Research Tips

Viva Survival Tips: Preparing for PhD and Master’s Oral exam/defence

Guest Writer:  

Professor Tina Steiner, Stellenbosch University

In this season of vivas/ PhD and Masters oral exams, Professor Steiner shares Tips on How to prepare and successfully sit for the Viva.

Professor Steiner is an experienced researcher and PhD examiner herself

Before the Viva:

NB: Keep telling yourself that you ARE the expert on your topic! Yes, the examiners are in all likelihood important and well-respected academics, but they rarely know as much as you do about your topic because they have not just spent years thinking about it (This is your secret! don’t let them know that you know this ☺)

Read your thesis again and remind yourself why you chose your topic in the first place. In other words, can you remember your first passion? Why is your topic important to you? Why did you just spend three hard years of your life on this? 

In my experience examiners ask questions that fall broadly into three different kinds of categories:

  1. The big rationale question, that is, (a) why did you choose the particular angle for your primary texts/data/investigative question? (b) why did you follow the method that you followed to make the argument? (c) which theorists are your interlocutors on the way and why? These are the meaty questions for which you can prepare yourself before the viva. Defend your thesis, but don’t be defensive!
  1. The small detail question: examiners need to show you and the rest of the panel that they know their stuff, so they often do pick up on a small issue they disagree with or are puzzled by and ask you to explain them. Do not be flustered by this kind of question, it is not quite as important as all the questions listed under 1). I tend to suggest to my students to see if they can incorporate the suggestions/direction that this question takes, see if you cannot agree with the examiner on this.
  1. How do you wish to take the research forward? When they ask you this kind of question you will know that the viva is almost over and that they think your work is promising!
  2. For more tips, get in touch by filling the form on our contact us page

3 thoughts on “Viva Survival Tips: Preparing for PhD and Master’s Oral exam/defence

  1. I had a productive and good time with you on the mock presentation of my Master’s Proposal and the recommendations on the rephrasing my research topic. You are great!

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