Tag: 6 questions not to ask

You’ll get plenty of questions in your viva, but it could be a good time to ask your examiners some questions too. But don’t ask:

1. “So, how did I do?” right at the start.
2. “Can we start again?” if you get stuck.
3. “Can I pass on that one? That OK?” but you could ask for a few minutes to think.
4. “Yeah, well how would you do it?!” if an examiner disagrees – although it’s good to ask about their reasons.
5. “Can we just stop here?” if you’re a bit tired.
6. “Do I have to do them?!” when they tell you the corrections they recommend.

Most other questions will be fine! The viva could be a good place to ask your examiners for advice. You could prompt them for their opinion or suggestions related to your work, or dig deeper into some of their comments or criticisms.