The viva is an exam. It’s a relatively short exam to explore years of work and the specific outputs of that work. The examiners are accomplished academics in relevant fields.
While every viva is different there are regulations and enough known experiences to inform a reasonable set of expectations for a candidate. Vivas are challenging discussions.
Three or more years of work plus many hours of deliberate preparation. Candidates might be expected to succeed but that doesn’t mean the viva is not difficult.
So the viva is serious.
And it can also be fun. It could be short. It could be rewarding. It could be exhausting! It could be an anticlimax. It could be fine. It could be disappointing. It could be fairly informal.
What do you expect from your viva? What do you hope for?
