Lots Of Lists Of Questions

You only have to search for “phd viva questions” in your search engine of choice and you will find many, many resources that people have created. It’s likely that your AI-service of choice can also offer a lot of general questions from similar sources. If you want examples of the kinds of questions that can be asked by examiners then there are many resources to explore.

The value of these questions isn’t found in simply reading over them though. Making notes will help but will only do so much. The real value is in being asked questions by someone else so that you can rehearse being in the viva and seeing how it feels to respond to a question in real time. It helps not to just skim over a question on a page and think for a moment – but to be surprised by a question and know what it is like to cope with it.

There’s a place for reflecting on questions. Creating summaries is a big boost to viva preparation. Rehearsing by responding to questions is absolutely essential.

You can’t get what you really need to be ready for your viva by simply looking through lots of lists of questions.

PS: Looking for more viva prep ideas? Then check out my Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 25th March 2026 where I’ll talk about viva prep and a lot more. You’ll get four-week access to a recording of the session and follow-up materials too. There’s more information at the link but please get in touch if you have any questions or want to know more. Thanks for reading!