A Handshake AI interview, as people call it, is not described on Handshake’s own help pages. They describe an application, a project match, a short review and onboarding, and some projects add an assessment. Handshake also bans AI-written work product. Below is what the pages say, and how to practise. Checked 30 October 2026.
What Handshake’s own pages say
Handshake AI’s help center has a “What to expect” page for the Fellowship. It lists these steps.
- Apply. You sign up, complete your profile and apply. Projects launch on a rolling basis, so there is no fixed time for an invitation.
- Project match. If a project fits your profile, you get an email asking whether you are interested. It may cover the pay, the time commitment and the requirements.
- Decision. After you express interest, candidates are reviewed over a short wait, and selected fellows get a confirmation email.
- Onboarding and training. You complete every onboarding requirement for that project before you start tasks.
- Payout setup. After your first task you set up payouts.
We found no live interview or AI interviewer on that page. It says some projects ask for materials such as a slide deck, a portfolio or work samples, which the AI Labs team may use to judge your qualifications. If you were invited to a call or a recorded interview, follow the instructions in that invitation, because we could not confirm its format from Handshake’s pages.
Assessments
The “Assessments” page says the format varies by project. It may be a knowledge quiz on onboarding material, a practice task or a written or skills-based evaluation. It does not give a length or a number of attempts.
Retakes are not guaranteed. The page says requests are reviewed case by case and are generally considered only for a documented error or technical issue. If an assessment will not load or shows an error, it says to contact Support and not to restart or resubmit on your own. If you miss the minimum score, you cannot continue onboarding for that project, but your profile stays active for other projects.
Handshake’s rule on AI-written work
The “Original Work and Prohibition on Usage of LLMs Policy” says you are prohibited from using large language models or other AI-assisted tools to generate work product for Handshake AI without written authorization. It lists solving tasks, editing content and using LLM-based grammar or style tools. It asks you to keep draft prompts and notes for at least 90 days, and it says work found to use an LLM is rejected and unpaid.
The policy talks about work product. It does not name applications, assessments or interviews, so we cannot say how it applies to them. Ask Handshake support if you are unsure.
How to practise before you apply
Whatever form your screening takes, you will probably be asked about your background and how you work. Prepare short answers to these.
- Tell me about your field and what you know best. Name your subject, your strongest area and one concrete thing you have done in it.
- Describe a time you followed a detailed set of instructions. Say what the rule was, what you did and how you checked it.
- How would you check whether an answer in your field is correct? Say what you would verify and where you would look.
- What would you do if a guideline was unclear? Say you would reread it, ask, and not guess.
Say each one out loud, for about a minute. Reading an answer in your head hides the pauses and the filler words. If a project asks for work samples, pick two that show your best work, and be ready to explain in two sentences what each one shows.
Practise this with PrepHint AI
- Add or build your resume. Resume Maker is free forever with an account. Import a PDF or answer a few questions.
- Create a mock interview. Describe the project or the field you are applying for.
- Answer out loud. The AI mock interviewer speaks to you, and you answer by voice.
- Read the transcript. Mark the answers that wandered, the long pauses and the repeated words, then try those questions again.
Every new account gets 15 free minutes of live help and 1 mock interview, with no card needed. See pricing.
Before you go on
PrepHint AI also has live answers. We could not confirm Handshake AI’s rule on AI help in its applications and assessments from its own pages, so treat AI help as not allowed unless its rules clearly say otherwise. Whether you follow those rules is your decision and your risk. PrepHint AI supplies the software and is not liable for what happens on another platform.
PrepHint AI also works as an interview copilot on video calls, wherever AI help is allowed.
PrepHint AI is not connected to Handshake. For other platforms, see the guide to AI-training job interviews. For general practice, read how to practise for an interview with AI.