Microsoft interviews and AI
Microsoft's public guidance is short: use AI to prepare, and do the interview yourself unless you are told otherwise. We could not find a public Microsoft description of an AI-assisted coding round, so this guide sticks to what the company has published.
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What is known about the real round
Candidates are asked to show their own skills without outside assistance in assessments and interviews unless explicitly permitted. AI for preparation is encouraged.
Microsoft's interview tips page encourages using AI tools responsibly during preparation and asks candidates to demonstrate their own skills without outside assistance unless explicitly permitted. It describes most interviews as two to four conversations of up to an hour, by phone, Teams or in person, with some roles asked to write code. We found no public Microsoft description of an AI-assisted round; ask your recruiter whether any round allows tools.
Formats change between hiring cycles. Ask your recruiter what your round will be, and see the policy tracker for other companies.
Format overview
Microsoft's interview tips page encourages candidates to use AI tools responsibly and ethically during preparation, and asks them to demonstrate their own skills without outside assistance during assessments and interviews unless explicitly permitted.
The page describes most interviews as two to four conversations with potential teammates and cross-functional colleagues, each up to an hour, by phone, on Teams or in person. Some roles also involve writing code or sharing work samples.
Candidate posts mention AI-assisted rounds on some Microsoft teams. We could not confirm them, so treat any such round as something to ask your recruiter about.
What is evaluated
- Specific examples from your past work (stated on the interview tips page).
- How you would approach the role's tasks, and how your skills fit (stated on the interview tips page).
- Your own skills, without outside assistance unless permitted (stated on the interview tips page).
Example task types
- Conversations about past work and how you would approach the role.
- Writing code, for roles that require it.
What gets scored in practice
Every Placed round ends with a report that scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 10. On Pro, each score comes with the moment in your session it is based on. How grading works.
Where people lose the round
- Using an assistant because a round "felt" informal.
The stated default is no outside assistance. If a round allows tools, the interviewer will tell you.
- Vague examples.
The tips page asks for specific examples. Practice stories with a situation, what you did and the result.
A prep plan: three sessions before the real one
- Sit a timed coding round with no assistant and read the Communication score.
- Answer three behavioral questions out loud, each with one concrete story.
- Run a system design round if your level includes one, explaining your trade-offs aloud.
Questions people ask
Can you use AI in a Microsoft interview?
Not unless you are explicitly permitted. Microsoft's interview tips page asks candidates to demonstrate their own skills without outside assistance during assessments and interviews, and encourages using AI responsibly while preparing.
How many interviews does Microsoft do?
Its interview tips page says most interviews include two to four conversations of up to an hour each, by phone, on Teams or in person.
Keep going
- The AI-enabled coding interview: how to prepare, with every company guide in one place
- Microsoft practice pack, 4 Placed rounds in order
- Meta's AI-enabled coding round
- Google's code comprehension round
- Canva's AI-assisted coding interview
Sources
Placed is not affiliated with Microsoft. Company names are used to describe publicly reported interview formats.