How Many Mock Interviews Should You Do?
7 min read · Repovive Team
You know mock interviews help. The question is: how many do you actually need? Do one and you will feel slightly more prepared. Do fifty and you will burn out. Somewhere in between is the sweet spot — and it is more specific than you might think.
The short answer
5 to 10 mock interviews, spaced over 2 to 3 weeks, with focused review after each session. That range gives most candidates the biggest performance improvement per hour invested.
Here is why that number works and how to make each session count.
What the research says
Studies on interview performance and deliberate practice consistently show a pattern: rapid improvement in early sessions, then diminishing returns.
Data from platforms like interviewing.io (which tracks thousands of mock interviews and real interview outcomes) shows that candidates who complete 5 or more mock interviews are roughly twice as likely to pass their first real interview compared to candidates who do zero practice. But the jump from 10 to 20 practice sessions produces a much smaller improvement.
This makes sense. The first few sessions surface your biggest weaknesses: maybe you ramble during behavioral questions, forget to discuss time complexity during coding, or freeze when asked about a project you worked on a year ago. Once you have addressed the big issues, additional practice yields smaller fixes.
The learning curve
Sessions 1-3: Discovery
Your first few mock interviews are about discovering what you do not know. Most people are surprised by how differently they perform under realistic interview pressure versus solving problems alone. Common discoveries:
- You know the algorithm but cannot explain your approach while coding
- Your behavioral stories are too long and lack specific details
- Your project explanations assume context the interviewer does not have
- You say "um" and "like" far more than you realized
These sessions feel uncomfortable. That discomfort is the learning.
Sessions 4-7: Refinement
Now you know your weak spots. These sessions are about deliberately improving them. Pick one focus area per session: "Today I am going to keep every behavioral answer under 2 minutes" or "Today I am going to verbalize my approach before writing any code."
This is where the most progress happens. You are past the initial shock and actively working on specific skills.
Sessions 8-10: Polish
By session 8, the major issues are fixed. These sessions are about smoothing out rough edges and building confidence. You might experiment with different ways to frame a story, practice recovering from mistakes gracefully, or work on pacing.
If you feel confident and your last 2-3 sessions have gone well, you are ready. There is no need to push to 15 or 20.
Beyond 10: Diminishing returns
Additional sessions beyond 10 are not harmful, but the benefit per session drops significantly. If you find yourself repeating the same stories with the same delivery and getting the same scores, you have hit the plateau. Switch to other prep activities — more LeetCode, system design study, or company-specific research.
Spacing matters more than volume
This is the most underappreciated factor. 5 mock interviews spread across 10 days teaches you more than 5 mock interviews crammed into a single Saturday. The reason is consolidation — your brain needs sleep and time between sessions to absorb what you learned.
A good schedule:
- Minimum spacing: 1 day between sessions
- Ideal spacing: 2 to 3 days between sessions
- Review window: Within 1 hour after the session, review the transcript and scorecard
This means if your first real interview is in 3 weeks, start mock interviews now. If your first interview is tomorrow, do one mock interview today — a single session still helps more than none.
How to distribute across interview types
Most tech interview pipelines include 3 to 4 different formats. You do not need an equal number of mock interviews for each type. Allocate based on where you are weakest:
- Recruiter screen: 1 to 2 sessions. This round is short and formulaic. A couple of practice runs to polish your pitch is usually enough.
- Behavioral interview: 2 to 3 sessions. You need enough repetition to make your stories feel natural, but behavioral answers stabilize quickly once you have the STAR structure down.
- Technical phone screen: 1 to 2 sessions. If you know your projects deeply, this round is mostly about articulation. Practice talking about your work out loud.
- Coding interview: 3 to 4 sessions. This is where most candidates need the most practice. Solving problems under time pressure while explaining your thinking is a distinct skill from solo LeetCode.
Total: 7 to 11 sessions across all types. Adjust based on your personal strengths and the specific company pipeline.
Making each session count
The number of mock interviews matters less than what you do with each one. A single well-reviewed session is worth more than three sessions you do on autopilot.
Before each session
- Set one specific goal: "I will explain my approach before coding" or "I will use specific numbers in my stories"
- Choose the interview type that targets your weakest area
- Find a quiet space with a good microphone — simulate real conditions
During the session
- Treat it like a real interview — no pausing, no looking up answers
- If you get stuck, practice what you would actually do in a real interview: think out loud, simplify the problem, ask clarifying questions
After the session
- Review the full transcript and scorecard within an hour
- Write down 1 to 2 specific things to improve next time
- If a story or explanation fell flat, rewrite it before your next session
When you know you are ready
You do not need to feel perfectly prepared — nobody does. You are ready when:
- Your behavioral stories flow naturally without memorized scripts
- You can explain your projects at varying levels of detail depending on the question
- You think out loud during coding problems without long silent gaps
- Your mock interview scores have plateaued (consistent, not improving with each session)
- You feel nervous but not panicked about your upcoming interview
Some nervousness is normal and even helpful. The goal of mock interviews is not to eliminate anxiety — it is to build enough fluency that anxiety does not derail your performance.
Bottom line
Do 5 to 10 mock interviews, spaced over 2 to 3 weeks, with deliberate review after each one. Focus on your weakest interview type first. If you can only do 3, make them count. If you have time for 15, great — but do not expect the last 5 to teach you as much as the first 5. The biggest gains come early, and the key to unlocking them is not volume — it is reflection between sessions.
Start your first mock interview and see where you stand. For a broader look at AI-powered practice, read the complete guide to AI mock interviews. If you are a CS student, our new grad interview prep guide gives you a full timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Is 5 mock interviews enough before a real interview?
Five mock interviews is a solid baseline for most candidates. Research suggests that the biggest performance gains happen in the first 5 to 10 sessions. If you are short on time, 5 focused sessions with careful review between each one will meaningfully improve your performance.
Can you do too many mock interviews?
Yes. Beyond 15 to 20 sessions, most people see diminishing returns and risk burnout. The goal is to build fluency and confidence, not to exhaust yourself. If your practice sessions start feeling repetitive and you are not learning anything new, you have done enough.
Should I do mock interviews for every type of interview round?
Ideally, yes. A coding mock interview and a behavioral mock interview test very different skills. At minimum, practice the round you are weakest at. If you only have time for one type, choose the one that makes you most nervous — that is where practice will help the most.
Put this into practice with a realistic AI mock interview.
Start practicing