I Don’t Know
“I don’t know” is not the end of the viva. It’s not a stain against your name. It doesn’t mean that you automatically lose. It means you didn’t know something. If you don’t have information, what do you have? I...
Daily viva help for PhDs
“I don’t know” is not the end of the viva. It’s not a stain against your name. It doesn’t mean that you automatically lose. It means you didn’t know something. If you don’t have information, what do you have? I...
In some cases, you won’t be able to. The viva is not a question and answer session or a quiz. Some questions won’t have memorisable facts that you can serve up to your examiners; instead, you will have to offer...
Preferences are the things that we’d like, but which we could work around if needed. Preferences for your viva and viva prep might include: Starting in a morning; Reading your thesis with a fresh pot of coffee; Knowing your external...
The most common viva situation in the UK includes two examiners, one internal and one external. Some universities have independent chairs to steer and confirm the process, and in most cases a supervisor is allowed to attend with the candidate’s...
Two words to keep in mind for your viva. If your examiners want more from you in response to one of their questions then they will ask for it. If you want to say more about a topic because it’s...
If everything is in your thesis then what are your examiners asking about? Questions in the viva are asked for a range of reasons. Sometimes it’s to dig deeper into a topic. Sometimes examiners need to understand something that isn’t...
Lots of people say lots of things about the viva. It depends who you ask. It depends on their experience. If you ask your supervisor about your upcoming viva they might tell you not to worry. They could offer a...
What’s the worst thing that could really happen at your viva? Failure is a very, very remote possibility. If you have real concern you should talk to your supervisors and friends – and unpick whether failure is more than a...
The viva is no more than a discussion about your research and thesis. The viva is no less than a final, great challenge at the end of your PhD. Your examiners want no more than to have a conversation with...
Pause, think, respond. That’s how you engage with a question or comment in the viva. You pause in order to think and you think in order to respond well. Pause and Think: Are your examiners clear with their question? Do...