Nathan

Local Viva Culture

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There are lots of stories that paint a picture of typical viva experiences. Your university has regulations that determine the framework and expectations for how vivas are conducted.

Your department will have a history and culture of viva examination: a way of doing things that is just how things are. If you ask around you can get a sense of the little things that could be useful to know.

Ask staff and postgraduate researchers in your department to find out more about the local viva culture:

  • Is it common for vivas in your department to be a particular length?
  • Are there areas or topics that seem to frequently be discussed?
  • How often do examiners ask for a presentation to start the viva?
  • Are there any post-viva traditions for celebration in your department?

Then, when it happens, your viva will be a unique examination and another example of the culture in your department.

 

PS: I’ll be exploring more aspects of viva expectations this Saturday morning, July 4th 2026, at my 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva webinar. This is my first-ever weekend webinar and I’m very excited! Registration includes a catch-up recording, follow-up email and my pdf guide 101 Steps To A Great Viva. There are full details for all of my July webinars here. Hope to see you at a session soon 🙂

Nathan

Problems Are Opportunities

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Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.

I first came across this assertion many years ago when I first learned about creative thinking approaches. It’s fairly natural to be repelled by problems and think they’re only obstacles. Another perspective is to consider a problem as something to be worked at; it’s a more positive way of looking at things.

Any hint of a problem in your research, particularly around viva time, can be intimidating. There’s already enough in the viva situation to make a person nervous. A problem could go further and lead to stress – but if you shift your focus a little maybe there’s a better way to look at things.

A problem in your research or thesis could be an opportunity to make progress. It could be an opportunity to show what you know and what you can do. A difficult question at the viva might feel like a big problem, but it’s also a big opportunity to work and demonstrate the same knowledge, capability and determination you’ve shown in the past.

Research problems and viva problems can be opportunities for you to do more good work.

Nathan

Why Wait?

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Friendly advice time: take a break from your research when you submit your thesis.

Give yourself time to rest, plan your next steps and ask for support. Don’t rush into prep when you’ve only just finished thinking about and working on your thesis.

Wait before you prepare so that you can change gears from the kind of work that has completed your thesis to the particular work that will help you get ready for your viva.

Like any advice there are exceptions – say, if your schedule is so busy it won’t accommodate a break you might prefer to keep busy – but reflect on the intent behind the advice.

It will more likely than not help you to prepare better for your viva if you have a break after submission.

Nathan

July 2026 Webinars

Event, Update

I have three 1-hour viva help webinars coming up in July! Today seemed like a good opportunity to send out a reminder.

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

I’ve offered viva help for more than fifteen years to over 10,000 PGRs and shared 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva almost 100 times. The session is designed to be a confidence boost, concise and valuable, with plenty of time for questions too.

I’m offering 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva at a range of times in July – including my first weekend session this coming Saturday morning! Attendees for all sessions will have access to a catch-up recording to review for four weeks afterwards. They’ll also receive a follow-up email and resources including my pdf guide 101 Steps To A Great Viva.

Tickets for my July 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 ÂŁ20 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 be helpful to a friend with their upcoming viva then please share this message.

All the best,

Nathan

Nathan

Perfect Prep

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There are core viva prep areas that any candidate has to focus on like reading your thesis, checking regulations, rehearsing and so on. The way you focus on these areas and how you spend your time is all about you.

You need to prepare in a way that responds to the research you’ve done and the thesis you’ve written. You need to prepare in a way that meets your personal needs and preferences for work. You need to consider your situation, your energy and your life circumstances.

When you take all of that into account you can start to find prep perfection.

At submission take a little time to think about what you’ve done, what you need and what your life is like. Sketch out a possible plan for getting your prep done. Gather the resources you’ll need. Rest! Make sure your needs are covered. Look for advice from others but make sure that you tailor it to your situation.

Perfect viva preparation means perfect for you – or as close as you can get it.

Nathan

What You Want

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There might be things you need for your viva, like a specific date or a reasonable adjustment. Needs have to be met.

Wants are different.

  • You might want a specific academic to be your external examiner.
  • You might want certain questions.
  • You might want to have no unexpected questions.
  • You might want to feel confident or to not feel too nervous.
  • You might want a morning viva.
  • You might want a viva over video.

Wants might be difficult or impossible to arrange. They might require compromise, coordination or persuasion. How do you make the case? And how do you deal with the wants that can’t be satisfied?

Focus on your needs first and then remember that what you want most of all is to succeed at your viva.

Nathan

Prep Is Particular

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There are big areas to cover if you want to prepare well for your viva:

  • Reading your thesis;
  • Annotating your thesis;
  • Rehearsing for the viva.

How you engage with these areas has to be particular to your preferences and situation. Your viva preparation has to be personal.

What you do matters but how you do it matters too. How do you need to get ready?

  • How do you need to read your thesis? All at once or spread over many days?
  • How will you annotate your thesis? Where will you put your focus?
  • When and with who will you rehearse? Is a mock viva enough or will you rehearse with other people?

How will you get ready for your viva? How will you plan your preparation?

Nathan

Last, Final, Only or Next

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How do you feel about these expressions?

  • The viva is your last chance to succeed.
  • Your viva is the final test of your PhD.
  • The viva is your only opportunity to convince your examiners.

These are sentiments that I’ve come across while doing my own PhD and in the two decades since. There’s a small hint of truth to them but the tone always works to weaken one’s feelings of confidence.

How about, “The viva is your next challenge”? As in the next challenge after successfully completing many others.

“The viva is your next opportunity to share your research” or “Your viva is the next chance for you to show what you can do”?

Words matter. Can you change the words you use to describe the viva or yourself?

Nathan

Summary Elements

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Creating a summary is a useful task as part of viva preparation. You could write sentences and paragraphs, bullet points or keywords. You could draw pictures, graphs and diagrams. A summary is a space to think ahead. A summary is a chance to focus before your viva.

A good summary has:

  • A clear focus. You can summarise your whole thesis or can zero in a particular aspect but you know what you’re focussed on.
  • A finite process. The summary is not open-ended. You have a clear space to write or draw in and an expected time to do the work.
  • A new resource. You are going to have made something that didn’t exist before. You aren’t simply copying words down. You are making something new.

A clear focus following a finite process makes a new resource. What will you focus on? What do you need to make to help your preparation?

Nathan

Everything & Something

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You can’t do everything for your research, your thesis or your viva prep.

(and you don’t have to)

You must have done something good to get this far on your research journey.

(and you must be capable to have done it)

You don’t need to be perfect in any way – your capability and contribution are enough.

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