necessarily like the real questions. | CasperAn official practice test in your Acuity account after you reserve a test. | AAMC PREviewFree AAMC practice exams. | SAMMIA practice question that checks your setup and can be repeated. |
| How to prepare | Kira TalentFind out which format your school uses. Rehearse speaking to camera on the school’s timer, and for live interviews, handling follow-ups. | CasperConcise reasoning and fast, clear typing. | AAMC PREviewLearn the AAMC competencies and how the effectiveness scale works. | SAMMITimed recorded answers, with practice settling back in after each break. |
Kira Talent’s applicant help center for how the platform works, and each program’s own admissions page for how it uses Kira, read on November 2, 2026. JCU’s pages block automated readers, so its row rests on search extracts of them.
Book a timed mock with a current medical student, or record answers to a free practice mock today.
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