> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.techeval.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Kovi Interview Types: Screens, Deep Dives & System Design

> Choose from five Kovi interview formats—Initial Screening, Technical Deep Dive, System Design, Behavioral, and Full Stack—for every hiring stage.

Kovi supports five distinct interview formats, each designed to match a specific stage of your engineering recruitment pipeline. Whether you are filtering a large applicant pool at the top of your funnel or rigorously evaluating a senior architect candidate, selecting the right format ensures your candidates are assessed on what actually matters for the role.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Initial Screening" icon="filter">
    A fast, broad technical check designed for top-of-funnel evaluation. Kovi quickly validates whether a candidate meets the baseline technical bar before investing deeper interview resources. Ideal for high-volume pipelines where speed and consistency matter.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Technical Deep Dive" icon="code">
    An in-depth evaluation covering live coding, architecture thinking, and complex problem-solving. Use this format for mid-process assessments where you need to validate hands-on engineering ability and production-level reasoning.
  </Card>

  <Card title="System Design" icon="diagram-project">
    Focuses on distributed systems, scalability trade-offs, and architecture decisions. Kovi probes how candidates design large-scale systems, handle failure modes, and reason about operational constraints. Best suited for senior and staff-level roles.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Behavioral" icon="comments">
    Evaluates soft skills, culture fit, and situational judgment through structured behavioral questions. Use this format to assess communication style, team dynamics, conflict resolution, and leadership potential alongside a technical track.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Full Stack" icon="layer-group">
    A combined technical and behavioral evaluation that covers coding, architecture, and soft skills in a single session. Removes the need for a separate behavioral round and gives you a holistic candidate profile in one interview slot.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Choosing the Right Format

Match the interview format to where the candidate sits in your pipeline and the seniority of the role you are filling.

| Pipeline Stage | Recommended Format | Rationale |
| - | - | - |
| Top-of-funnel screening | **Initial Screening** | Quickly filter large applicant pools with minimal time investment per candidate |
| Mid-process technical validation | **Technical Deep Dive** | Confirm hands-on engineering capability before advancing to final rounds |
| Mid-process holistic evaluation | **Full Stack** | Combine technical and behavioral signals in one session to accelerate decisions |
| Senior / Staff / Architect roles | **System Design** | Probe architectural maturity, scalability thinking, and distributed systems experience |
| Culture and team fit check | **Behavioral** | Supplement a technical round with structured situational and values-based questions |

## Configuration Options

Every interview type accepts the same core configuration parameters, so you can tailor each session precisely to your role requirements regardless of format.

| Parameter | Description |
| - | - |
| `tech_stack` | List of technologies Kovi must focus its questions on (e.g., `["Python", "FastAPI", "PostgreSQL"]`) |
| `must_ask` | Custom questions that Kovi is guaranteed to inject into the session |
| `pass_score` | Numeric threshold (0–10) a candidate must meet to be marked as passing |
| `duration` | Maximum session length in minutes (up to 60) |

Below is an example showing how to schedule a **System Design** interview with these parameters set:

```python theme={null}
from kovi import KoviClient

client = KoviClient(api_key="YOUR_LIVE_API_KEY_HERE")

response = client.schedule_interview(
    job_id="JD-AI-7284",
    candidate_name="Jane Smith",
    candidate_email="jane.smith@example.com",
    mobile_number="+1-5550001234",
    role="Senior Backend Engineer",
    interview_type="System Design",        # Format selection
    evaluation_level="Senior to Architect",
    tech_stack=["Python", "FastAPI", "GCP", "PostgreSQL"],
    duration=45,
    pass_score=6.5,
    deadline_hours=48
)

print(f"Interview link: {response.get('interviewUrl')}")
```

<Tip>
  For roles that require both strong coding skills and architectural breadth, choose **Full Stack**. It covers both dimensions in a single session, saving you from scheduling a separate behavioral or system design round.
</Tip>


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