You can use AI to prepare for an interview, but preparation is not permission to use it during an assessment. Follow the employer’s instructions, and if disclosure is required or you are asked, describe exactly what AI did and what you contributed. Your examples, claims and live answers must reflect work and skills you can explain yourself.
Use AI to prepare, not to impersonate you
AI can help you research an employer, brainstorm likely questions, practise aloud, or edit a draft based on your own experience. Keep the boundary clear: do not use generated examples, achievements, qualifications, or answers to imply you did work you did not do or have abilities you cannot demonstrate.
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Preparation and assessment are different stages. The UK Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) says, “AI can be useful for interview preparation,” but says not to use it in assessment activities, including interviews, unless told otherwise. The UK Civil Service likewise allows preparation and practice but says AI must not produce responses during an interview. Pennsylvania’s guidance permits research and practice while requiring interview responses to reflect the applicant’s own qualifications, experience, and work. SRA guidance; UK Civil Service guidance; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania guidance.
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Check the rules for your vacancy and assessment
There is no single disclosure rule that applies to every employer. Policies can differ by jurisdiction, employer and stage of hiring. Check the vacancy details, assessment instructions and any AI policy before using a tool, especially for a written test, take-home assignment or live interview.
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- Stage: Does the rule cover application preparation, an unsupervised test, a live interview, or all of them?
- Permitted action: Does it allow research, editing, practice, generated content or real-time assistance?
- Disclosure trigger: Must you disclose every use, disclose when asked, or identify AI-generated material when its use is permitted?
- Exceptions: Is there express permission for a particular task, an AI-related exercise, or an approved accessibility accommodation?
If the instructions are unclear, ask the recruiter or hiring team before the assessment. The SRA directs candidates who are unsure to contact its recruitment team. It also says candidates who want to use AI as a reasonable adjustment should contact recruitment. Pennsylvania says its rule does not apply to approved accessibility tools such as screen readers. SRA guidance; Pennsylvania guidance.
What official policies say—and what they do not
These examples show why candidates should follow the policy for their own vacancy rather than assume one jurisdiction’s rule applies everywhere. They are guidance examples, not a universal law or a description of every employer.
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| Policy example | What it says | What candidates should take from it |
|---|---|---|
| UK Solicitors Regulation Authority (updated 1 October 2026) | Research and practice are allowed; AI must not be used in assessment activities, including interviews, unless candidates are told otherwise. It warns against invented or misrepresented experience. | Do not treat permission to practise as permission to use AI in the assessment. |
| UK Civil Service | Candidates can use AI to prepare mock questions and practise, but not to produce responses during an interview. | Give your own live answers. |
| Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (last modified 24 February 2026) | Candidates must use their own knowledge and understanding in interview answers and disclose AI use when asked. | Be ready to answer honestly if asked; do not assume this is every employer’s rule. |
| Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | Research and practice are allowed, but generated material must not be presented as the applicant’s own, and AI must not assist with live interview answers. | Keep application materials and interview answers grounded in your own qualifications, experience and work. |
| Public Service Commission of Canada guidance for federal hiring organizations | Its sample policy for assessments where AI use is permitted asks candidates to identify AI-generated content and its source; candidates may be asked to explain or elaborate. | This is an employer-policy example for federal hiring organizations, not a universal Canadian candidate disclosure rule. |
Ontario has a separate, employer-side requirement: effective 1 January 2026, employers must state in a publicly advertised job posting whether they use AI to screen, assess or select applicants. That is not a general duty for candidates to disclose their preparation use. Ontario job-posting rules.
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How to explain what AI did
When disclosure is required or the interviewer asks, describe the task rather than relying on vague wording such as “I used AI to polish.” A useful explanation identifies the tool or type of AI, what it helped with, and what you personally wrote, checked or can substantiate.
“I used [tool or type of AI] to [specific preparation task, such as generate practice questions or edit my own draft]. The examples and claims are from my experience; I checked the wording and can explain the work myself.”
Adapt the wording to what actually happened. If AI generated substantial wording or content for an assessment that was meant to be completed independently, do not call that proofreading. If the instructions prohibit AI at that stage, do not use it. Where a permitted assessment requires attribution, identify the AI-generated material and its source, as the Canadian federal guidance’s sample policy recommends. Public Service Commission of Canada guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep confidential information out of AI tools
Do not enter confidential employer, client or personal information into an AI service unless you are authorized to do so. Australian guidance flags data-privacy risks, and UK Civil Service guidance cautions candidates against providing sensitive organizational details. You can practise with generalized or fictional details instead. Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations guidance; UK Civil Service guidance.
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