Hi,

Based on your experiences:

-what to expect during the viva?
-How log does it take?
-should I prepare a PowerPoint presentation? If yes, how many slides? And what to include in them? The whole thesis or an overview/aims/methodology/findings/further study?

-What about handouts?how many pages?what to include in them?

-do examiners focus on theory/analysis?

Hi,

Are you in the UK?
I'm far from the time when I will have to myself those questions but so far, I've been told:
- expect thorough questioning of every major choice and any little detail of your thesis. And - yes, (I'm positive about that one), examiners will focus on theory/analysis, because they will look at all aspects of your thesis.
- takes several hours, no matter which country you are in.
- anything you have to hand out should be asked of you well in advance, but I suppose that would only be thesis, abstracts and admin stuff. You're not expected to do a presentation, you will be asked questions about your work. All you really need to bring in for all I know is a bottle of water :p But that's what I gather happens if you are in the UK. If you are not, it might be very different.

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I was a history student, so humanities too, but a little different.

According to Jackson & Tinkler humanities vivas tend to be between 1 and 2 hours long. Mine was just an hour, but that was partly due to disability factors, keeping it short so I could manage.

I would ask your supervisor if you should prepare a PowerPoint presentation. I've heard of humanities people being asked to give an informal few-minutes run-through of their research and thesis, but never so formal as to have slides etc.

Examiners will focus on your thesis, so if it's more theoretical they'll go for that more, if it's more to do with analysis they will go for that. They will ask you why you decided to do certain things certain ways, why you reached such a conclusion, how your research relates to others etc.

If you're very lucky they'll tell you the result at the start of the viva. That happened to me. More likely though you'll have to stew it, and wait until the end to find out how you've got on. They do mainly decide on the basis of the thesis, but in a borderline case the viva can swing things.

As for preparation, my viva preparation involved reading a viva preparation book (Tinkler and Jackson) to demystify the process, rereading and summarising my thesis to familiarise myself with it and spot typos (I took a list into the viva on the day and handed it out - all examiners/convenor were very grateful), and thinking about and memorising my answers to 5 key questions: originality of my thesis, contribution to knowledge, methodology, weaknesses/gaps/mistakes, and what would I do differently if starting again.

And, yes, do take a bottle of water in with you! It helps if you get a dry mouth, and it can also be quite distracting to glug from while formulating your answers to questions ;-) Oh and your thesis as well of course.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

Is it a book by Jackson & Tinkler you are referring to??

I have asked my supervisor about the possibility of doing a PowerPoint presentation and she said it is up to me. Do you suggest I prepare myself for a brief overview of my thesis (aims/methodology/findings)?

Regarding the 5 key questions, is it acceptable to write down the answers on cards?

And, yes, I am sure a bottle of water will be very helpful in that room ;-)

Hi Nadia,

Hi,

Yes, I am in the UK.

Do you think the examiners will go over the thesis page by page?

Cheers:-)

Yes, the examiners will almost certainly go over the thesis page-by-page. :-)

Yes it's a book by Jackson & Tinkler: "The Doctoral Examination Process: A Handbook for Students, Examiners and Supervisors".

I would prepare yourself for a brief overview of your thesis. Also a very likely ice-breaker question is why did you choose this topic. I was asked this at the very start, and I've heard of other people being too.

I took a 1-page printout (large font) of my answers to the 5 key questions. I had it sitting in front of me during the viva, on top of my thesis. But I didn't need to refer to it. The examiners were unaware of it AFAIK. I would think it's ok to take cards in.

And my examiners did NOT go through my thesis page by page. They discussed higher-level issues. At the very end where we were discussing the minor corrections they referred me to specific pages, but that was just a couple of things, and they did not do that earlier.

Thanks Bilbo. I'll try to get the book(:

Best

I am a english M A final student and i want to know about viva question that which types of questions examination asked please reply fast after 2 days my examination ...