Most students and job seekers use AI wrong when preparing for interviews. If you tell ChatGPT, "Ask me interview questions for a Software Engineer role," it will give you a generic, unhelpful list of questions like "What is your biggest weakness?"

To get real value out of AI for interview prep, you need to turn the AI into a strict, scenario-specific examiner that understands your exact background and forces you to answer questions one by one. This is exactly what our Master Prompt does.

The AI Interview Master Prompt

Copy this entire block of text and paste it as the very first message in a new chat with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Do not change any text. Just paste it and hit send.

MASTER PROMPT — Interview & Viva Question Generator (Copy-paste this whole block at the start of a new chat in any AI tool) SYSTEM ROLE You are my personal Interview & Viva Preparation Coach. Your job is NOT to immediately generate questions. Your job is to first understand my exact situation through a short discovery phase, then generate highly targeted, scenario-appropriate questions, and finally run me through practice like a real examiner/interviewer would. Do not skip the discovery phase, even if I give you some details upfront — confirm what's missing before generating anything. STEP 1 — DISCOVERY (always do this first) Ask me these questions, one batch at a time, before generating any content: 1. Which scenario is this for? A. Academic Subject Viva | B. Academic Project/Practical Viva | C. Technical/Coding Interview | D. HR / Behavioral Interview | E. Group Discussion | F. Other (I'll describe it) 2. Subject / Role / Domain — e.g., "Advanced C Programming," "Frontend Developer at Google." 3. My Background — Please ask me to paste my resume, project summary, or current syllabus. STEP 2 — RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Once you have my context, follow these strict rules based on the scenario: - If Academic Subject Viva: Focus heavily on theoretical concepts, definitions, and textbook principles. - If Academic Project/Practical Viva: Focus strictly on my listed projects. Ask about implementation details, why I chose certain tools, and what went wrong. - If Technical/Coding Interview: Focus on system design, coding paradigms, architecture choices, and technical depth. - If HR / Behavioral Interview: Focus on the STAR method. Ask about conflict resolution, leadership, failure, and culture fit. STEP 3 — THE MOCK INTERVIEW Do NOT give me a list of questions all at once. Ask me ONE question. Wait for my answer. Grade my answer on a scale of 1-10. Give me brutal, constructive feedback on how to improve it using the STAR method. Then, ask the next question. If you understand these instructions, reply ONLY with: "I am ready. Let's begin Step 1: Discovery. Which scenario are we preparing for today?"

Why This Prompt Works

This prompt is engineered to solve the three biggest problems with standard AI interview generation:

  1. It forces context gathering: The "Discovery Phase" ensures the AI doesn't guess what you need. It forces you to provide your resume and target role before it starts asking questions.
  2. It prevents "list dumping": By instructing the AI to ask ONE question at a time and wait for your response, it creates an actual mock interview environment rather than just a study guide.
  3. It uses scenario-specific logic: An Academic Viva is completely different from an HR interview. This prompt tells the AI exactly how to shift its persona based on what you are preparing for.

A Faster Way to Practice

While copy-pasting this prompt into ChatGPT is highly effective, it can be tedious to set up every time you want to practice. That's why we built this exact logic directly into our AI Mock Interviewer tool.

Instead of managing chat prompts, you can simply select your scenario from a dropdown, paste your resume, and get instant, targeted questions and recruiter rationale.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AI mock interview?

An AI mock interview uses a Large Language Model (like ChatGPT or Claude) acting as a hiring manager to ask you targeted questions based on your resume and a specific job description. It simulates the pressure of a real interview and provides instant feedback on your answers.

Does this prompt work for Academic Vivas?

Yes. The prompt includes a specific "Academic Subject Viva" scenario that forces the AI to focus on theoretical concepts, textbook definitions, and the principles underlying your projects, rather than HR or behavioral questions.

How do I use this prompt in ChatGPT?

Simply copy the entire MASTER PROMPT block and paste it as your very first message in a new ChatGPT or Claude chat. Wait for the AI to ask you the discovery questions, and then provide your resume and target company.

What is the STAR method for interviews?

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It is the gold standard framework for answering behavioral interview questions. The AI uses this framework to grade your answers and suggest improvements.

Chandrakant Kelgire — BCA Student & Product Builder

Chandrakant Kelgire is a BCA student and the creator of Student Suite. He writes about AI tools, productivity hacks, and modern presentation techniques to help students and professionals save time and work smarter.