Two People

In preparation for the viva there’s not a lot you need to explore about your examiners to be ready for them. There are most likely two people, one internal and one external, and for each of them you need to:

• Read their recent publications.
• Check their staff pages to get a sense of their interests.
• Talk to your supervisor about why they’re good examiner choices for your viva.

And that’s it.

You don’t need to second-guess these two people. You don’t need to predict every possible question they might have for you or find some deeper understanding. You certainly don’t need to be an expert in who they are.

They’re just two people. They have a job to do. They’ll do it well.

To be ready for them you need to get a sense of who they are, what they do and why they’re a good fit for your viva.