nasty phd viva questions

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Top 40 potential questions to be asked in a PhD viva or defense

June 20, 2024 Filed under Blog , Featured , Presentations , Resources , Writing

“Your thesis content” by errantscience.com

Students worry about their vivas. They wonder whether they need to do additional work or read textbooks and articles again. For most students, they don’t need to do all this. My advice has consistently been the following to prepare for your viva: Pick up dissertation a few days before the viva, and read through it to remind yourself of what you did and wrote. Do not fret about misspellings or other minor issues. They are inevitable, and the examiners will not be too taken aback by a few errors here and there. Then, spend time thinking.

What is important is that you think more broadly about the work that you have been doing, how it fits into your discipline, what you might have done differently in hindsight, and where you or the community could go next.

There used to be a blog called Research Essentials hosted by the Open University that had this list of 40 potential viva questions to help candidates prepare for their vivas or defenses. This list of questions is excellent preparation for your viva, and I have shared it with many of my students. This blog has since gone, but others have promoted this list of questions and not attributed it to the original author. Wanting to make this resource more widely available and ensuring the original author gets the credit, I am promoting it here. Please find this list below.

Thank you to the original author Rebecca Ferguson , then a research fellow at The Open University, now a professor.

1. Can you start by summarising your thesis? 2. Now, can you summarise it in one sentence? 3. What is the idea that binds your thesis together? 4. What motivated and inspired you to carry out this research? 5. What are the main issues and debates in this subject area? 6. Which of these does your research address? 7. Why is the problem you have tackled worth tackling? 8. Who has had the strongest influence in the development of your subject area in theory and practice? 9. Which are the three most important papers that relate to your thesis? 10. What published work is closest to yours? How is your work different? 11. What do you know about the history of [insert something relevant]? 12. How does your work relate to [insert something relevant]? 13. What are the most recent major developments in your area? 14. How did your research questions emerge? 15. What were the crucial research decisions you made? 16. Why did you use this research methodology? What did you gain from it? 17. What were the alternatives to this methodology? 18. What would you have gained by using another approach? 19. How did you deal with the ethical implications of your work? 20. How has your view of your research topic changed? 21. How have you evaluated your work? 22. How do you know that your findings are correct? 23. What are the strongest/weakest parts of your work? 24. What would have improved your work? 25. To what extent do your contributions generalise? 26. Who will be most interested in your work? 27. What is the relevance of your work to other researchers? 28. What is the relevance of your work to practitioners? 29. Which aspects of your work do you intend to publish – and where? 30. Summarise your key findings. 31. Which of these findings are the most interesting to you? Why? 32. How do your findings relate to literature in your field? 33. What are the contributions to knowledge of your thesis? 34. How long-term are these contributions? 35. What are the main achievements of your research? 36. What have you learned from the process of doing your PhD? 37. What advice would you give to a research student entering this area? 38. You propose future research. How would you start this? 39. What would be the difficulties? 40. And, finally… What have you done that merits a PhD?

You can find the full original blog post, as well as all the comments on it, on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20220718161632/https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/ResearchEssentials/?p=156

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How to Answer Unexpected Questions During PhD Viva?

Learn how to answer during PhD Viva?

The PhD viva, short for viva voce, is an essential milestone in the journey of every doctoral student. It is an oral examination where you defend your thesis and demonstrate your expertise in your chosen field. While you may have prepared extensively for this moment, it’s not uncommon to face unexpected questions that can catch you off guard. However, with the right mindset and approach, you can tackle these questions confidently and leave a lasting impression on your examiners. In this article, iLovePhD will discuss some strategies to help you to learn how to answer unexpected questions during PhD viva .

Learn how to confidently handle unexpected viva questions during your PhD thesis with our comprehensive guide. Discover strategies to stay calm, listen attentively, and provide structured responses that showcase your expertise. Navigate the unknown with ease and leave a lasting impression on your examiners.

Learn how to Answer Unexpected Questions During Your PhD Viva

1. stay calm and focused:.

When confronted with an unexpected question, it’s natural to feel a surge of anxiety. However, it’s crucial to remain calm and composed.

Take a deep breath, gather your thoughts, and focus on understanding the question before formulating your response.

Remember that your examiners are not trying to catch you off guard but rather assess your critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

2. Listen Attentively

Active listening is key to comprehending the question accurately. Make sure you understand the question by listening carefully.

If needed, request clarification or repetition of the question to ensure you fully grasp what is being asked.

Active listening also demonstrates your attentiveness and willingness to engage with the examiners.

3. Don’t Rush

Resist the urge to provide an immediate answer. Take a moment to organize your thoughts and structure your response. Consider breaking down complex questions into smaller parts, allowing you to address each component systematically. Remember, it is perfectly acceptable to take a brief pause before responding; this demonstrates thoughtfulness rather than a lack of knowledge.

4. Reflect and Analyze

Take a few moments to reflect on the question and analyze its underlying concepts. Consider how the question relates to your research , and identify any connections or patterns you can draw upon.

Engage in critical thinking and evaluate different perspectives before constructing your answer. This demonstrates your ability to think deeply and engage with complex ideas.

5. Be Honest and Transparent

If you find yourself unsure or lacking knowledge about a particular aspect of the question, it is better, to be honest than to attempt to bluff your way through.

Examiners value honesty and integrity. Acknowledge your limitations and express a genuine willingness to explore the topic further.

Remember, the viva is an opportunity for intellectual discussion, not a test of perfection.

6. Provide a Clear and Structured Response

Once you have analyzed the question, formulate your response in a clear and structured manner. Begin by summarizing the key points you intend to address, and then proceed to elaborate on each point with relevant evidence from your research.

Use logical transitions to guide your examiner through your response and ensure your answer remains coherent.

7. Engage in a Constructive Dialogue:

View the viva as an opportunity for academic discussion rather than a one-sided interrogation. Engage with your examiners by asking for their input or seeking their opinions on related matters. Demonstrating your ability to engage in constructive dialogue showcases your scholarly aptitude and intellectual flexibility.

Additional tips how to answer unexpected questions during your PhD viva

Here are some additional tips for answering unexpected questions during your PhD viva :

Think about the question carefully before you answer. Don’t rush into your answer. Take some time to think about what the question means and how you want to answer it.
Use your research to support your answers. When you are answering a question, be sure to use your research to support your answers. This will show the examiners that you have a deep understanding of your topic.
Be prepared to defend your answers. The examiners may ask you follow-up questions to test your understanding of the question. Be prepared to defend your answers and explain your reasoning.

Facing unexpected questions during your PhD viva can be a nerve-wracking experience. However, by adopting a calm and focused mindset, actively listening, reflecting, and responding thoughtfully, you can navigate these questions successfully.

Remember that the viva is a chance to showcase your expertise and engage in intellectual discussion. Embrace the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and enthusiasm for your research. With thorough preparation and confidence in your abilities, you can tackle any unexpected question that comes your way. Good luck!

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PhD Women Scotland

Welcome to phd women scotland.

We’re a supportive and encouraging network for women who are studying for a PhD in Scotland. We share our experiences of research, academia and PhD life in order to tackle the isolation that many PhD students feel, particularly PhD women.

Surviving a Viva

I’ve long thought about being in the position to write a blog with my viva experience, excited to be on the other side and be the one who has the wisdom to share. Blogs such as this one helped me a lot, often a procrastination tool, but actually helpful in the long run to give me a break from writing or editing or panicking. Finally, in October 2020 it was my turn and although I was a nervous wreck for my viva I was also so excited to be done. Thankfully I passed with minor corrections, so now it’s my turn to pass on wisdom, some I learned from others’ advice and some a reflection of my own experience.

Tip number one: don’t feel bad for reading this (or other) blogs. In the lead up to submission and viva it feels a bit like every minute of the day you have to be writing or reading or stressing, anything else is a distraction or procrastination. Coming from the self-proclaimed queen of procrastination (I’m supposed to be working on my corrections right now) time like this is actually really beneficial to clearing your mind and progressing with your task. Two days before my viva I was practicing questions, one I was really stuck on was ‘contribution to knowledge’. I messed up this answer in my mock viva so I wrote and rewrote sample answers to this question over ten times and anytime my boyfriend got to this question in practice sessions I panicked and couldn’t string a sentence together which came to a peak two days before my viva. I ripped up paper and cried and gave up and went to bed. The next day my boyfriend asked me in passing ‘so what is your contribution to knowledge’ and I gave him a short, sharp, succinct answer. This made me realise that sometimes you can overwork your brain and it does more harm than good to keep going. Having a break is the best thing you can do, and having a break to read about the PhD process is probably one of the most efficient breaks you can take.

This leads me on to tip number two: don’t try to anticipate what will happen in your viva. I spent hours trawling the internet for typical viva questions and I wrote down a massive list and tried to write down sample answers to practice. This was good to an extent, it helped me frame some of my answers and got my thinking about potential questions. But you cannot predict what you will be asked. After painstakingly losing sleep over contribution to knowledge I wasn’t even asked about it on the day, and after more than one meltdown about my methodology I think I was only asked two questions on that chapter. No one can predict what the examiners will ask so don’t try to. I also found this process quite difficult as I treated it a bit like a memory test. I was trying to remember what I had wrote down in the sample answers rather than answering the question posed.

I would say the best thing that prepared me was doing a mock viva, which is tip number three. Now I know not all supervisors will have time to arrange or do a mock viva for you but if you can push for it I would, or find some very generous friends or colleagues to do one for you. I dreaded the thought of a mock viva but my supervisor was really keen on doing one. I thought I had avoided it, once the date for my viva was set I didn’t speak to my supervision team for a while, then three weeks before I emailed my supervisor asking for a catch up and she responded saying ‘lets just do a mock viva then’. I could have cried I was dreading it so much, more than the viva itself. My mock viva technically went OK but I thought it was terrible, I messed up basic questions and I felt like I made a fool of myself. I would say that it was harder than the final viva, just with the pressure of having my supervisor question me and the fact that I wasn’t as well prepared. But I would relive all that again because I know how valuable the mock viva was to the success of my actual viva. It gives you an idea of how questions will be posed, the tone of the event and most importantly how you will react. For me the fear of the unknown was a big factor in my nerves, not knowing how the examiners will be, what questions they will ask, or how long it will last. Doing the mock viva didn’t answer those questions but it did put me at ease a bit and gave me an idea of how I would respond, which areas I was stronger in and how I would react when I genuinely didn’t have an answer for the question asked. It’s horrible, but do it.

I’d love to have a tip number four for how to deal with the lead up to the viva but all I can say is just roll with it. I wish I had an example of how I coped with the nerves, managed my studying and prepared for the biggest exam of my life but if I’m honest I was a wreck and the time was a bit of a blur. I work full time and do my PhD part-time so I worked right up to my viva and only took the day of and the Monday after off (highly recommend, I hadn’t had a day off from work and uni for years). I chose to do this so as not to be consumed with studying and having a similar freak out to the contribution to knowledge fiasco, which inevitably happened anyway, and to stay in a routine to help sleep etc. My colleagues and bosses were so accommodating and kept checking in to see how I was but the day before I could not focus, all I could think about was viva questions and I could barely sit still. So I probably wasn’t the most productive and it would depend what your job is and how your boss is but I would recommend working or sticking to your usual routine as much as possible. I am also really lucky to live with my boyfriend so he picked up my slack with cooking and housework the week before. If you’re not in this position I would say to keep your routine basic, don’t plan to reorganise your cupboard or cook a Sunday roast and don’t feel bad for living off McDonalds if it’s genuinely all you can manage. It’s such a short period of time your body will get over a lack of exercise or vitamins. Although this might not be the best for your physical health, if you only have 0.1% of your brain capacity to spare don’t stress yourself out about it. Similarly, if you find that you actually aren’t that stressed and want to reorganise your cupboards I would also say go for it. In the lead up to submitting my thesis I had a very regimented schedule of what I had to do when and about five days before I ended up just napping on the couch and watching films. I was so relaxed about it (not like me at all) and my brain and body just decided that was where I was staying for the day. I still submitted on time and nothing changed, it wasn’t anything like the frantic seven straight all-nighters I was expecting and the lead up to submission was actually fairly calm for me. So don’t expect it to be the red bull fuelled, maximum stress event you see portrayed, if you are chilled just roll with it, this is your experience.

That being said, tip number five is: be organised on the day of your viva. I had my viva on Microsoft Teams due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions which has its pros and cons. I still got dressed for the occasion, I even put real shoes on, to signal to myself and my examiners that this was an important and formal life event and that I was taking it seriously. So I had my clothes all ironed and set out the night before. I dropped my dog off to my mother in laws as I didn’t want to worry about him barking if the postman came or wanting attention I couldn’t give him. I had my thesis printed and tabbed and flashcards with notes on key questions (it turns out I didn’t look at the notes once but they were a security blanket just in case). Your examiners will meet with the chair before they meet with you (or virtually invite you into the room) and I was advised this would last about half an hour, but I should be ready to meet from when they meet just in case. So I sat at my desk with my water and notes, had a quick wee mindfulness moment and waited. Thankfully I did as I was invited in about 15 minutes early but I was ready. I did have to refer to my thesis a few times which is why I would recommend printing it and having it tabbed to key sections or just every chapter. Make sure your page numbers are accurate too, my examiners had an online pdf of my thesis and the page numbers of the pdf didn’t match up to the printed page numbers which resulted in a bit of confusion.

Tip number six: have something to look forward to. I have heard from a lot of people and I tend to agree that your PhD viva is a bit anti-climactic – especially online. After the fact I just sat in the house by myself and thought ‘oh that’s it’. I then emptied the dishwasher and went to pick up the dog and I found it really ironic and strange that the whole world hadn’t changed in light of this ground-breaking news of my PhD. I have some really amazing friends and family who hyped me right up afterwards and I was expecting an anti-climax so I was a bit better off, but I can see why some people would be disheartened afterwards. So make sure you have something to mark the occasion. Being a Covid-PhD finisher I was limited in what I could do, which I am a little glad of. I imagine if life was normal I would have had a dinner booked with friends or family and would have ended up in one too many drinks which I would have been quite anxious about (what if I don’t pass and this table is booked for ten people etc.). Instead I treated myself the week before to a bubble bar, face mask and new pjs which I sat aside for post-viva. I hadn’t had a bath for a couple of weeks, telling myself that was a luxury I did not have time for (I did have showers, it didn’t get that bad) so I really hyped it up in my head. It was really great to lay in the bath and read a non-academic book for the first time in months and acted as a great signal to me that it was done. My boyfriend and I had a curry and a bottle of champagne afterwards and it was honestly such a great night. After weeks of stress, poor sleep and very few luxuries this was the perfect way to round off a very stressful day. Whether it’s a big night out or a cosy night in, plan something, have something that you look at in the days leading up to your viva and think ‘I can’t wait’, even if that is just a pair of new pyjamas.

It’s so hard to condense five-years worth of work and preparation into one blog but if I don’t stop now this blog will become a book. Bear in mind that my experience probably won’t be the same as yours and that’s OK. People have horrible viva’s and others have a great time (best day of your life and all that). For me it was a bit of both. It was a horrible lead up, the exam itself was difficult and weird but not unmanageable, and it’s true when people say this probably will be the only time you’ll get to talk about your research for 2+ hours and have people engage with it. I just kept telling myself that I have trained for this my whole life, folk train for years to run marathons or be the best chess player in the world, but if there is one thing I can do, it’s study! This is your time to shine and put all those skills to the test: higher maths, driving test, criminology presentation, politics exam all of these have been practice runs and this is the real thing, the last time you’ll really ever have to study. Believe me if I can do it, you can do it!

Today’s post comes from PhD Women Scotland’s very own co-founder, Emma!

PhD viva questions: What will I be asked at my PhD viva?

PhD viva coming up? Based on 15 years of feedback from doctoral candidates we’ve put together this list of 36 questions that are typically asked at PhD vivas to help you with your preparation. PhD viva questions are unpredictable but this list should help you prepare. If you have answers ready for them you can go to your viva with full confidence!

Part 1. Overview Viva Questions

Summarise your thesis in a single sentence
Does the title represent the content?
Describe your thesis in brief.
How did you decide to order your thesis?
What is your overall argument?
Why did you choose this topic?
Why is this topic important, and to whom is it relevant?
What are your key findings?
What is original in the thesis? What are your contributions to knowledge?

Part 2. Literature Viva Questions

Where did you draw the line on what you included in your literature review? (how did you decide what to include and what not to include)
How did the literature inform your choice of topic and the thesis overall?
Where does your work fit into the literature?
Who are the key names (authors) in this area?

Part 3: Research Design and Methodology PhD Viva Questions

Summarise your research design. What is your methodology?
What are the limitations of your methodology?
Is there anything novel in your method?
What problems did you have?
How did you develop your research questions?
Did the research questions change over the course of the project?
Where are YOU in this study? How has your background (and your identity) influenced your research?
What is the theoretical framework in this study?

Part 4. Analysis

What problems did you have in the analysis?
Briefly summarise the findings as they relate to each of the research questions .

Part 5. Review

What are the strengths and weaknesses of your thesis?
What are the implications of your findings?
How has the context changed since you conducted your research?
How do you see this area developing over the next 5-10 years?
What, if any, of your findings are generalisable? [Could your findings apply to other geographies]
How could you follow this project up with further research?

Part 6. Reflection

How did the project change as you went through?
How have your views changed as you have progressed through your research?
How did your thinking change over the course of the project?
What are you proudest of in the thesis?
What were the most difficult areas?
What surprised you the most?
If you started this study again, what would you do differently?

Try to get an answer ready for these 36 questions. Some of the answers will be quite similar. For example, your answer to ‘What surprised you the most?’ could be the same as ‘What were the most difficult areas?’ so you may not need to have 36 answers. If your thesis has particular strengths try to work these into as many answers as you can. Good luck!

7 questions you should prepare in advance for your PhD viva

The dreaded PhD viva. But how prepared can you really be?

The nature of the exam at the end of your PhD journey that determines whether you are awarded your doctorate or not can be a daunting and overwhelming thought. So, naturally the need for any PhD student is to be as prepared as possible.

But – spoiler alert! – you will never be 100% prepared. It all depends on how well you wrote your thesis, your examiners’ backgrounds and interests, how they like to conduct vivas too and whether they like to go through every page or skip through to key bits, and so many other factors. All of this and more will influence the questions you get asked and the discussions you will have.

But having said all that – there is no such thing as being over prepared for your viva because at the end of the day it is all about confidence. If you feel prepared enough then any question they throw at you, you will take in your stride. But more from me about viva prep and a step by step guide to help you keep your cool is coming very soon.

So, I have said that you never know what is going to come up in a viva. And most of the time that is true but there are 7 ‘types’ of question that you can prepare in advance because I can guarantee that at least one of these will come up in your viva and the vivas of everyone around you too.

So, here are more than 7 questions you can prepare for in advance of your PhD viva:

You can now check out this post too for 67 practice viva questions!

1. Summarise your thesis/research in 3 minutes.

The classic starter question to summarise your research. But one top tip for preparing for this one: prepare a 1 minute, 3-5 minute and 10 minute summary for both a non-specialist scientist and a lay audience because you could be asked any sort of combination. As this is usually a favourite opening question with the aim of getting you to relax with something familiar.

But this sort of question also applies for each chapter in your thesis. Before venturing into each chapter, your examiners might ask you to summarise what a particular chapter was about before getting into the detail. So, it is always good to practice a short paragraph so that you don’t get flustered by that sort of question.

2. What is the point?

Another favourite of many examiners to get you thinking more philosophically, because after all you are trying to become a Doctor of Philosophy. An example that was given to me during my preparations was:

‘So there are millions of people in the world starving and you have had thousands of pounds for you to try and answer this really niche research question. Surely that money is more well spent trying to help these more global problems?’

Now don’t panic. It sounds like a difficult question. And I can imagine you all having a face like I did when I heard this for the first time. But there is no right or wrong answer, and I don’t even think that the examiners would be that bothered by your answer. Their goal with this question is to test your thinking and being able to defend why you invested your time into this. But for this type of question, have something prepared that can answer the big ‘why’ questions to start the flow of your answer. Tell your examiners why your work is important.

3. What does this figure tell us?

Figures are great, especially schematics and summary ones. Because we all know that a picture paints a thousand words. But examiners also love them in a viva and instead of trawling through the actual words you have written in your thesis, they might just look at the picture to understand what you are talking about. But they will also stop at these focal points in your viva and get you to explain them. It is also a sneaky check to see that you also didn’t just copy a figure from another location, even if you have referenced it, and didn’t understand it. So prepare your descriptions for each figure – primarily the ones in your introductions and discussions as describing your results I imagine comes much easier to you as you are the expert.

4. How do you get from A to B?

Your examiners won’t be asking you for directions in your viva – I don’t think at least. So, what do I mean by this type of question. Well, the examiners want to understand your thought processes, rationale and knowledge. So, this type of question could be:

‘How do you get from cells to performing a PCR reaction?’

Why did you choose to do that experiment after this result?

You more than likely know all this like the back of your hand with the amount of times you would have repeated experiments, but sometimes it is difficult to vocalise. So I highly recommend having a practice and answering those questions out loud not not get flustered in your exam again and just remind yourself of all the steps.

5. What about your thesis is original and contributes to knowledge?

Another type of viva question that you will probably all too familiar with but another one that is good to practice vocalising beforehand so you can get your words out clearly in the exam and portray confidence even if you are a ball of nerves on the inside. But just remind yourself of what was known before and what you have added as part of being awarded your PhD is to contribute novel knowledge.

6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your research?

The examiners are not there to tear your thesis apart even if they are really going through it with a fine tooth comb. This type of viva question is to test your ability to reflect, evaluate and adjust. Take some time to think what bits of your thesis are really great and which bits of experiments or analysis could have been improved. Just show your examiners that you haven’t just taken the data that has been spat out at you at face value but you have considered how truly reflective it is and if you could do it again how you would change anything. But always make sure you have some answers to both strengths and weaknesses no matter how great or awful you think your thesis is. There will always be pros and cons.

7. What are the real world applications of your research?

The big picture question. You would have spend the last 3+ years of your life trying to figure out the smallest of details to a very niche question, so before you walk into your viva, it is good to take a step back and think about how this new knowledge you are contributing fits into the wider world. How could it be relevant? This question will be easier to answer for some than others depending on your research, and is probably something you have thought about before – especially if you have done outreach or public engagement activities. But it is one of those questions that you are more than likely going to get asked in your viva so it is good to be prepared.

So, there are 7 generic types of questions you can prepare in advance for your PhD viva. But I just want to remind you that you cannot prepare for every eventuality.

In fact, from my PhD viva experience, I got tested for most of these ‘types’ but not as they appear here or even in a logical order – so just remember what the examiners are looking for from the question to help you form your answer.

Be as prepared as you can be, but preparing for every possible question is not going to do you much good mentally and emotionally as you prepare. These are just some suggestions of questions that can help you do that in advance and hopefully help you relax into it a little easier.

I hope this post was helpful for you. I would love to know your feedback. Also, if you want any tips on how to prepare for these sorts of questions then, get in touch via the comments below or any of the links in the menu on the right. But there are more viva blogs on coming soon – a list of example questions and also a step by step guide on how to prepare for your viva.

Sample Viva Questions

After PhD Submission, the preperation for the Viva can be a daunting task, but in this post you will get some advise that should help!

Firstly, take a few weeks off! A refreshed mind is a productive mind!
The book “How To Survive Your Viva: Defending A Thesis In An Oral Examination” by Rowena Murray is a must buy! It details everything you need to know about the viva process.
You may be asked about academic publications during your viva – the time between submission and your viva is your time to write journal papers; if you have not already done so.
Re-read your thesis – make a list of any typographical errors and mark your thesis with post-it notes and/or coloured tabs to denote important chapters, sections and figures.
Always write on a separate piece of paper the key findings of each chapter (4 or 5 bullet points). You can take this into the viva with you and it can provide some reassurance if you forget anything!
It’s always a good idea to have a mock viva. This doesn’t have to be your supervisor but could be a friend/family member who has a PhD.
Prepare potential viva questions (see below).
A great tip in the viva, to give you time to think about your answers, is to write each question down before you answer it!

The anxiety of a PhD viva tends to develop from two things : 1. “The Unknown” – not knowing what your examiners will ask you and 2. “Memory Paralysis” – the common theme of “what happens if I don’t know an answer?” Well firstly, the list below presents questions to help you feel more at ease and secondly, don’t worry if you forget/don’t know an answer to a question straight away, just ask the examiner if you can come back to it later on – it will give you more time to compose a better answer. The important thing to remember in your viva is to be honest; examiners will see through you if you make things up.

What is the area in which you wish to be examined?
First of all, can you tell me why you chose to do a PhD on this topic?
In a couple of sentences, what is your PhD?
What are you most proud of in your PhD and why?
Did anything go wrong? Why?
Who has had the strongest influence in the development of your subject area in theory and practice?
What skills have you learnt?
Who will be most interested in your work?
What is your research problem?
Why is your research problem worth tackling?
How and why did you choose to focus on your particular case study?
What other case studies could you have potentially used?
What is the relevance of your study beyond the area/site you have chosen?
What are the main issues and debates in this subject area?
What has been written on your subject area in the last 12 months? And has anything been written since submission?
Who would you say is the leading scholar in your field?
Why didn’t you include the work of (a particular author) in your literature review?
With reference to your theoretical approach: why did you choose it?
Were there any other theories which you could have used? Why didn’t you use them?
How did the literature review enable you to develop your aim?
How did the literature review inform your choice of theory?
How did the literature review and theoretical underpinning inform the development of your aim?
How does your aim address your research problem?
How do the objectives achieve your aim?
How do the research objectives develop?
Where did your research questions come from?
Why did you use this particular methodology?
Can you tell me about your methods? How did you come to decide on this particular approach? Mixed-methods/qualitative/quantitative?
How did your research design affect the methods you used?
How does this method approach contribute to your work?
Did you have any problems with the data collection process?
How did you decide on the number of people you interviewed? Do you feel it gave you the breadth/depth you required?
To what extent were your interview questions influenced by other methods?
Why did/didn’t you use Nvivo to analyse your interview responses?
How does the thesis flow from one method to another?
What were the ethical considerations of your work?
Did you encounter any problems with applying this method of analysis?
Do you think the data you collected were the most appropriate to answer your research questions? Or are there data you would liked to have collected?
Are these methods the best to answer your research problem?
If you had your time again would you use any different methods? Why?
Can you summarise your key findings?
Which of your findings are most interesting to you and why?
Were the findings what you expected?
Did anything surprise you about your findings?
What are the strongest and weakest parts of your work?
How do your findings relate to the literature in your field?
To what extent do your contributions generalise/What is the potential for transferability?
What is the relevance of your work to other researchers?
What have you done that merits a PhD?
What are your additions to knowledge?
What do you recommend from your work?
What is the novelty and originality of your research?
What are the limitations of your work?
Why does your research matter?
If you could do this research again what would you do differently?
Has your view on your research topic changed?
What aspects of your work do you think you could publish and where?
If you propose future research, how would you start it?
What advice would you give to a future research student thinking about applying for a PhD?
What are your plans post-PhD?
These are a flavour of what you could be asked in your PhD viva and they apply to all subject areas. Usually the examiners will begin by asking general questions and then may question you on each chapter before delving into the thesis to ask specific questions related to your research to uncover justifications/things that may need clarifying further. The tip is not to be defensive – the viva should be a constructive process!
Enjoy it! It is probably going to be the only time you will ever get to talk to people who have read your thesis and are genuinely interested in your work!

Before you go, here are some other questions that might help.

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The Savvy Scientist

Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

Common PhD Viva Questions

It can be pretty difficult knowing how to prepare for your PhD viva. Having successfully defended my own STEM PhD remotely in the last year, I want to help you to prepare! What follows are some common PhD viva questions which your examiners may ask you. Plus some additional advice based off my own PhD viva experience.

For an intro to the PhD viva including the typical structure and potential outcomes please see my introductory post:

How to Defend a Thesis: An Introduction to the PhD Viva

How Much Do You Need to Prepare For A PhD Viva?

There is no hard and fast rule for how much you need to prepare. And unlike a written exam, there are of course no past-papers to practice on!

It may help ease your mind to think about what the purpose of a PhD viva is. Namely the purpose of the PhD viva (or defence) is to check that:

You did the work;
You understand the work;
The research is up to the standard for a PhD.

For more detail see my separate post here including Imperial’s PhD viva mark scheme.

In hindsight I probably didn’t spend as much time preparing for my viva as is normal. Though I did unexpectedly move house less than a week before !

Besides reading through my thesis once in the few days leading up to it, I didn’t spend much time thinking up answers to questions or “revising” certain topics which could come up. The viva went fine, but it wouldn’t have done me any harm to have been a little better prepared.

It certainly helped that I’d managed to schedule a viva which took place less than six weeks after I submitted the thesis so it was all very fresh in my mind. If you submitted your thesis months before your viva I’d suggest spending slightly more time refreshing your memory in preparation for questions you may get asked.

In summary, I think it’s useful for all PhD students to get an idea of some potential lines of questioning for their oral exam!

Update: Keen to get prepared for your viva? I’ve put together a set of viva preparation worksheets which are available in the resource library. Click the image below for free access!

Listed below are common PhD viva questions which I’ve roughly grouped together. We’ll start with some higher-level questions about your PhD which should be quite easy and friendly, then progress through to some more technical (and potentially unfriendly!) questions.

It is worth noting that many examiners will ask for a short presentation at the start of the viva and this could eliminate some potential questions. In this list I’ve left in the main questions I’d expect for this presentation to address, such as what future work you’d recommend.

Very few of the questions are ones you’re guaranteed to get asked, but I can assure you that you’ll get asked at least some of them!

General PhD Viva Questions – usually friendly!

These ones are simply inquisitive and you don’t really have to worry about getting caught out. The examiners are simply interested in the work and want an insight from someone who has spent the last few years working on it.

What is the most important finding from your PhD work?
What was the motivation behind this research?
Who is your research relevant to?
Which aspects of your work are you publishing? Follow on: and where?
What future work would you recommend?
What are the limitations of your research?
Which aspect of your work surprised you the most?
What are the potential applications of your PhD research?

Method-Specific Questions – mostly friendly!

These questions dive a little deeper but even so shouldn’t be too much of a cause for concern. They come down to your own judgement and as long as you justify your decicisions you’ll be fine in answering them.

Why did you do [things] a certain way?
What were the alternatives to [this certain method]?
Why did you test [that specific number] of samples?
What effect did you think changing [something in your method] would have?
What do you think you could have gained by using [another approach]?
Why did you not use [another technique]?
How did you deal with the ethical implications of your work?

Results & Analysis-Specific Questions – mostly friendly!

In a similar manner to the previous section about your methodology, you’ll often get some questions targeting your analysis and presentation of results.

What is this graphical figure illustrating?
Why was [this analytical technique] appropriate? Follow on: why did you use [this other technique]?
Which of your results do you find the most interesting?
How do you know that your findings are correct?

Literature Questions – may be less friendly!

This is where things may get tough if your examiners want to try and test your limits. Even so, they’ll still likely cut you some slack. If you have 100+ references it’s very possible that under the nerves of your exam you can’t remember specifics for each and every reference. Just don’t make things up. They’d rather you were honest than trying to deceive them.

Please explain the key findings of reference number [X]
Which papers would you say had the biggest impact on your work?
What do you think are the biggest differences between [these two previous studies]?
What have been the biggest advancements in the field over the last 10 years?
Why did you not reference [this other study]?
How does your work compliment the existing literature?
What do you think the next big advancements will be in the field?

Highly Technical Questions – potentially very unfriendly!

These are the ones I was a bit scared of getting, but it is a PhD viva after all. Of course it should be expected that you have a solid understanding of the principles that underpin your project. Even so it can be unnerving thinking of how large the range of potential questions like this can be!

Unlike at a conference or in other settings where you may be able to brush over things you’re not 100% comfortable with, there is no hiding when your examiners need to test your knowledge. Particularly when they have hours of time at their disposal to do so!

Explain how [a technique] works. This could be anything from sample preparation, equipment and analysis through to statistics. I’ve known people to get asked to explain things like a statistical t-test from first principles, with follow-on questions being asked with every answer to drill deeper.
Explain [some fundamental concept, phenomenon or principle]. Just like the last question but applied to basic-sciences. I’ve known students to get asked questions such as: explain energy (to a mechanical engineer) and explain toughness (to a materials scientist). I’m sure we can all explain these concepts to a certain level but my concern was whether or not I could explain them at a deep enough level to satisfy the examiner.

With both of these types of questions there ultimately comes a point where you (or the internal examiner ) can push back and say that answering that question was not the focus of your PhD!

What Questions I Got Asked at My Own PhD Viva

I was really surprised at my own viva how few questions I actually got in general.

The viva lasted a whopping five hours (excluding a quick break) and yet almost all of the time was spent discussing improvements to my viva to help with publishing papers.

Even so, I could have done with putting a bit more time into preparing for potential questions: which was my motivation to help you by putting together this post!

The few questions I had included:

If you were to do the project again would you do anything differently?
Clarification of what I meant by certain sentences in my thesis .

You may be wondering if I avoided getting asked deeper questions by the examiners because I already had a relationship with them so they were satisfied with my knowledge and capabilities. But I didn’t really know the examiners! I’d met my external examiner at a conference and he had seen me present but I’d never actually met my internal examiner before.

Instead, what I think did go a long way to helping was having already had something published in a respected journal.

Nevertheless, in a way I actually walked away a little unsatisfied by the lack of questioning at my PhD viva.

It was great to get so much feedback on my thesis which has already helped to get two more papers published since the viva, but I felt like it would have been nice to feel a bit more taxed and known that I could hold my own in the exam if it came down to it.

Now looking back on the viva 10 months later, I’m just happy to have the PhD done!

My Tips for Answering Common PhD Viva Questions

Keep calm and take your time before answering . There is no rush to answer questions. Having a sip of a drink may help provide a pause for thinking up an answer.
Tell the truth. If you don’t know something, just say so! It’s likely the examiners will quickly be able to tell that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Plus, there is the risk that they’ll ask deeper follow-on questions which could unravel any lies.
Try to enjoy the experience. Think of it as a discussion, rather than a police investigation. Your examiners are interested in the work and want to hear more about it!

If you’d like personalised help with preparing for your PhD viva I am now starting to offer a small number of one-to-one sessions. Please contact me to find out more or click here to book a call.

I hope these common PhD viva questions can help you to prepare for your own viva.

If there are other aspects of the examination you want covered, just let me know.

I have many more upcoming PhD (and beyond!) posts . I f you want to get notified about them you can subscribe here:

The Five Most Powerful Lessons I Learned During My PhD

8th August 2024 8th August 2024

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Minor Corrections: How To Make Them and Succeed With Your PhD Thesis

2nd June 2024 2nd June 2024

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How to Master Data Management in Research

25th April 2024 4th August 2024

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UK specific advice for viva preparation

Over in the general r/askacademia I’m sure this question has been asked to death but I want some specific UK advice: how do you prepare for a PhD viva?

I have mine coming up this month and can hardly look at my thesis I’m so tired of it!

How did you prepare for yours?

Edit: did you do a presentation? If so what did you focus on?

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Prepare for your viva. One question at a time.

Prepare answers to the most common phd viva questions with this interactive template. it’s free to download and it’s yours to keep forever. , the easiest way to prepare for your viva.

Our free PhD Viva Questions template lets you familiarise yourself with the most common questions. It’s been designed in collaboration with Professor Peter Smith, author of Palgrave’s The PhD Viva.

The template is interactive and editable, meaning you can fully prepare model answers in advance of the big day.

Enter your email address and we’ll deliver it straight to your inbox. For free. We’ll also send you tips and advice on how best to prepare for your viva and any corrections you may get.

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5 tips for passing your PhD viva

Every Doctoral researcher is expected to defend their thesis through an oral test known as a viva voce - so discover how to prepare for your PhD viva and ensure you make a good impression on the examiners

1. Understand what's expected of you

The PhD viva exam has traditionally always taken place in person, with the interview style discussion overseen by at least two (internal and external) examiners. Afterwards, you would be provided with a joint written report detailing any corrections that need to be made.

However, during the pandemic, the online PhD viva become more commonplace with this exam more likely to take place via Microsoft Teams, Skype or Zoom. Even now, a number of years later, many universities still allow for the viva to take place online, or a hybrid of online and in-person assessment.

The virtual experience still follows much the same format, but you'll be briefed in advance about the arrangements and any technical aspects to bear in mind. You can prepare for an online PhD viva by reading our video interview tips .

The chair of the viva is usually the internal examiner, although it can be an independent person. If you and the examiners agree, your PhD supervisor can also be present.

The examiners' main objective is to ascertain that you've written your own thesis, so if you have and are ready to talk through how you completed it, there's no need to panic. You may even enjoy the viva voce test.

In addition to assessing your thesis, the examiners are also there to assist you in deciding how and where this research might be published.

There are various results between a 'pass' and 'fail' but it's very rare to slip up at this point of a PhD. Most Doctorate awards will be made upon the condition that a number of minor corrections are made, with re-submission requests far less common.

While the pass rate is high, the viva exam itself can still be intellectually demanding. This is because you'll be debating issues that are conceptually complex, so preparation is crucial to your success.

At the end of it, whatever the outcome, be prepared to take on board any advice, as the examiners are there to help you improve your argument or the presentation of your thesis.

2. Know your thesis inside out

While this isn't a memory test - as you're fine bringing notes and a copy of your thesis with you - it's still important to gain a good understanding of what you've written and be knowledgeable about your field of study.

You'll need to think carefully about where this original piece of work would be placed in the context of the wider body of research carried out in this field. Questions will be asked about this, as well as whether the project could possibly be developed further through any future research.

As you'll be explaining parts of the document to the examiners (who'll also have a digital or physical copy), make sure the pagination is the same in your version as the one they're looking at to avoid any issues regarding everybody being on the same page.

If you get stuck at any point during the viva exam, you can use looking at the thesis as an excuse to re-focus and gather your thoughts.

3. Anticipate the PhD viva questions

The examiners will have prepared a series of questions for you to answer at the viva voce, but this is nothing to get too concerned about. The questions will all be based on your thesis - what it's about, what you did and what you found out - and why this matters, in relation to your field of study.

So when getting ready for the viva, consider the types of questions you're likely to be asked, including:

What original contribution has your thesis made to this field of study?
Explain the main research questions you were hoping to address.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your thesis?
If you had to start the thesis again, what would you do differently?
If funding was no object, describe how you'd follow on from this project.
What are your plans for the future?

It can be helpful to practise your answers beforehand, ideally vocalising them by arranging a mock mini viva - although, as you aren't restricted in terms of referring to notes in the exam, you can leave room for spontaneity, and you don't need to learn it all off by heart.

If your viva is being held online, you can ensure any technical issues are identified before the day by having a run through with your supervisor or a friend.

While it may sound simple, stick to answering the questions posed. It's really easy to go off on a tangent and this can open up other lines of enquiry from the examiners - possibly in areas you hadn't expected to be quizzed about.

On the other hand, it's completely fine to bring personality to your reasoning and use stories as a means of describing the learning process you've gone through and the techniques mastered over the last three or four years that have brought you to this point.

4. Learn about your examiners' own work

The senior and well-respected academics who'll be reading your thesis will have their own ideas on conducting PhD standard research. Therefore, it's worth taking a look online at their academic and LinkedIn profiles to discover if there's any correlation with the research they've had published and your own work.

From this, you should be able to gain a better idea of their motivations, their possible views on your thesis and the kinds of questions they might wish to discuss after having read through it.

You should research up-to-date theories, read any recent papers on the subject and speak to others who've recently had their own viva exam. Think about how your work differentiates from the research carried out by others in your chosen field.

Prepare to provide any supporting evidence asked of you by the examiners - for example, they may request to see experimental data you mention once the exam is over.

It's also necessary to check the policies and practices in place at your university and be sure of what the roles of the examiners are and how the viva panel will be structured. In many cases, Doctoral students can choose the examiners conducting the PhD viva.

5. Plan towards the viva exam

From the moment you know the date of your viva voce, work backwards and plan the steps you'll need to take before the day itself. Allow enough time to assess and review your work so that as the day approaches, you can focus on the practicalities.

This encompasses everything from making sure you relax, eat and sleep well the day before to arranging transport so you get to the viva on time.

An online PhD viva will present its own challenges, so ensure your working space is presentable and you still make an effort in terms of what you'll be wearing.

It's always advisable to adhere to interview etiquette and go with something that's both smart and comfortable. By looking the part, this should get you in the right frame of mind to communicate in a professional manner.

In the build-up, avoid any situations that might make you feel stressed and instead try to adopt a positive attitude, one that results in a genuine eagerness to engage in a debate about the work you've been toiling over.

If you're travelling to the exam, be sure to check that you have everything you need, including the thesis, plus any notes or other materials that will help support your claims.

The Doctoral viva can last between one and four hours - usually two - so it's necessary to pace yourself to get off to the best possible start.

Remember, the examiners aren't trying to trip you up - they want you to pass and are primarily there to hear you talk about your project. So, after the polite introductions, they'll typically start with an icebreaker to put you at ease and help calm the nerves.

It's meant to be an open and honest conversation about your work, so feel free to politely disagree with the examiners, especially on areas you feel strongly about. Don't forget to use examples from your thesis to back up what you're saying, remembering to be clear and concise.

If you know your way around your thesis and can explain your thinking and way of working, this test shouldn't be a problem. And if you don't know the answer to a specific question - admit it, as it's better to concede your limitations in an area than ramble on and hope they don't notice you're struggling to come up with an explanation.

Remember that no research is perfect, so it's important to appreciate this during the discussion - but don't be too overcritical about your work either, as that's not your job.

Finally, as the PhD viva can quickly move from a series of friendly questions to those that are more in-depth, take some time to think before answering. Don't worry about any periods of silence from the examiners, as this certainly isn't an indication that you're doing badly.

Find out more

Read about 5 challenges faced by PhD students .
Explore possible careers at your PhD, what next?
Consider getting an academic job .

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10 Hard Questions Asked During a PhD Dissertation Viva

Every PhD candidate has to defend their dissertation through a viva, but it can be a daunting prospect. The PhD viva is an oral examination and is the final hurdle before a doctoral degree is conferred on a candidate. You’ve invested years in research, made contacts with professionals, and now you have to convince your examiners that you’ve covered the topic well. The success of the viva depends on how you prepare for it. This article reviews ten hard questions during a PhD dissertation viva!

What are the strengths and weaknesses of your research?

This dissertation viva question is asked to gauge how knowledgeable you are about your topic. The examiners expect you to answer honestly, but it is not an opportunity to fully undermine your research. For weaknesses, highlight how methodological approaches chosen, data or location of focus have impacted your findings’ generalisability. You could also highlight how the time or scope of the project has also impacted your ability to explore other related areas or conducted more experiments, but be careful not to poke too many holes in the core of your work. For strengths, highlight your contribution to knowledge, your use of new approaches and how new insights gained as a result of your research would improve the body of knowledge or the world in general.

If a weakness is pointed out to you by the examiners, be sure to explain what steps you’ve taken to improve that area. It can help show examiners that you know what you’re talking about and don’t make claims that aren’t backed up. As for strengths, it’s essential to identify those, but don’t go overboard. It’s also good not to focus only on strengths, as there are always weaknesses in every study.

Questions like these can also sound like they’re pointing out an obvious flaw in your research, so be prepared with an answer in case they do!

How well did the study design work?

The examiner may ask you how well the study design worked, e.g. if you think it was appropriate for the research and provided a good opportunity to answer your research questions.

Generally, to pass your viva, the research design must have worked well to answer the research questions, but there might be limitations that you could have or could not have addressed as you progressed the research using such a design.

You should consider the following questions when answering this:

– Did you include all the necessary control groups?

– Was the sample size large enough?

– Did your methodology allow for in-depth analysis?

– Did your methodology and approach help to achieve new insights?

– Has the study design been used in similar studies with good results?

Tell me about yourself and your research?

This question will set the tone and set you up for success or make things harder. How you answer this question will depend on how well you know your dissertation topic. If you’ve been able to show that you are knowledgeable about your subject, this question will be a great opportunity for you to talk about how your work is making an impact. However, if it is difficult for you to answer the question, then avoid talking at length here and keep it brief, linking back to each of the points of your research instead.

Your answer should highlight

who you are
what your research is about,
what influenced your choice of the research topic,
your primary research questions,
your contribution to knowledge and
your publication record or conferences attended.

After completing your research, which part of the process did you enjoy the most and why?

When people defend their PhD, they’re asked to reflect on the process and how they feel about it. Was it the research, literature review, data collection, writing up or the viva examination? It’s a difficult question because many people enjoy different aspects of it. A good way to answer this is by saying that you enjoyed the whole process because there were both highs and lows. You might also say that you learned a lot from the experience, and this was an enjoyable time for you. If you found a specific area particularly interesting, you should explain this to the examiners and explain why.

What change has this research brought in you?

This is a question that challenges you to demonstrate the value of your research to you as an individual. You don’t want to answer this question with a generic statement, such as “I have learned so much about this topic.” Show them how your research has changed your life! You should ideally highlight the essential skills you have gained over the period of doing the PhD. It would help if you also discussed some things that you did not know about the research area before embarking on a PhD.

Did the research process go as you planned it ?

Every research process is different, and, in some cases, the entire process doesn’t go as per the plan. No matter how much research you’ve done before starting a project, there are going to be moments when things don’t go as planned.

You should be ready to explain instances when the project derailed from the plan and how you got the project back on track. It is important to discuss what you did and how it impacted other aspects of the project. Early in the PhD process, some students find out that the thesis topic is not something they want to pursue or that the resources needed for the research can’t be obtained. If this happened or something similar, explain during the viva.

How much of your work was original research, and how much was secondary research?

One of the questions that examiners will ask is what percentage of your work was original research and what percentage was secondary research.

To be awarded a PhD, you must have completed original research and made a significant contribution to knowledge. To answer this question, highlight the original research conducted and discuss the methods and approaches used for the study. You should also mention any secondary research or resources you used during your viva. Remember to give credit where it’s due! It is normal for your work to have built on some existing body of knowledge.

What is the key focus of your research?

This question seeks to understand what core research questions you have focused on for your PhD. You should be able to articulate this and discuss what your contributions were. You must establish the background of the research, why it was important, provide the context where necessary and help the examiners understand the main results. You should also, where possible, highlight some of the research focuses in your area but particularly focus on your research questions.

Can you Summarize your thesis, please?

Similar to the question around the research focus, with this question, the examiners are interested in you explaining all about your research in a few minutes.

You should highlight

the background to the research
what your main research questions are
what methodologies and data collection techniques were used
what your contributions to knowledge were
main strengths and weaknesses of your research
how your research helps the world.

What original contribution has your thesis made to this field of study?

The examiner will invariably ask you what original contribution your thesis has made to this field of study. Remember, to earn a PhD; your research should have added new knowledge. One way to answer this question easily is by highlighting how your original research has improved knowledge in the field of study. What new thing do we know now as a result of your research? This could be a framework, a new theory, new datasets, new experiments or more.

Suppose you are not able to pinpoint an original contribution. In that case, you should highlight the methodology used in the research and how it contributed to a better understanding of this field.

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PhD Viva Guide - A Springboard for your PhD Viva Preparation

This guide was launched by the Registrar and Deputy President, An tOllamh Nollaig Mac Congáil on the 24th May 2012.

This PhD Viva Guide - A Springboard for your PhD Viva Preparation was produced by Dr Ann Torres in consultation with the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) and the former Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Pat Morgan.

This guide aims to support PhD students in preparing for their oral examination, taking into consideration best practice internationally and the university guidelines for research degree programmes. The motivation for developing such a resource is the recognition that PhD candidates’ need to understand what is involved in the Viva process. Candidates can experience considerable fear around the preparation for their viva. This guide is to give practical help and “demystify the process” by compiling useful advice for PhD candidates.

You can view this guide at: PhD Viva Guide - A Springboard for your PhD Viva Preparation (you can request a hardcopy version of this guide by emailing [email protected])

This e-guide is available in Irish at Treoir Maidir le Viva PhD .

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Thesis Writing

Wednesday 21 january 2009.

Nasty PhD Viva Questions

There are three reasons why PhD candidates have to have a viva: it is so the examiners can see:

whether it is your own work;
whether you understand what you did;
whether it is worth a PhD (i.e. is a contribution to knowledge).

These are the points being examined (according to Alex Gray from the University of Cardiff):

Understanding : that you're ready to become an independent researcher.
Relationship to other work : that you have a command of your subject-area. Similarity to the work of others doesn't detract from novelty!
Novelty - is your work publishable? If you have already published a couple of papers, that should be proof of sufficient originality. Don't panic about recent publications that are very similar to your work - the important thing is to be aware of them, and to know the differences between your work and theirs.
What you have achieved , and that you are aware of its implications . What will it make a difference to?
Demonstration of hypothesis (what you set out to achieve). How have you evaluated/tested your hypothesis? Always be prepared to reconsider your hypothesis if you end up demonstrating something else - it's vitally important that your results match your hypothesis, and that you have a convincing argument for this.
Why did you do it the way you did? Not just your practical work, but everything. For example, your literature review should be focused towards your hypothesis.

Preparing for the Viva: Before you submit

It's crucial to get the philosophy of your thesis (as set out in your Chapter 1) absolutely correct, and clear in your mind by the time of the viva , because if the examiners find holes, they'll run rings round you.

They could ask you to explain/justify any statement in the thesis , so beware of baring nasty branches for clarification at the viva! Identify the contentious statements in the thesis, which you anticipate having to defend in the viva. A good supervisor will point out the contentious statements and grill you over them. Start a file of anticipated viva questions .

The conclusion chapter is a major one to focus on in anticipating viva questions - especially where you criticise your work!

Obviously, it's essential to know your own thesis thoroughly . I think it's a great idea to compile a brief summary of each section before you submit - enough to remind you of what's in each section, paragraph by paragraph or similar (my thesis summary is very different to, and shorter than, my thesis plan, where I basically wrote down all the points I could think of, then when I wrote it up, I added and deleted points, and changed the structure). Compiling a thesis summary before you submit has the advantages that you may spot strategic-level flaws in time to fix them, and will enable you to revise for the viva from the thesis summary rather than from the thesis itself.

Don't try to get the thesis perfect and free of minor corrections at the expense of delaying submission. It's almost certain that the examiners will find something to correct, anyway.

Preparing for the Viva: After you submit

The most important goal in preparing for the viva is to keep the subject alive in your head .

Try to anticipate the questions you'll be asked in your viva and keep working on a file of anticipated questions (both the generic questions listed on this web-page, and questions specific to particular sections of your thesis) and your answers. If you said anything without understanding it 100%, or anything you have doubts about having justified properly, add it to your viva file.

You can go into university after you've submitted your thesis and your registration has expired - doing some more practical work may (or may not) help to keep the subject alive in your head (you could do experiments and take printouts of the results to the viva).

However, the main preparation for the viva is reading . These are the things to prioritise:

If your thesis contains mathematical formulae, check them carefully so that you're confident, by the time of the viva, that they're correct. If they're not correct, work it out in advance so that you're not flustered by mathematical mistakes at the viva.
Be familiar with the references cited in your thesis , because that's the literature your examiners are most likely to ask you about. Read anything you have cited without reading (not that you should cite things without reading in the first place!).
So make sure you're familiar with the literature - not everything you've read in the last three years, but the more important stuff.
Look for recent review/survey papers of related areas. You need to be able to discuss the state of the art in any area related to your thesis.
Recent publications tend to be particularly important (what are the recent developments in your field?), although they can't ask you about anything published after you submitted your thesis.
Read the examiners' publications to get a feel for where they're coming from, what things they consider important, and which topics they consider relevant.
Don't stop reading until after the viva.

It might be an idea to publish a paper or two between submitting your thesis and the viva - I wish I had done so. Try to write papers from different perspectives.

The time between submitting the thesis and the viva varies greatly. I submitted my thesis on 28th September 2001, and had my viva on 18th September 2002! My thesis was very long (390 pages including appendices), and there was a delay in finding a suitable external examiner, but above all you have to remember that your examiners will be busy with other things too!

The shortest time I've heard of between submission and viva is three weeks (different subject, different university).

They have to give you at least two weeks' notice before the viva. I got five weeks' notice. My internal examiner suggested a couple of dates, I chose 18th September and asked for 14:00 in IT406, and this was officially confirmed a few days later.

The Viva itself

The PhD viva is an open-book exam : you can bring any materials you want. Here is what I think one should bring to the viva:

a copy of your thesis, obviously - you can stick yellow `post-it' notes on it (e.g. anticipated questions and answers), although I personally abhorred the idea of preparing from my thesis itself;
your list of anticipated viva questions and your answers;
printouts of the results of any post-submission experiments;
the chapter-summaries you made for revision;
all the notebooks you should have been keeping since the start of your research (the notebooks need to be indexed so that you can look things up);
any papers such that when you reviewed them in the thesis, you regurgitated something they said blindly without really understanding it (in my case, I identified two such papers, but I brought a dozen potentially contentious papers to the viva);
printouts of any files or emails containing useful ideas which you haven't documented elsewhere;
tissues, paracetemol, &c. in case of any unexpected bouts of sneezing, headaches, &c.

At my viva, I gave a presentation (using slides) about some experiments I did after I submitted my thesis. But it's unusual for the candidate to give a presentation, and your supervisor should advise you if it is appropriate to do this. If you do give a presentation, be prepared to be flexible - I was asked to speed up and just give the highlights.

It is not the norm, in this department (I do not speak for other departments/universities), to be expected to give a practical demonstration of your work at the viva, but you could always offer to do so if you think it will help your cause (unlikely).

Anyone can attend a PhD viva, but only the examiners and the candidate can participate. (This means it may be a good idea to attend someone else's viva before your own, though I've never had the balls to gate-crash a viva! :-o )

Your supervisor should definitely attend your viva, although (s)he is usually not allowed to participate unless invited to do so by the examiners. It might be an idea to keep an eye on the body-language of your supervisor to see if you're going wrong! ;-)

A viva typically lasts two hours (but as long as it takes - mine lasted 2h22m), and a common approach is for the examiners to go through the thesis sequentially, asking questions.

Just because they ask a lot of questions doesn't mean you're going to fail. They don't give away the result before or during the viva, but you may be asked to wait around for the result at the end (about half an hour), so that they can explain the result to you - particularly if you have to resubmit your thesis (failure without the option of resubmission is very rare, and is not going to happen if you submit anything resembling a sensible thesis).

Relax and enjoy it, if possible!
Ideas should flow out from you without a lot of prompting.
Listen carefully to the questions and take your time answering them.
Answer your questions succinctly (a rough guideline is 2 to 3 minutes each - no 20-minute diatribes!). Avoid going off at a tangent.
Try to make your answers initially inclusive (spot overlaps), analytical, and then if appropriate dismissive or point out the limitations - and the effects of these limits.
Generic viva questions, such as the ones given in the section below, require imagination to answer well!
Answers may utilise a wide variety of examples and domains. They are a test of your breadth of knowledge as well as depth of knowledge which is expected of a PhD student.
Handling difficult questions:
If you don't understand the question, ask for clarification. Paraphrase the question in your own words and say, "is this what you mean?" State your assumptions.
Treat vague questions as invitations to tell the examiners that you know your area and how it fits into related areas. Try to link the question to the questions you have anticipated and their stock answers. After writing a thesis, you should have one big, connected network of discussion in your head, so you need to jump in at the appropriate place for a given question.
If they have a misconception about your work, try to pin it down and explain it.
If you think the question is irrelevant, explain why you think it is irrelevant (it may be that you need to be more broad-minded).
If you really can't answer a question:
If you have any idea at all, say it.
Say, "I can't answer this on the spot, but I should be able to work it out in my own time."
If it's about literature you haven't come across, thank the questionner and ask for a reference.

Typical Viva Questions

Here are some generic viva-questions - you should instantiate each question for your particular thesis, and have a framework for answering it worked out before the viva.

I have tried to cluster related questions together here - they are not necessarily in order of importance, nor in the order that they are likely to be asked at the viva.

General Questions

What is the area in which you wish to be examined? (particularly difficult and important if your thesis fits into several areas, or has several aspects, or seems to fit into an area of its own as mine does).
In one sentence, what is your thesis? (Resist the temptation to run from the room!)
What have you done that merits a PhD?
Summarise your key findings.
What are you most proud of, and why? This may be asked (again) towards the end of the viva.
What's original about your work? Where is the novelty? Don't leave it to the examiners to make up their own minds - they may get it wrong!
What are the contributions (to knowledge) of your thesis?
How does your work relate to X?
What do you know about the history of X?
What is the current state of the art in X? (capabilities and limitations of existing systems) What techniques are commonly used? Where do current technologies fail such that you (could) make a contribution?
How does/could your work enhance the state of the art in X?
Who are the main `players' in X? (Hint: you should cluster together papers written by the same people) Who are your closest competitors?
What do you do better than them? What do you do worse?
Which are the three most important papers in X?
What are the recent major developments in X?
How do you expect X to progress over the next five years? How long-term is your contribution, given the anticipated future developments in X?
What did you do for your MPhil, and how does your PhD extend it? Did you make any changes to the system you implemented for your MPhil?
What are the strongest/weakest parts of your work?
Where did you go wrong?
Why have you done it this way? You need to justify your approach - don't assume the examiners share your views.
What are the alternatives to your approach? What do you gain by your approach? What would you gain by approach X?
Why didn't you do it this way (the way everyone else does it)? This requires having done extensive reading. Be honest if you never thought of the alternative they're suggesting, or if you just didn't get around to it. If you try to bluff your way out, they'll trap you in your own words.
Looking back, what might you have done differently? This requires a thoughtful answer, whilst defending what you did at the time.
How do scientists/philosophers carry out experiments?
How have you evaluated your work?
intrinsic evaluation : how have you demonstrated that it works, and how well it performs?
extrinsic evaluation : how have you demonstrated its usefulness for a specific application context?
What do your results mean?
How would your system cope with bigger examples? Does it scale up? This is especially important if you have only run your system on `toy' examples, and they think it has `learned its test-data'.
How do you know that your algorithm/rules are correct?
How could you improve your work?
What are the motivations for your research? Why is the problem you have tackled worth tackling?
to other researchers?
to industry?
What is the implication of your work in your area? What does it change?
How do/would you cope with known problems in your field? (e.g. combinatorial explosion)
Have you solved the field's problem that you claim to have solved? For example, if something is too slow, and you can make it go faster - how much increase in speed is needed for the applications you claim to support?
Is your field going in the right direction? For example, if everyone's been concentrating on speed, but the real issue is space (if the issue is time, you can just wait it out (unless it's combinatorially explosive), but if the issue is space, the system could fall over). This is kind of justifying why you have gone into the field you're working in.
Who are your envisioned users? What use would your work be in situation X?
How do your contributions generalise? To what extent would they generalise to systems other than the one you've worked on? Under what circumstances would your approach be useable? (Again, does it scale up?)
Where will you publish your work? Think about which journals and conferences your research would best suit. Just as popular musicians promote their latest albums by releasing singles and going on tour, you should promote your thesis by publishing papers in journals and presenting them at conferences. This takes your work to a much wider audience; this is how academics establish themselves.
Which aspects of your thesis could be published?
What have you learned from the process of doing your PhD? Remember that the aim of the PhD process is to train you to be a fully professional researcher - passing your PhD means that you know the state of the art in your area and the directions in which it could be extended, and that you have proved you are capable of making such extensions.
Where did your research-project come from? How did your research-questions emerge? You can't just say "my supervisor told me to do it" - if this is the case, you need to talk it over with your supervisor before the viva. Think out a succinct answer (2 to 5 minutes).
Has your view of your research topic changed during the course of the research?
You discuss future work in your conclusion chapter. How long would it take to implement X, and what are the likely problems you envisage? Do not underestimate the time and the difficulties - you might be talking about your own resubmission-order! ;-)

Particular Questions

Most of the viva will probably consist of questions about specific sections of your thesis, and the examiner should give a page-reference for each question. According to Alex Gray, these questions fall into six categories:

Clarification. The examiners ask you to explain a particular statement in the thesis. In some cases, their lack of understanding may be due to a typo, e.g. "Why did you connect the client to the sewer?" Also, "not" is a small word which makes a big difference! ;-)
Justification.
Alternatives considered. Be honest if you didn't consider alternatives, otherwise you'll be digging a hole for yourself.
Awareness of other work.
Distinction from similar work. Especially recent publications where others are working in the same area - what are the similarities and differences between your work and theirs?
Correction of errors (typos, technical errors, misleading statements, and so on).

Acknowledgements

Much of the material on this page comes from my supervisor Nick Filer , from CS700 / CS710 , from questions I've been asked at the end of various presentations I've given, and from my own viva (most of the questions there were thesis-specific). I added questions from the external websites given at the end of this document. I also updated this document in the light of Alex Gray's keynote speech, "Surviving the PhD Viva: An External Examiners Perspective" at the 2002 Research Students' Symposium .

If you can think of any viva-style questions that are not covered by the above, please do not hesitate to tell me, and I will consider them for inclusion on this page.

Finally, I found my own viva much less stressful than I thought it was going to be. The examiners know that it's an ordeal for anybody, so they should go out of their way to put you at your ease and make you feel comfortable. I was amazed how calm I was, even when I went back to hear the result. If you're worried about getting an `impossible' resubmission-order, remember it's not the examiners' job to set insurmountable hurdles - they want you to pass as soon as possible.

External links

Phd vivas - the end is in sight (medical sociology uk) preparing for the viva voce (university of london) how to survive a thesis defence (physics, university of new south wales) preparation for the oral examination (brunel university) procedure for viva examination (university college london) how to survive your viva (lancaster university) pdf file: preparing for your phd viva voce (warwick business schoo.

There are certainly a lot of details like that to take into consideration.That is a great point to bring up. I offer the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly there are questions like the one you bring up where the most important thing will be working in honest good faith. Custom Term Papers

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COMMENTS

Top 40 potential questions to be asked in a PhD viva or defense
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5 tips for passing your PhD viva
3. Anticipate the PhD viva questions The examiners will have prepared a series of questions for you to answer at the viva voce, but this is nothing to get too concerned about. The questions will all be based on your thesis - what it's about, what you did and what you found out - and why this matters, in relation to your field of study.
Nasty PhD Viva Questions (Extract)
A PhD candidate needs to anticipate the questions that are likely to be asked in the viva - the "horrible ordeal where you have to defend your thesis in person before they rip you to shreds." Actually, it's not nearly as bad as it sounds, provided that you enter it having prepared to your utmost. 1. Introduction a. There are three reasons why PhD candidates have to have a viva: it is so the ...
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PDF Viva Resources
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a voce. The motivation for developing such a resource is borne out of the recognition that PhD candidates' understanding of the viva process may be uneven. Although they are directed to sources about the PhD process, candidates experience considerable tension and fear around the preparation for their viva; it is the "indeterminacy of thesis examination" that worries candidates (Rudestam ...
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Nasty PhD viva questions list and advice from Andrew Broad at Calgary. The Guardian's 'how to survive a PhD viva' 17 tips. Leicester's viva advice (under a CC license, they're great like that) Advice from the OU's Rebecca Ferguson 🙂 - including the top 40 viva questions (which I adapted below) Advice on the viva with questions ...
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Phd viva general questions. 1) The document describes the author's experience completing their PhD thesis on the use of the internet as a political media in Croatia in the 1990s. 2) To prepare for their viva, the author extensively summarized and outlined their entire thesis, read everything their external examiner had written, and prepared ...
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PhD viva questions: What will I be asked at my PhD viva?

Part 1. Overview Viva Questions

Part 2. Literature Viva Questions

Part 3: Research Design and Methodology PhD Viva Questions

Part 4. Analysis

Part 5. Review

Part 6. Reflection

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7 questions you should prepare in advance for your PhD viva

1. Summarise your thesis/research in 3 minutes.

2. What is the point?

3. What does this figure tell us?

4. How do you get from A to B?

5. What about your thesis is original and contributes to knowledge?

6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your research?

7. What are the real world applications of your research?

Sample Viva Questions

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Common PhD Viva Questions

How Much Do You Need to Prepare For A PhD Viva?

General PhD Viva Questions – usually friendly!

Method-Specific Questions – mostly friendly!

Results & Analysis-Specific Questions – mostly friendly!

Literature Questions – may be less friendly!

Highly Technical Questions – potentially very unfriendly!

What Questions I Got Asked at My Own PhD Viva

My Tips for Answering Common PhD Viva Questions

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5 tips for passing your PhD viva

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10 Hard Questions Asked During a PhD Dissertation Viva

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