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Author: Nathan

Nathan

Icebreakers

Daily Post

How might your viva begin?

  • Why did you want to do a PhD?
  • How would you summarise your research?
  • Can you briefly describe your main conclusions?
  • How are you doing today?

These example questions might break the ice at your viva. They might seem easy, challenging or unexpected – yes, some examiners really will see how you’re feeling!

Your examiners are asking a simple question and giving you something familiar to talk about:

  • Why did you want to do a PhD? – because you’ve likely thought about this many times before and told others why.
  • How would you summarise your research? – because you’ve had to think about, talk about and write about this many times before.
  • Can you briefly describe your main conclusions? – as this is something you’ve had to consider in writing your thesis.
  • How are you doing today? – because you and they are humans and they’re checking that you’re good to get started.

Whatever the question, that’s ultimately why they’re asking. Everyone in the room is human. Nerves play a part in the viva and everyone can engage better by starting well.

A simple icebreaker helps the viva to begin.

Nathan

Call A Friend

Daily Post

Remember that quiz show where you could call someone to help you answer a question?

Yeah, you can’t do that at the viva!

It’s all on you at the viva: engaging with your examiners’ questions and the discussion for several hours.

In preparation though you can most definitely call a friend. When you are approaching submission, so long as it feels comfortable to do so, tell your friends that your viva is coming up.

Ask for advice. Ask for assistance from the people who know about the viva and who could play an active role in your preparation.

Who could be a good listener? Is there anyone around who could ask you questions and prep with you?

And don’t forget to talk to friends and family who can’t play an active role in your preparation. They might still be able to support you by making space and giving you time to do the prep work that you need to do.

Nathan

Seven Reasons

Event, Update

I posted recently that I have five independent viva help webinars happening soon so this is a little reminder post!

7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva has grown to be one of my most-requested webinar sessions since I first delivered it during COVID lockdowns in 2020. I love sharing this 1-hour viva confidence-boost and seeing how it resonates with PhD candidates.

Why might this session be worth your time? Here are seven reasons to attend 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva!

  1. I’ve offered viva help for more than fifteen years to over 10,000 PGRs so I’m not new to the topic.
  2. I’ve shared 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva almost 100 times – in fact the final session in July will be number 100.
  3. The session is designed to be a confidence boost, concise and valuable, with plenty of time for questions too.
  4. “Thanks, really helpful session that’s helped me feel confident about the viva!” – one of the many pieces of feedback I’ve received about the session.
  5. I’m offering 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva at a range of times in June and July – including evening and weekend sessions.
  6. Attendees will have access to a catch-up recording to review for four weeks afterwards…
  7. …and receive a follow-up email and resources including my pdf guide 101 Steps To A Great Viva.

Tickets for all 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva sessions are available now. If you’re looking for viva help then I hope you can join me on Zoom on one of these dates:

One more time: registration for these live 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva webinars is £20 and includes a follow-up email, a pdf copy of my 101 Steps To A Great Viva guide and access to a catch-up recording of the session.

Thank you for reading. I hope you can join me for one of these sessions – and if this news might help a friend with their upcoming viva then please share this message.

All the best,

Nathan

Nathan

The Tops

Daily Post

What’s the top paper you’d recommend someone read to start learning about your research?

What’s the top result of your PhD research?

What’s the top point you struggle to remember when you think about your research?

What’s the top question you hope to be asked by your examiners?

What’s the top question you really hope not to be asked by your examiners?

What’s the top thing you can think of doing to help yourself get ready for your viva?

It’s helpful, when getting ready for your viva, to start with the first of something: the best this, the top that, the number one thing – it gives a signpost to help you see what will be a helpful focus.

What do you do next? And, beyond the list above, what other top things do you need to consider, do or find out more about ahead of your viva?

 

PS: if you’re looking for more general viva help then please check out the details for my upcoming live 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva webinars. The first of these is next Wednesday 17th June 2026 and I have four more dates. Registration includes a catch-up recording, follow-up email and my pdf guide 101 Steps To A Great Viva. Thanks for reading!

Nathan

Pause Or Stop?

Daily Post

Pause after submission.

Take a small break from your thesis, your research and the daily work of your PhD – but don’t stop believing that you are on track, you are capable and you have made a difference through your contribution to knowledge.

 

Pause in the viva when you’re asked a question.

You don’t need to speak immediately: pause and think before you respond – but don’t stop doing your absolute best to share what you did, what you can do and what you know.

Nathan

Little Things

Daily Post

Here’s what I do to prompt my confidence ahead of giving a webinar:

  • I remind myself of how many sessions I’ve done before;
  • I wear shoes even though I’m going to be sitting (it reminds me I’m working);
  • I listen to a playlist of five songs as I look through my notes in the hour before;
  • I pre-draft follow-up emails with positive language that the session went well, leaving space for details of what will happen;
  • I make sure I have my water bottle and other practical things I’ll need;
  • I get my notes together and put my paperweight on top within easy reach;
  • And I make a cup of tea twenty minutes before the session so it’s a drinkable temperature as I start.

There are placebos, practical elements and a lot of personal steps there. Most of them I do almost on autopilot.

They all make a difference.

What little things will you do before your viva? What do you need to make a difference for you?

And what little things could you be doing regularly to help yourself as you work up to your viva?

Nathan

Bad Vivas

Daily Post

I’ve heard many things from candidates that would make a viva “bad”:

  • It would be bad to forget something;
  • It would be bad to get an unexpected question;
  • Having the wrong examiner would make the viva bad;
  • Feeling nervous would be bad.

I’ve even heard that getting corrections would be bad – which is tricky because the majority of vivas result in a pass with some form of corrections!

There’s a difference though between something feeling bad and something being bad.

It’s rare for something to be bad at the viva but there’s a strong chance that something about the situation might feel bad, whether that’s anticipating worry, feeling nervous or being unsure about the circumstances or process.

If something feels bad or something feels like it would be bad (going blank, getting an unexpected question) then you can consider what you can do. Many worry points or “bad” aspects of the viva can be addressed in advance. You can learn more, do something practical or in some cases change your perspective with a little reflection.

If something feels bad about your viva what are you going to do about it?

Nathan

What Your Supervisor Knows

Daily Post

Your supervisor knows what vivas are like from their own experience but they might not have read the latest version of regulations for your institution. Ask them about their experiences and check what the rules say too.

Your supervisor knows what your works means. It’ll help to ask for their perspective. At the same time, you need to do the work to read over your work, reflect and write summaries that will help you think in advance of your viva.

Your supervisor knows who your examiners are and can offer insights into what they do, what they focus on and more. You have to take responsibility for making sure you’re really aware of what they do.

Your supervisor knows enough to be of real help as you prepare for your viva. Respect their time by asking for help in advance and being targeted with your requests. Recognise that for all they know about your work it’s you who is the expert on your research and your thesis.

Nathan

All The Questions

Daily Post

Simple questions aren’t necessarily easy to respond to at the viva. They can be simple because you understand them with no trouble, because they’re short or because they’re expected. You might still have a lot to say.

Complex questions might not be hard. A question with lots of points could be straightforward because of how much experience you have with that topic.

An easy question is just easy. A small question. A clarification. A detail.

A hard question is hard. Opinions. First thoughts. Unknown or unexpected. Not impossible though; asked because it needs to be asked for some reason, never to haze, harass or harm.

Difficult questions are common at the viva. Consider the level you work at. Consider the standard of your significant and original contribution to research. Consider the nerves you might feel and the outcome you’re working towards.

Difficult questions account for a lot of questions at the viva – but you have a lot of experience with difficult work.

 

All the questions you’ll get at your viva are unconfirmed until you hear them. You can have expectations and good guesses but you won’t know until you’re there.

Rather than worry, do the work: rehearse and find a way to engage with any question you’re asked. Don’t just hope you get easy or simple questions. Acknowledge the reality of all the questions you’ll be receiving on your viva day.

Nathan

Excuses & Reasons

Daily Post

When you explain why something didn’t work out in your research are you making excuses or sharing reasons?

They’re more or less the same in the context of justifying why or how you did (or didn’t do) something. The difference is what those words mean for you.

They make a difference at the viva too in terms of how your examiners hear your explanations.

Listing excuses will not help you. Finding reasons will help convince.

You’ll convince yourself first of all that you did the work and did it well enough. That will help you find the words to convince your examiners.

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