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What is Pause Interval?

Pause Interval is the minimum length of silence (in seconds) that Verve AI uses to separate one question from the next during interviews. This feature helps the copilot accurately detect when an interviewer has finished asking a question and when to provide you with a response. How it works:
  • If silence is longer than the pause interval → Verve AI treats it as two separate questions
  • If silence is shorter than the pause interval → Verve AI groups it as one continuous question
Access: Click the settings gear icon on the copilot launch page, then select the Audio Transcription tab (second tab).

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Pause Interval Options

Verve AI offers three pause interval settings in the Audio Transcription tab:

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Short Interval (1-2 seconds)

Best for:
  • Fast-paced interviews with rapid-fire questions
  • Interviewers who speak quickly with minimal pauses
  • Situations where you want immediate copilot responses
Behavior:
  • Breaks transcription into smaller chunks
  • Provides more frequent copilot responses
  • Treats brief pauses as question separators
Example: Interviewer says “Tell me about your project… [1.5-second pause] …what was your role?” → Copilot treats this as two separate questions

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Balanced Interval (3-4 seconds)

Best for:
  • Standard interview pacing
  • Interviewers with moderate speaking speed
  • General-purpose interviews when you’re unsure of speaking style
Behavior:
  • Moderate transcription block size
  • Balanced response frequency
  • Accommodates natural thinking pauses without breaking questions
Example: Interviewer says “Describe your approach… [3-second pause] …and the outcome?” → Copilot may treat this as one or two questions depending on context

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Long Interval (5+ seconds)

Best for:
  • Interviewers who pause frequently mid-question
  • AI-powered interviews (like Mercor) with long, complex questions
  • Situations where interviewers think aloud before finishing their question
Behavior:
  • Longer transcription blocks
  • Waits longer for interviewer to finish speaking
  • Less frequent but more complete copilot responses
Example: Interviewer says “Tell me about a time… [4-second pause] …when you faced a challenge… [3-second pause] …and how you overcame it?” → Copilot treats this as one complete question

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How It Works in Practice

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Example 1: Short Pause Interval (2 seconds)

Interviewer: “Tell me about your last project… [3-second pause] …and what role did you play?” Result: Verve AI splits this into two questions:
  1. “Tell me about your last project.”
  2. “What role did you play?”
Copilot behavior: Provides a response after the first question, then another after the second.

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Example 2: Long Pause Interval (5 seconds)

Interviewer: “Tell me about your last project… [3-second pause] …and what role did you play?” Result: Verve AI treats this as one complete question: “Tell me about your last project and what role did you play?” Copilot behavior: Waits for the entire question to finish, then provides a comprehensive response covering both parts.

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Use Case: Mercor AI Interviews

Mercor’s AI interviewer tends to ask long, complex questions with pauses in between that should be considered as a single question to answer. Recommended setting: Long Interval Why?
  • AI interviewers often pause while generating the next part of their question
  • These pauses are NOT question separators—they’re part of the same question
  • Using a long interval ensures Verve AI waits for the complete question before responding
Without long interval: You might get a response after “Tell me about your experience…” when the AI is still formulating “…with machine learning in production environments.” With long interval: Copilot waits for the full question, then provides a complete, relevant response.

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Troubleshooting

Solution: Switch to a longer pause interval. The copilot is treating pauses as question breaks when they’re actually mid-question thinking time.
Solution: Switch to a shorter pause interval. The interviewer likely has a faster speaking pace with clear question boundaries.
Solution: Use a shorter pause interval. The interviewer pauses long enough between questions, and you want them treated separately.
Solution: Use a longer pause interval. The interviewer is pausing mid-question, and you want the complete question before getting a response.