The Right Words
There are wrong words you could use in the viva. You could exaggerate or bluff. You could lie! You could mis-speak. You could be too modest or you could be careless in your thought or speech. There are no perfect...
responding to questions
Boring
What can I do in the viva if my research is boring? Oof. This was a tough question to hear at a webinar. My first instinct was to turn the question around and ask, “Well, why do you think your...
Tricky or Trivial
Describing the viva’s conversation and questions isn’t as simple as picking an extreme. Questions can be tricky because of the standard of the work being talked about. Responding could be trivial because of the work that you, as a postgraduate...
Pause, Don’t Stop
Pause in the viva to think about what you’ve heard. Pause to gather yourself if you lose your train of thoughts. Pause to check something in your thesis. Pause to make a note. Pause to take a sip of water....
Out Of Options?
I don’t think there’s ever a situation in the viva where you can do nothing. I can’t think of a question that could be asked that a candidate couldn’t respond to. Questions from examiners are asked to prompt discussion. They’re...
It’s Complicated
If your research wasn’t complicated then it probably wouldn’t be up to the standard needed for a PhD. It will help you, however, to explore how you can express your ideas clearly, simply. The process for getting ready for the viva...
Excuse or Explain
You don’t need to find excuses for when you talk to your examiners. You do need to be ready to explain when they ask you something. The reasons for your research, your knowledge and your thesis help explain how you...
Use Your Opportunities
The viva is a discussion driven by questions from your examiners. Every question is an opportunity for you to share your work and show your capability. Every question is an opportunity for you to demonstrate what you did, what you...
Prove It
In your viva you might be able to handwave some details. To have time to explore the truly important aspects of your work you might want to skip past tricky things, or make a short point that captures something big....
The Next Question
Some candidates fixate on a not unreasonable concern about the viva: that they will be asked a question for which they will find no good response. It could be a question they dread. Or a question they’ve never considered. It...