Together

That’s how a viva happens: you need to have your examiners there. You can’t do it alone.

Before your viva:

• Be sure you know who your examiners are and what they have done. Checking their recent papers will be enough.
• Rehearse for being in the viva with some kind of practice like a mock viva.
• Check your institution’s regulations and learn about viva expectations to get a sense of the roles of your examiners, their responsibilities and your responsibilities.

You need your examiners in order to have a viva, for the discussion to take place and for your success to be confirmed.

PS: One more thing that will help is the Viva Help Bundle – three great resources including a book of the best of Viva Survivors, a guide to 101 actions you can take to have a great viva and a reflective writing game about the PhD journey. The Viva Help Bundle is available at a special price of £6 until November 30th 2023. Please do take a look!