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Nathan

Expecting Examiners

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There are general expectations of all viva examiners and specific expectations for yours.

In general, examiners are experienced academics with training to examine a PhD thesis. They’re supported by their institutions and colleagues. They invest time in preparing for your viva, want you to succeed if you can and want to do their part well.

There are no good cops, no bad cops, no gotcha questions – but there might, because of the nature of the viva, be challenging questions that they have to ask as part of the exam.

Any examiners could be expected to fit the description above – but you don’t have any examiners.

Your examiners might follow your preferences in their selection. You could suggest a person or kind of person to fill the role and your supervisor might follow that suggestion. When they’re approved, you can get a sense of what you might expect from them by finding out more about them.

You can read their most recent publications to have a sense of their current or recent focus. You can look at their pubic staff webpages to know where their general interests lie. You can consider what all this means for what they might do specifically at the viva.

To really know what to expect from your examiners you have to consider the general and the specific as you get ready for your viva.

Nathan

The Same Viva

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If you ask a friend about their viva experience you know that yours won’t be the same.

Even if they had it in your department with the same examiners your viva will be different because you are different: a different person with different research, resulting in a different thesis at a different time.

If you ask your friend and listen to their experience though you can:

  • Get a sense of what a viva is like;
  • Understand what you could do to prepare;
  • Consider the differences;
  • Ask questions to find out more;
  • Remember that you are not alone.

The last point helps a lot.

Doing a PhD, even in the best and most supportive departments, can feel like a lonely thing. Your unique position can make you feel that no-one else could understand.

You’re one of a kind but you’re not the only one. You won’t have the same viva but there’s lots that could be similar.

 

PS: I’ll be sharing more viva help tomorrow morning, Saturday 4th July 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

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

Change Of Circumstances

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At some point you’ll know the date, time and location for your viva and, importantly, who is going to be there. Typically, a candidate gets at least two weeks notice of the viva circumstances.

Sometimes those circumstances have to change.

There’s a small chance you or one of your examiners will get sick in the days leading up to your viva forcing a postponement. There’s a small chance that one of your examiners, for illness or another reason, might have to cancel their involvement.

Travel disruption could have a last-minute impact. Room availability can change unexpectedly. It’s unlikely but not inconceivable that someone could forget something they felt was needed for the viva leading to a delay.

It’s worth remembering that most vivas happen exactly as planned – and it’s worth finding out in advance who you would contact if something was to go wrong.

If there was a change of circumstances for your viva who would you get in touch with? And are there any potential problems you can identify and guard against in advance?

 

PS: if you have any viva worries then check out tomorrow’s 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva live webinar on Wednesday 17th June 2026. As well as being a big confidence boost all about the viva there’s plenty of time for questions too. If tomorrow is too short notice to attend then you can find full details for all my June and July webinars here.

Nathan

Call A Friend

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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

What Your Supervisor Knows

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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

Unspoken Rules

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“Everyone knows that about the viva!” – except when they don’t.

Regulations can be consulted but only show some of the picture of what to expect. Your department could have expectations that are assumed as common knowledge. There may even be expectations within your discipline that “everyone knows” about viva lengths, discussion focus and examiner selection.

Everyone knows what to expect – except when they don’t. If you don’t know what to expect or don’t know how something is supposed to be with your viva then find the right person to ask – and ask!

Then, whenever you can, share what you do know with others to help them on their journey to PhD success.

Nathan

What Your Supervisor Can’t Do

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They can’t find all your typos when you ask for feedback on a thesis draft.

They can’t tell you what questions you’ll get at your viva.

They can’t know what your examiners will or won’t like.

They can’t see ahead with absolute certainty about the level of corrections you’ll need to complete.

And they can’t take over for you in the viva!

 

What they can do is continue to support you. They can give you feedback. They can give their opinions on the viva: the process, expectations, who your examiners are and what they do. They can talk about common questions and offer advice.

They can encourage and support and send you on your way – to do what you need to do at your viva.

Nathan

Every Question

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The viva is a facilitated discussion. Your examiners have a plan with notes and prompts. They’ve prepared. They come to the viva with questions, comments and ideas to invite you into conversation.

There are many possible questions they could have for you:

  • Easy questions;
  • Difficult questions;
  • Closed questions;
  • Open questions;
  • Questions you’ve heard many times before;
  • Questions you’ve never considered;
  • Questions you know the answer to;
  • Questions you’ll need to consider your opinion on;
  • A question that sounds simple but when you think about it, it really isn’t;
  • A question that seems complex but has subtle ideas at the heart;
  • Questions you want;
  • Questions you don’t want;
  • The one question you love to talk about;
  • And the one question you hope never to get.

With all of that said, you don’t need to write a big list of possible questions ahead of the viva and make notes on them all so that you’re ready.

You can prepare for every question simply by rehearsing for the viva. Get experience by finding opportunities to practise responding to questions. Mock vivas, conversations with friends and seminars can vary in how close they will be to your actual viva but all can give support.

Have a plan (which you can practise in advance too!). Whatever the question, take your time to think. Maybe make a note in some way. Pause, take a sip of water. Then take your time to carefully respond. There’s no rush to get the viva done quickly.

Treat every question as important and you’ll give your examiners what they need at your viva.

Nathan

The Long Way

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There are little tasks that help you get ready for your viva. You can add sticky notes to the start of thesis chapters, read the regulations or list questions that occur to you as possible viva starters.

 

For the most part, like the rest of your PhD, you have to see viva prep as a journey with no shortcuts.

It’s the long way for you.

You have to do the work.

There are no AI quick fixes, no top tips or hacks that get you past reading your thesis, thinking, rehearsing and everything else involved.

 

The long way is the sure way. While your journey will be different from every other there are so many viva and viva prep experiences that you’re bound to find some help if you ask for ideas.

You don’t need shortcuts but knowing the routes that others have taken can help a lot.

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