You Are Here

Tag: examiner expectations

Nathan

Prep For Your Examiners

Daily Post

Viva prep is for the specific challenges that you’ll find at the viva – and two of those challenges are your internal and external examiners.

  • Talk to your supervisors, if you haven’t already, to explore why these academics are good choices to be your examiners.
  • Read the most recent publications by your examiners to get a sense of who they are and what they do.
  • Rehearse for the viva by having a mock viva so that you have a feel for the process that your examiners will be using on the day.

If the viva is a challenge then it makes sense to focus some preparation on the people who will be challenging you.

 

PS: Looking for more viva prep ideas and information about examiners? Then check out my live 3-hour Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 25th March 2026 where I’ll talk about these topics and a lot more. Attendees 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!

Nathan

Their Focus

Daily Post

The two academics who examine you and your thesis at the viva are first of all focussed on doing the job well. They are taking on the responsibility of being examiners and do it carefully.

Your examiners, internal and external, are focussed on exploring your contribution, discussing your PhD experience and examining your capability as a researcher. While they have a big picture focus they have their own work and ideas as well. Taking a little time to understand what they do as researchers can help you to think about how they read your thesis and what they might want to talk about, what they will understand and so on.

 

One more way to grasp their focus is to remind yourself of your focus. Whatever you did during your PhD and whatever you’ve presented in your thesis is the focus of the viva.

Nathan

Your Research, Your Questions

Daily Post

Your examiners don’t ask random questions.

They might have some common questions. If examiners typically ask about the methods you used then there will be common formulations of questions that could explore that topic.

When it comes to the deep discussion in your viva the questions will become targeted. They’ll ask about the particular sentence on page 47. They’ll ask you to say more about the summary on page 78. They’ll ask you about the choices you made in Chapter 4.

 

All of which is to say that you and your work lead to the questions you’ll get in your viva. Common, generic questions exist – but they will still be asked about your work. And these questions are small by comparison to the specific and relevant questions that will be directly inspired by your work.

If you want to be ready for the discussion at your viva you could take a glance at questions you’ll find on the internet or be prompted by an AI – but then get to work with reviewing your thesis, take time to create summaries and invest a few hours in rehearsal with others.

Your research leads to your questions at the viva.

Nathan

Basic Expectations

Daily Post

Here’s an incomplete list of what to expect for your viva:

  • Examiners have training and support.
  • Examiners prepare for the viva in an appropriate way.
  • Examiners ask relevant questions and make appropriate comments to examine a candidate.
  • Logistics for the viva are communicated in a fair and appropriate way.
  • The viva will be a fair and reasonable challenge given the nature of the research, the thesis and the candidate.

And as the candidate you’re expected to have done the work, prepared and have a sense of what the viva is supposed to be like.

Or, more concisely, at a basic level you are expected to be ready.

There are patterns for lengths of viva, common first questions and so on, but the expectations that really matter are knowing that your examiners are professionals and that you are capable – ready to do what you need to do to succeed.

Nathan

Right and Wrong Examiners

Daily Post

Some academics are definitely wrong as examiners for your viva: they don’t know your subject, your discipline or don’t have the requisite experience. They would never be asked.

Some academics are definitely capable to be your examiners: they are subject experts, experienced and have a good combination of knowledge and ability that means they could do the job.

Some academics might feel wrong to you as examiners: you’ve heard rumours or you’ve got a sense from interacting with them that you’d prefer not to engage with them in your viva.

Some academics might feel more right to you as examiner choices: they have a specific research interest you think connects with your work.

And some academics might be selected as your examiners regardless of whether you approve or not: ultimately, your supervisors decide.

What you can do, in advance of your viva, is think, consider and suggest names. You can express preferences and your supervisors can listen and decide what they need to decide.

Whoever your examiners are, they will be experienced, supported and capable. You will know who they are and know what they do. You can help yourself to be ready for meeting them.

Nathan

A Special Day

Daily Post

Vivas are special days.

Like most special days it’s not the setting or the build-up that makes it really special. There are lots of expectations about what special days need – cost, preparation, traditions and so on – but like any other day what makes your viva special are the people involved.

While your examiners are special and particular to your viva you could also have your viva without them; they could have been busy and someone else would have said yes. Your examiners are like the DJ at a party or a celebrant at a wedding: they’re good but there are other people who could fill that special role.

So let’s be clear: you’re the reason why your viva is a special day. You and your work are what make it matter. Prepare and get ready but remember who the viva is for and how you got there.

Nathan

Zombies & Examiners

Daily Post

Allow me a slightly silly post for Halloween…!

I’ve been thinking about zombies and examiners.

One group can feel quite scary. They just keep coming. They don’t stop until they’re satisfied. If you’re careful, when you encounter them, you can pause to think about how you’ll respond to their approach.

Thankfully they don’t move so fast that you can’t stay ahead of them and they’re very manageable in small numbers. They’re not really something to worry about if you keep your wits about you.

Anyway, that’s how I think about examiners – zombies are pretty scary too!

Nathan

Tried & Failed

Daily Post

There was a two-month period in my maths PhD where I tried and tried to make something work. Here’s my layperson’s description of the problem:

  • Imagine you’re looking at two knotted balls of wool;
  • Your task is to compare them and try to figure out if they’re knotted the same way or differently.
  • Now imagine that while you’re comparing them they start to grow.
  • And they also have lengthening algebraic expressions pinned to them.
  • And every time you stop to take stock you realise your notes have increased dramatically…

I tried a lot of different things. I found some results in the process but I didn’t reach an answer.

I tried and I failed.

 

I thought for a split-second-that-felt-like-forever at my viva that this was going to be a problem.

In Chapter 7 you detail your failure at a problem. That’s interesting.

I can still remember the way my internal examiner said it seventeen years later!

It was an odd way to express a point. It knocked me for a few seconds but really he just wanted to explore the situation:

  • What had I tried and why had it not worked?
  • What did I try next and how far did I get?
  • Why did I stop and what did it all really mean?

These were all good questions. I had a lot to say because there was a lot to talk about.

If any of this seems resonant – although hopefully not the knotted balls of wool! – then prepare for your viva with your problems in mind. If you tried and failed at something then be sure you know why. Be sure you can explain why.

And be sure you realise that while it might have been a problem while you were doing your research it doesn’t have to be a problem at your viva.

Nathan

The Default

Daily Post

Two examiners and a candidate in a fairly anonymous university room. A facilitated discussion that takes place over two or three hours with one or two breaks. It begins with a big opening question and concludes with a short intermission while examiners check they’ve covered everything.

The above is one way to describe the default viva experience and yet every week I’d bet there is a viva taking place somewhere in the UK where:

  • The candidate needs to have three examiners;
  • The viva is finished in an hour;
  • Examiners ask in advance for a presentation to kick things off;
  • The candidate needs to bring resources with them like a screen, a prototype or something to demonstrate;
  • The viva happens over Zoom.

Of course, video vivas are much more common now than six years ago, but they aren’t thought of as part of the default option.

The default might give a sense of what your viva will be like – or what vivas are supposed to be like – but your viva will be unique.

Your research is unique. Your thesis is unique. You and your circumstances are unique.

There are regulations and expectations and a sense of what your viva will be like. There’s an idea of a default viva, but the reality of your viva. Any differences you perceive or need for your viva do not make for a situation to automatically worry about.

Nathan

Your Expectations

Daily Post

What do you expect of yourself at your viva?

Viva expectations are often discussed in terms of length and first questions, format and examiner tone – but what do you expect from yourself? What should others expect of you?

  • A good thesis?
  • A capable candidate?
  • Lots of knowledge?
  • A little nervousness?
  • An understanding of the process?
  • At least a little confidence?

Together, you and your examiners can all reasonably expect that you’ll succeed at your viva.

1 2 3 … 16