Preparing for and Handling the

Viva

15 November 2015
Dr Sr Hajah Nor Aini Salleh

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Aims of the discussion

Preparing for the oral examination
(viva) process: purpose and process
Examiners Roles
Q&A
Summary and reflections

Todays talk aims

To give an overview of the viva
process
To explain the roles of examiner
in the viva process

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The Viva: purposes

To check students work: Originality
To identify whether the student
understand the work and its implications
Examiners use the viva to clarify points
of uncertainty
Student can use the viva to seek advice
on progressing the research further
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Viva: process

Submission of PTA by the student to PTA Coordinator

List Of Student Submit the work
Selection of panel - Not own student
Panel team consists of 4/5 members
Panel will decide whether the student work achieved
the standard required and eligible for viva

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Viva: process (2)

Submission of students name to PTA
committee for viva preparation
The venue: time, date and place
Duration: 15 30 minutes for each
student
Panel need to prepare a report of the
viva Form?
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What should
examiners do before the viva?
Read the Thesis
Identify typos
Look for material that is unclear, poorly presented
or possibly wrong
Mark every point with a post it note??
Extract key issues and select questions to explore
the candidates (your) knowledge (examiners may
reinterpret data if appropriate)
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Common viva questions

To Check Students own work
Can you explain about your research
What do you think is your most interesting
finding?
What have you learned from your research

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Common viva questions

Topics
Can you tell us how you came to choose
this topic for your PTA
What were some of the difficulties you
encountered and did they influence
how the topic was framed?

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Common viva questions

Methods
What are the core methods used in this
research?
Why did you choose this approach?
What are the main sources or kinds of
evidence?
How do your findings fit with or contradict
the rest of the literature in this field?
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Common viva questions

What next?
What are the future research recommended for
the rest of the field?

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Roles & Responsibilities of the

examiner
The primary responsibilities are to:
1) Judge whether the work is of an
appropriate standard for award to be
given
2) Check that it is presented and discussed
appropriately in student work
3) Reassure themselves in the viva that the
thesis is the students own work and that
she/he understands it and can defend it
appropriately
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Q & A session

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Reflection:
Viva for degree student is different
with Master and PhD student
therefore the questions that we
should ask must reflect to the level
of their knowledge

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