> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.micro1.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Custom Questions
> Use Custom Questions to ask fixed, standardized questions during the interview.
### Custom Questions
**Custom Questions** are direct, scripted prompts delivered exactly as you've written them — without transitions, translation, elaboration, or conversational flow. Zara reads each question verbatim, and the candidate has **one single opportunity** to respond. Once an answer is received, Zara immediately proceeds to the next question or interview segment.
Unlike skill-based questions, Custom Questions do **not** adapt based on the candidate’s responses.
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## When to use Custom Questions
This format is ideal when **consistency and standardization** are critical, such as:
* **Integrity checks**
* **Eligibility or screening validations**
* **Compliance or policy confirmations**
* **Standardized questions across all candidates**
Because every candidate receives the exact same question, Custom Questions are especially useful for fair, repeatable screening at scale.
***
## Time Limit Per Question
When configuring a Custom Question, you can define a **maximum response time** for each question.
* You can set the time limit between **1 and 4 minutes** per question.
* The selected time represents the **maximum allowed response time**.
* If the candidate reaches the defined time limit, **Zara will automatically stop the response and move to the next question**.
Use shorter time limits (1–2 minutes) for direct or binary questions, and longer limits (3–4 minutes) when evaluating reasoning or explanations.
***
## Ideal Answer (Optional)
When creating a Custom Question, you can optionally define an **Ideal Answer**.
The Ideal Answer helps Zara understand what a strong response looks like and improves the accuracy of the evaluation. It is **not shown to the candidate**, and it does not need to be a perfect or exhaustive response — a short description of what you expect is sufficient.
Use an Ideal Answer when you want to:
* Guide how responses are evaluated
* Reduce subjectivity in scoring
* Improve consistency across candidates
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## How Custom Questions Are Scored
Candidate responses are evaluated using a simple scoring rubric:
* **Not Impressive**
* **Average**
* **Good**
The scoring is applied independently for each custom question.
Use Custom Questions when you need precise control over phrasing and uniformity across interviews.