End Well

The simplest way to end your viva well is to:

• Check that your examiners have no more questions for you.
• Check that you have no questions that you need to ask them.
• Listen carefully to what your examiners are telling you through the process.

Vivas tend to conclude with short breaks for examiners to confer.

They tend to result in minor corrections for candidates.

And they tend to end after several hours of challenging discussion about interesting and potentially difficult topics of research – which is why it’s useful to breathe, take your time and make notes if you need to.

No-one wants a really long and drawn out viva process. At the same time, no-one benefits from rushing through the final stages. End your viva well.