Passing the Viva: Beginning the Viva Process

The success guide for doctoral students explain that the viva is an opportunity for you to discuss your findings, as well as to demonstrate you have become an independent researcher: 

“Your viva is a chance to show your in-depth knowledge of your subject area and discuss the important research findings that you have made - whether they are positive or negative. A doctoral degree is a training process. Your examiners are there to establish you have achieved this training and that the work contained in your thesis is your own. They want to see that during the course of your degree you have started to become an independent well-rounded researcher who is making a valuable contribution to the research community”. 

There is more information on the Progression and Feedback pages. 

Expand the questions below to learn more. 

Viva Process

What is the viva process?

During the viva you will discuss with examiners your research: why and how you developed it, what are the main and innovative findings, what is the impact of your research.

The viva is an open book exam, you will have a copy of your thesis with you to use it during your discussion and refer to specific parts (College regulations, paragraph 6.6, p. 8: A candidate for the PhD or MPhil degree is required to bring to the viva voce examination a copy of their thesis paginated in the same way as the copies submitted electronically to the College).

What paperwork needs to be completed for the viva to be arranged?

You will need to complete the “Nomination of examiners and entry form” at least 4 months before the submission of your thesis, as explained in the Student records and data webpage:  

You should aim to submit your examination entry forms at least four months before you would like to submit your thesis, or four months before your final submission deadline. 

This means submitting your forms no later than 44 months after your start date if you are a full-time student, or 88 months after your start date if you are a part-time student. 

As indicated in the Student records and data webpage:  

  • Complete Section I and forward this form to your supervisor(s). Please ensure the form is completed fully by referring to the guidelines at bottom of the form. 

  • Your supervisor will then complete Section II, including nominating two examiners for your viva examination following the Procedure for appointment of examiners for research degrees (PDF, 196 kb). Once your supervisor has completed Section II they should forward it to the Director of Postgraduate Studies for your Department for approval, and they will return it to us. 
  • The examination entry has a life of 18 months, during which the thesis can be submitted for examination. After 18 months, the entry will be cancelled, and another entry form will need to be completed. 

More information available on the Examination Entry Forms web page. 

 

 

How are examiners chosen for the viva?

Internal and external examiners are nominated in the section II of the “Nomination of examiners and entry form” (see question above).  

As indicated in the Procedure for appointment of examiners for research degrees (paragraphs 4 and 5, pp. 1-2): 

Paragraph 4: The role of the internal examiner is essentially that of custodian of the College regulations and standards. Staff appointed as internal examiners for MPhil, PhD, EngD or MD(Res) examinations should fulfil the following criteria:  

All staff: 

  •  

must have supervised at least one PhD or EngD or MD (Res) student to successful completion and 

  •  

must have acted as an assessor for either/or a successful MPhil/PhD transfer, an Early Stage Assessment or a Late Stage Review, normally on at least 3 occasions and 

  •  

ideally they must have experience of examining research degrees at Imperial College London. 

In addition, lecturers and senior research fellows must have successfully completed: 

  •  

their probation period (including the completion of the mandatory Introduction to Supervising at Imperial College London course and/or their prescribed Faculty courses) 

  •  

Senior lecturers, readers, professors and principal research fellows joining the College must have attended an induction course covering: teaching practice; research student supervision; the conduct of College examinations and the adherent regulations; pastoral care 

Paragraph 5: The external examiner should be a recognised international expert normally with experience of examining a research student at a leading university. The external examiner ought normally to be a Reader or Professor (or equivalent in an overseas university or if nominated from outside the higher education sector) and their role is essentially that of the subject expert. If the internal examiner does not have experience of examining at Imperial College, it would normally be expected that the external examiner would have this experience. 

According to the same document, exclusion criteria are (paragraphs 7, 8, 9 and 15, p. 2-3): 

 

The following persons may not be appointed to examine a research candidate: the candidate’s supervisor(s); the candidate’s mentor; anyone who has played a significant advisory role in the candidate’s research.  

A person who has been involved in the assessment of a candidate’s MPhil/PhD transfer examination, Early Stage Assessment or Late Stage Review, is not debarred from serving as one of the examiners of the final thesis [but see 1.10 above]: this connection must be stated on the nomination form.  

In proposing examiners, supervisors must be mindful of all connections between candidate, supervisors, mentors and proposed examiners. Such connections may be kinship, professional, academic or personal and may include, for example, co-publication, joint holding of grants, etc. Supervisors are asked to declare any such connections in the examiner nomination form. Supervisors are also asked to state briefly why each examiner is appropriate for their role and why the pairing of the examiners is particularly suitable.  

15 

An individual should not normally be appointed as an External Examiner if they:  

a) Have previously been involved in the supervision or assessment of the student in question.  

b) Were previously a member of the same research group as the student in question.  

c) Are a former member of College staff, except where a period of five years has passed, and subject to 15 (a) and (b) above.  

d) Are a former student of the College, except where a period of five years has passed, and subject to 15 (a) and (b) above.  

e) Have previously held an honorary or visiting appointment with the College, except where a period of five years has passed, and subject to 15 (a) and (b) above 

There is more information available on the Procedure for Appointment of Examiners for Research Degrees (MPhil, PhD, MD(Res), EngD) document (PDF, 196 kb).

Who arranges where the viva examination takes place?

The viva is typically organised by your supervisor or a staff member of your department: 

Once you have submitted your thesis, the Registry will ensure that copies are provided to your examiners, in advance of your viva examination. 

Your supervisor, or another member of staff in your department/division, will be responsible for organising the viva and making all the necessary arrangements. 

There is more information available on the Student records and data webpage – Vivas section.

Should I prepare a presentation for the viva?

A formal presentation with slides is not usually required. However, since one of the first questions might be “explain me in 5 minutes your research project”, you are suggested to prepare it (similar to an elevator pitch, with no slides). During this short presentation you can refer to a specific section of your thesis as support to your explanation.  

You can practice your speech at the workshop provided by the Graduate School: “Advanced presentations”.  

Can I request a break during the viva?

Yes, breaks are allowed according to the College regulations (Appendix 4, paragraph 16, p. 9): 

There are no set requirements about the conduct of viva voce examinations, nor about their duration, but they should be conducted in such a way that the candidate has adequate opportunity, encouragement and time to explain his/her research and to defend the thesis. It is recommended that, during a long viva voce examination, examiners should allow short break(s) at appropriate point(s) (see also paragraph 44). 

What is the role of my supervisor during the viva?

According to the College regulations (paragraph 8.1.8, p. 10):  

The supervisor shall not be invited, unless the candidate indicates otherwise at the point of entry to the examination, to attend the viva voce examination of his/her PhD or MPhil candidate. If invited to attend as an observer, the supervisor does not have the right to participate in the examination of the candidate but may contribute if invited to do so by the examiners. Otherwise the viva voce examination shall be held in private. In exceptional circumstances and also in the early stages of a joint or collaborative degree the Provost may appoint an independent observer to attend a candidate’s viva. 

What are the possible outcomes?

Outcomes are defined in the College regulations (paragraphs 8.2.3, pp. 10-11). Appendix 4 (paragraphs 23 and 24, p. 4) contains a summary of it:  

Paragraph 23: 

a) 

Pass 

b) 

Pass, subject to minor amendments to be completed and checked by one or both of the examiners within three months1. 

c) 

Not pass, but candidate allowed to rewrite the thesis and resubmit it within 18 months for examination by the same examiners (a viva voce examination need not be held on re-entry). 

d) 

Not pass, but be allowed to submit to a further viva voce examination within 18 months on the same thesis and by the same examiners. 

e) 

Fail PhD, but either has met the requirements for the MPhil or might after revision of the thesis during a 12 month period be able to meet the requirements for the MPhil. 

f) 

Outright fail. No further entry to the PhD or MPhil degree will be allowed. 

Paragraph 24: Examiners should not consider option (e) unless they have first considered and rejected as inapplicable the preceding options; and should not consider option (f) unless they have previously considered and rejected as inapplicable all the previous options (see also paragraphs 28 and 29). 

¹ The examiners may require the candidate to make specified minor amendments to their satisfaction within three months. The amendments required should be set out clearly, normally in writing, and normally be provided within two weeks of the viva voce examination. The examiners (or one of their number nominated by them) may arrange directly with the candidate for the amendments to be made. The examiners may, however, wish this to be arranged through the College Registry. In either case the examiners should complete the Report form (see paras 25 and 32) and return it, with the required enclosures, to the College Registry normally within two weeks of the oral. 

What are the assessment criteria?

Criteria are defined in the College regulations (paragraph 5.1, pp. 4-5): 

 

Point 5.1: Thesis for the PhD degree 

5.1.1 The thesis shall: 

a) 

consist of the candidate’s own account of their investigations, the greater proportion of which shall have been undertaken during the period of registration under supervision for the degree;  

[The part played by the candidate in any work done jointly with the supervisor(s) and/or fellow research workers must be clearly stated by the candidate and certified by the supervisor.] 

b) 

and form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts and/or by the exercise of independent critical power; 

c) 

and be an integrated whole and present a coherent argument;  

[A series of papers, whether published or otherwise, is not acceptable for submission as a thesis.  

Research work already published, or submitted for publication, at the time of submission of the thesis, either by the candidate alone or jointly with others, may be included in the thesis. The published papers themselves may not be included in the body of the thesis, but may be adapted to form an integral part of the thesis and thereby make a relevant contribution to the main theme of the thesis.  

Publications derived from the work in the thesis may be attached as supplementary material to the thesis.] 

d) 

and give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method of research and its findings, include discussion on those findings and indicate in what respects they appear to the candidate to advance the study of the subject; and, in so doing, demonstrate a deep and synoptic understanding of the field of study, (the candidate being able to place the thesis in a wider context), objectivity and the capacity for judgment in complex situations and autonomous work in that field; 

e) 

and be written in English and the literary presentation shall be satisfactory, although a candidate may make application for a thesis in the field of modern foreign languages and literatures only to be written in the language of study, to be considered on an exceptional basis by the Graduate School; in such cases the thesis shall include additionally a submission of between 10,000 and 20,000 words which shall be written in English and shall summarise the main arguments of the thesis; 

f) 

and not exceed 100,000 words;  

[Note: the bibliography is excluded from the word count; footnotes are included within the word count; appendices are excluded from the word count and should only include material which examiners are not required to read in order to examine the thesis, but to which they may refer if they wish.] 

g) 

and include a full bibliography and references; 

h) 

and demonstrate research skills relevant to the thesis being presented; 

i) 

and be of a standard to merit publication in whole or in part or in a revised form (for example, as a monograph or as a number of articles in learned journals). 

How can I handle my nerves before and during the viva?

The Success guide for Doctoral students contains tips to overcome stress and relax before and during the viva. 

Before the viva:  

  • Anticipate questions - Ask your supervisor to provide you with a list of questions that they would anticipate may be asked. Identify areas that you are uncertain about and discuss further with your supervisor if you have concerns about what you could be questioned on. 

  • Mock viva to practice - You may find your supervisor or department will automatically organise a mock viva. If not, ask your supervisor if they will conduct a mock viva with you, perhaps including another member of the research team who is familiar with your research work and could ask you relevant questions.  

You can have the opportunity to practice a mock viva during the Finish Up and Move On (FUMO) course, organised by the Graduate School. 

  • Review your material - Make sure you have not missed anything along the way. If there is anything you are unsure of, make time to focus on that area again. Mark up key parts of your thesis. Remember you are allowed to take a copy of your thesis into the examination. You can refer to it if needed, such as when discussing key figures and tables in relation to the data that you have generated. Some time may have passed since you submitted your thesis, so make sure you are up to date with relevant publications published after your thesis submission. If you don't you may find that your examiners are more up to date on relevant published research findings than you. 

  • Keep calm - When re-reading your thesis and revising for your viva do not let yourself get too stressed. Allow yourself plenty of time to prepare for the examination. Do not leave things until the last minute - especially not the night before the viva.  

Allow yourself time to relax, eat properly, and sleep. You will function better in your viva if you are not tired, hungry and grumpy - and you'll make a better impression on your examiners (there is more information on the Progression and Feedback page).

During the viva, important things to remember are:  

Just as when delivering any other presentation, remember to breathe, pause between sentences and engage with your examiners. Regular eye contact is key. 

If you do not understand the question, ask the examiner to repeat it. If you do not know the answer to a question, just be honest and say so. 

When answering questions, take a moment to think before you speak. That way you will ensure you give a detailed but concise answer and will avoid waffling in an unfocused manner (there is more information on the Progression and Feedback page).