Viva Preparation Guides — VivaCoach

Expert advice on preparing for your viva voce, from a researcher who's been through it. Practical tips on how to prepare for a PhD viva, common viva questions, what examiners look for, and how to handle difficult moments in your oral examination.

• How to Summarise Your Thesis in Three Minutes
  The classic viva opening question is "So, tell me about your research." Here's how to answer it in three minutes – confidently, clearly, and without rambling.
• What Examiners Actually Look For in a Viva
  If you're preparing for your viva, you've probably spent a lot of time worrying about what your examiners will ask. But the more useful question is: what are they actually looking for?
• Viva Questions by Discipline: What to Expect in Science, Humanities, and Social Science Vivas
  The questions you face in your viva depend heavily on your discipline. A chemistry examiner and an English literature examiner are looking for fundamentally different things. Here's what to expect in each field.
• How to Handle a Hostile Examiner in Your PhD Viva
  A hostile examiner is far more manageable than you think. This guide covers what hostile examining actually looks like, how to prepare for tough questions, and tactical responses for the viva itself.
• What to Expect in a PhD Viva: A guide to the process, the people, and the outcome
  A clear, honest guide to what happens in a PhD viva – the format, the people in the room, the questions, and the possible outcomes.
• How to Prepare for Your Viva: A comprehensive guide
  Everything you need to know about preparing for your viva – from when to start, to what to do the morning of.
• 50 Common Viva Questions (and How to Answer Them)
  The 50 questions that come up in almost every viva and thesis defense – and what the examiners look for.