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VIVA PREPARATION

Jamalludin Harun
Department of Educational Sciences, Mathematic and Creative Multimedia
Faculty of Education, UTM

VIVA PREPARATION

LETS FIGURE OUT WHOSE IN THE ROOM..

Raise your hand if
You have passed your viva minor corrections.
You have had your viva major corrections.
You have already submitted your final full draft
thesis to:
your supervisor, or
the university
which will set up a final defense or viva.

You have already filled your GSMS : Notification to

submit a thesis and nomination of examiners ?
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VIVA PREPARATION

LETS FIGURE OUT WHOSE IN THE ROOM..

Raise your hand if
You:
feel you have a good understanding of the viva.
are confused a bit about the viva
Have heard all sorts of stories and are concerned about
viva.

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VIVA PREPARATION

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VIVA PREPARATION

CONTENTS

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Purpose and Format of the Viva

Voce Examination

How Are Thesis Evaluated

How to Prepare for Your Viva

Voce Examination

Top/Potential Viva Questions??

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PURPOSE AND FORMAT OF THE EXAM

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VIVA PREPARATION

ORAL EXAMINATION / VIVA VOCE

Viva voce : Latin phase by word of mouth
An oral (verbal) examination, especially in reference
to a thesis defense in academia.
Your thesis is your skill at presenting your research
work in writing.
Viva examination your ability in academic
discussion with research colleagues.

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VIVA PREPARATION

PURPOSE OF VIVA EXAMINATION

The purpose of the viva examination is to:
demonstrate that the thesis is your own work.
confirm that you understand what you have written
and can defend it verbally.
investigate your awareness of where your original
work sits in relation to the wider research field.
establish whether the thesis is of sufficiently high
standard to merit the award of the degree for which
it is submitted.
allow you to clarify and develop the written thesis in
response to the examiners' questions.
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VIVA PREPARATION

WHEN WILL MY VIVA TAKE PLACE?

The viva is normally scheduled to take place between
8 and10 weeks after submission of your thesis.
However, vivas are occasionally held sooner and not
infrequently later.
Delays can often happen because of difficulties in
finding a date that both examiners can meet with
sufficient time for them to read your work in depth.

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VIVA PREPARATION

WHO WILL BE PRESENT DURING MY VIVA?

For most candidates, an internal and an external
examiner will be present.
For staff candidates, two internal examiners will
be present as well as an external examiner.
Chairperson (and assistant) ensure that the
examination is conducted in line with University
regulations
Supervisor(s) moral support (no right to
participate)

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VIVA PREPARATION

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VIVA PREPARATION

WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING MY VIVA?

Discussion among examiners and chairperson (1015 minutes)
Thesis presentation (20-30 minutes)
Discussion & Thesis Defense (2 4 hours)
Results (10 minutes)
A long viva does not necessarily mean that you are
struggling to demonstrate the quality of your research
it could just mean that your examiners are thoroughly
interested in what you have to say!

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HOW ARE THESIS EVALUATED ?

VIVA PREPARATION

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VIVA PREPARATION

HOW ARE THESIS EVALUATED

A - The candidate be awarded the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy (No corrections - 1 month)
B1 - The candidate be awarded the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy subject to minor
corrections (1 month)
B2 - The candidate be awarded the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy subject to the amendments
and corrections as listed elsewhere in this report
being made in the thesis to the satisfaction of
the Internal/External Examiner(s) (6 months)

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VIVA PREPARATION

HOW ARE THESIS EVALUATED

C - The candidate not be awarded the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy but be permitted to
resubmit the thesis for further examination in a
revised form after a further period of study and
research (1 year)
D - The candidate not be awarded the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy but a lower);
E - The candidate not be awarded the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

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VIVA PREPARATION

WHAT MAKES FOR OUTSTANDING?

Original and significant, ambitious, brilliant,

clear, clever, coherent, compelling, concise,
creative, elegant, engaging, exciting,
interesting, insightful, persuasive,
sophisticated, surprising, and thoughtful
Very well written and organized
Synthetic and interdisciplinary
Connects components in a seamless way
Exhibits mature, independent thinking
Has a point of view and a strong, confident,
independent, and authoritative voice
Asks new questions or addresses an important
question or problem
Clearly states the problem and why it is
important
Displays a deep understanding of a massive
amount of complicated literature
Exhibits command and authority over the
material
Argument is focused, logical, rigorous, and
sustained

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Is theoretically sophisticated and shows a

deep understanding of theory
Has a brilliant research design
Uses or develops new tools, methods,
approaches, or types of analyses
Is thoroughly researched
Has rich data from multiple sources
Analysis is comprehensive, complete,
sophisticated, and convincing
Results are significant
Conclusion ties the whole thing together
Is publishable in top-tier journals
Is of interest to a larger community and
changes the way people think
Pushes the discipline's boundaries and opens
new areas for research

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VIVA PREPARATION

WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE?

Demonstrates technical competence

Shows the ability to do research
Is not very original or significant
Is not interesting, exciting, or surprising
Displays little creativity, imagination, or
insight
Writing is pedestrian and plodding
Has a weak structure and organization
Is narrow in scope
Has a question or problem that is not
exciting--is often highly derivative or an
extension of the adviser's work
Displays a narrow understanding of the field
Reviews the literature adequately--knows the
literature but is not critical of it or does not
discuss what is important

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Can sustain an argument, but the argument is

not imaginative complex, or convincing
Demonstrates understanding of theory at a
simple level, and theory is minimally to
competently applied to the problem
Uses standard methods
Has an unsophisticated analysis--does not
explore all possibilities and misses
connections
Has predictable results that are not exciting
Makes a small contribution

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VIVA PREPARATION

WHAT IS UNACCEPTABLE?

Is poorly written
Has spelling and grammatical errors
Has a sloppy presentation
Contains errors or mistakes
Plagiarizes or deliberately misreads or
misuses sources
Does not understand basic concepts,
processes, or conventions of the discipline
Lacks careful thought
Looks at a question or problem that is trivial
weak, unoriginal, or already solved
Does not understand or misses relevant
literature
Has a weak, inconsistent, self-contradictory,
unconvincing, or invalid argument

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Does not handle theory well, or theory is

missing or wrong
Relies on inappropriate or incorrect methods
Has data that are flawed, wrong, false,
fudged, or misinterpreted
Not enough data (triangulation)
Has wrong, inappropriate, incoherent, or
confused analysis
Includes results that are obvious already
known, unexplained, or misinterpreted
Has unsupported or exaggerated
interpretation
Does not make a contribution

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HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR VIVA

VOCE EXAMINATION

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VIVA PREPARATION

PREPARATION
The submission of a PhD is like climbing to the top of
a mountain. Preparing, Planning, Undertake
sustained effort to reach the summit (and its not the
end of the journey).
Sohow you can prepare yourself?
1st..have a seat and pat yourself on the back : NOT
everyone submits.

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VIVA PREPARATION

PREPARATION
Preparation falls into two domains:
technical and inter / intra personal.
Technical
Assessed primarily on the product submitted
Be familiar with your work
Understand the purpose and procedures related to
the viva
Understand the roles of those present

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VIVA PREPARATION

PREPARATION
Intra-personal Matters
Manage your anxiety
Deep breathing
Relaxation strategies
Positive self talk
Aim to have a conversation - never an argument

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VIVA PREPARATION

PREPARATION
Inter-personal Matters
Examiners may never have met before
They may be anxious that the other has identified
something they had missed
They are performing and may feel under scrutiny
Anxiety can be contagious
They are individuals subject to the same pressures as
you and I

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..THE EXAMINERS..

VIVA PREPARATION

WHAT ARE EXAMINERS LOOKING FOR ?

To establish that your thesis is of sufficiently high
standard to merit the award of the degree
An original contribution to knowledge and contain
work which is deemed worthy of publication
Thesis is concisely and clearly written, and wellargued
Methodological sound
Full references
Whether the thesis complies with Universitys
guidelines, i.e. the length, presentation, relevance,
and style
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VIVA PREPARATION

EXAMINERS BEHAVIORS
Different examiners have different personalities,
styles & levels of experience
Ask you to justify your arguments not only those in
the thesis but also those not in the thesis
Discuss strengths & weaknesses of your work
critical appraisal
Expect you to discuss any developments that may
derive from your work in the future.
Ask about wider implications of your work you
need to think broadly about your research about
future research.
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VIVA PREPARATION

EXAMINERS BEHAVIORS
Examiners can be polite, encouraging to strict or
hostile feeling.
Therere also examiners :
like to provoke (student and/or other
examiner/supervisor).
argue certain points with you
Mr(s) Im always right

Think about your examiners work how is their

work link to yours

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..THE VIVA..

VIVA PREPARATION

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREPARE FOR MY VIVA?

The most important thing to remember is to keep the
subject of your thesis alive:
Know your thesis inside out.
Familiarise yourself with the literature that you have
referred to in your thesis.
You may find it helpful to read something that your
examiners have published as this can help to
familiarise you with their academic stance
Produce a summary of what your thesis is about.
Mock-up viva
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VIVA PREPARATION

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREPARE FOR MY VIVA?

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VIVA PREPARATION

BE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR THESIS

Know your thesis very well
Re-read your thesis carefully
If you find any mistakes dont panic, but make a
note of it
Make a short summary of each of your chapters
Practice telling the story of your research in 2-3
minutes
Practice telling the story of each chapter - giving
yourself 2-3 minutes in each case

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VIVA PREPARATION

BE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR THESIS

Identify the originality of your work
Identify the weaknesses and make a note of it(them).
Identify the contribution to knowledge in your field
of study
Identify theoretical, research and practical
implications of your findings.

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VIVA PREPARATION

ATTENDING THE VIVA EXAMINATION

When & where will it be held make sure you got
the right date, day, time and place
How long will the examination take
What should I wear
What should I bring THESIS

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VIVA PREPARATION

DELIVERING PRESENTATION
Think about your panel or examiners
Decide what is important in the thesis
Explain the significance of your work
Organise your presentation clearly and simply
think logically
Use body language effectively
Speak slowly and clearly
Maintain eye contact
Make effective conclusion
Summarize & close
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VIVA PREPARATION

DELIVERING PRESENTATION
What to Present..
Background of the problem (2 min)
Goal/Objective of research (1 min)
Theoretical Framework (2 min)
Methodology (3 min)
Findings (10 min)
Recommendations/Contributions (2 min)
Its no a public lecture. Examiners already read your
thesis
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VIVA PREPARATION

DELIVERING PRESENTATION
Highlighting Strengths of Study
Value
Impact
Benefits
Strengths
Effectiveness
Contributions:
Don't be modest
be clear on your contributions!
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VIVA PREPARATION

PRACTICE YOUR VIVA QUESTIONS

Generally, the questions that are asked in viva
examinations can be grouped under four basic
headings:

What is it about?
What did you do?
What did you find?
Why does that matter?

Practicing how you would answer these four basic

questions will take you a long way in your
preparations.
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VIVA PREPARATION

HOW TO RESPOND TO RESEARCH WEAKNESS

Do not give a general, resigned declaration that "this

happens in every study"
Do not blame your data
Do not blame your supervisor
Do not saythat was beyond the scope of your study
Dismiss the question and answer a different thing

Murray (2003)
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VIVA PREPARATION

THINK BEFORE YOU ANSWER

Take time to reflect on the question and then answer
Dont panic take a breath, then answer
Speak slowly and clearly
Do not take criticism personally
Do not take offence & dont get angry
Seize the opportunity to talk about your research
Remain confident and do not get confused.
Do not deviate from the scope of your
presentation/research.

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VIVA PREPARATION

PAY ATTENTION
Dress formally
Reach the office before the given time
Keep the number of slides within the allocated time
Dont read the slides during presentation
Use simple words to express yourself
Accept criticism and be open
Avoid long discussions or debate
Be honest if you do not know the answer

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VIVA PREPARATION

HOW TO FAIL YOUR VIVA

Being defensive (or dismissive)
Being paranoia
Think that examiners are out to get you
Throw questions back at examiners
Slow reluctance to engage in the discussion of your
work
Arrogant
Criticize the system
Give one-word answer
Show disrespect for the examination itself
Get so tired that any one of the above will happen
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TOP/POTENTIAL VIVA QUESTIONS

VIVA PREPARATION

A PERSONAL STOCKTAKE
1st Dont try to think of the exact questions the
examiners will ask you.
It is better to prepare yourself for anything. Hence
summaries your thesis into smaller blocks. Consider:

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What have you done?

Why have you done it?
How did you do it?
What have you found?
What are the implications of these?

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VIVA PREPARATION

A PERSONAL STOCKTAKE
For each question, prepare between 3-5 bullet points in a
condensed form do not use lots of sub-clauses.
This exercise is good for summarising your work and
reflecting back on it; ie did I really find that out??
Task : In 3 minutes, summarise your thesis. Drawing upon
the bullet points that you have already made.

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VIVA PREPARATION

A PERSONAL STOCKTAKE
2nd The all important methodology. Key points are how
generalizable are your findings, and how valid
3rd What do you plan next? How do you plan to
disseminate your work.
4th What is (are) your major contribution(s) ?
Above allremember : a this moment in time, you are
probably the worlds leading expert on the specific topic
of your thesis. Stay calm, relaxed and demonstrate the
depth and breadth of your knowledge
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VIVA PREPARATION

TYPE OF QUESTIONS
Probing Questions
Thesis defense committee members would like you to
broaden its most controversial aspects
Curious
Thesis defense committee will like you give an overall
view of the field under study and your contribution to it
Hostile
Thesis defense committee will expose an area of
insufficiency

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VIVA PREPARATION

GENERAL QUESTIONS
Some questions you might want to entertain and might be
asked
In one sentence, what is your thesis?
What have you done that merits a PhD?
Summarise your key findings?
Whats original about your work?
What are the contributions (to knowledge) of your thesis?
Why is the problem you have tackled worth tackling?
What are the strongest / weakest parts of your work?
What are you most proud of, and why?
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VIVA PREPARATION

GENERAL QUESTIONS
Why did you decide on this particular research
question?
What have you found the most interesting aspect of
your research?
How did your thinking about this topic develop as you
went through this research process?
Now that you have completed the research, which
part of the process would you say you enjoyed most
and why?
Were there any surprises along the way?
How did doing this research change you as a
researcher?
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VIVA PREPARATION

RANGE OF QUESTIONS
Value-added and originality
What are the most original (or value-added) parts of
your thesis?
Which propositions or findings would you say are
distinctively your own?
How do you think your work takes forward or
develops the literature in this field?
What are the bottom line conclusions of your
research? How innovative or valuable are they? What
does your work tell us that we did not know before?
Origins and the scope of the research
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RANGE OF QUESTIONS
Value-added and originality
Can you explain how you came to choose this topic
for your doctorate What was it that first interested
you about it? How did the research focus change over
time?
Why have you defined the final topic in the way you
did? What were some of the difficulties you
encountered and how did they influence how the
topic was framed? What main problems or issues did
you have in deciding what was in-scope and out-ofscope?
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RANGE OF QUESTIONS
Research Methods
What are the core methods used in this thesis? Why did
you choose this approach? In an ideal world, are there
different techniques or other forms of data and evidence
that youd have liked to use?
What are the main sources or kinds of evidence? Are they
strong enough in terms of their quantity and quality to
sustain the conclusions that you draw?
Do the data or information you consider appropriately
measure or relate to the theoretical concepts, or
underlying social or physical phenomena, that you are
interested in?
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VIVA PREPARATION

RANGE OF QUESTIONS
Research Methods
How well did the study design work in practice?
Did you have any problems with the data collection
process?
You used an existing research method and developed it
further - can you tell us why this further development
was needed?
What were the main ethical issues of conducting this
research?
How did you establish the limits around the scope of your
data collection?
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VIVA PREPARATION

RANGE OF QUESTIONS
Analysis & Findings
Can you talk us through your methods of analysis?
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 question or are
there any other data you would have liked to have
collected?
Can you describe your main findings in a few sentences?
What do your results mean?

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RANGE OF QUESTIONS
Analysis & Findings
How do your findings fit with or contradict the rest of the
literature in this field?
How do you explain the differences of findings, or
estimation, or interpretation between your work and that
of other authors? What next?
What are the main implications or lessons of your
research for the future development of work in this
specific sub-field?
Are there any wider implications for other parts of the
discipline? Do you have next step or follow-on research
projects in mind?
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VIVA PREPARATION

RANGE OF QUESTIONS
Discussion
If you were starting your research again now, are there
any changes in the way you would plan it?
You interpret these findings as ... but do you think there
could be an argument for interpreting them as ... instead?
You said in your thesis that ... - can you expand on that
point?
In what way do you consider your thesis to be original?

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VIVA PREPARATION

RANGE OF QUESTIONS
Conclusion
What are the empirical, practice, and theoretical
implications of your findings?
How would you hope that this research could be followed
up and taken further?

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VIVA PREPARATION

SUMMARY
The viva voce or oral examination provides the
opportunity for you to meet the examiners, to
explain and defend your thesis, and to spend an hour
or two discussing the topic on which you are an
expert.
This is a unique opportunity for you to engage with
two independent academics who are independent
from your work and have read and considered it
carefully.
Do enjoy your viva. No GUTS no GLORY.

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VIVA PREPARATION

REFERENCES
Burnham P. (1994). Surviving the viva: Unraveling the mystery
of the PhD oral. Journal of Graduate Education, 1: 30-4.
Murray R. (2003). How to survive your Viva. New York: Open
University Press.
Hartley J. and Jory S. (2000). The viva experience. Higher
education review. 35(1): 24-30
Green D.H. (1998). The postgraduate viva: A closer look.
Leeds: Leeds Metropolitan University.
Graduate School, University of Leicester (2013). Preparing for
Your Viva Examination.
Twigg D. (2003). Preparing for the PhD Viva Voce A Personal
Reflection. Paper presented at the Warwick Business School,
Doctoral Programme, University of Warwick.
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Thank You

jharun@utm.my

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