What It’s For
The viva is a facilitated discussion to confirm that you did a good piece of work over a long period of time – and in doing so you became a good researcher.
The viva follows a long academic tradition in the UK and is seen as a good mechanism for assessing the progress that someone makes as they pursue their research goals. It’s a custom exam every time, following rules, traditions and experience, unique but not unknowable.
The viva is there to check you and your work out:
- Is it enough?
- Have you done enough?
- Have you developed enough?
(and enough is enough: your examiners aren’t looking for perfection)
Your viva is for you: it’s your viva, your exam, your work, your journey.
That’s what your viva is for.