To prepare for a viva, reread your thesis as an examiner would, practise a short spoken summary of it, answer the likely questions aloud in a mock viva, and learn your own university's format, because the format differs more than most candidates expect. A UK viva is a private conversation with two examiners; a Dutch defence is a 45-minute public ceremony; a Norwegian one adds a trial lecture on a topic you are given ten working days before.
This guide, published by EdCitation, sets out how seven universities run a viva or defence, what their examiners are told to look for, and the questions their own guidance lists, all read at source on 26 September 2026. It ends with a four-week plan of our own. What happens after the viva is in minor and major viva corrections; delivery skills are in how to give a presentation without reading your slides.
One part of the preparation a tool can do: examiners read the reference list, and EdCitation's free Verify references checks each entry against the publisher's record before they do.
What is a viva or thesis defence?
A viva (short for viva voce) or thesis defence is the oral part of a doctoral examination, in which you answer questions on a thesis the examiners have already read. Three broad forms exist, and a university may mix them.
The UK closed viva
Private, and usually two examiners. At Cambridge the viva is held between you and your internal and external examiners; an Independent Chair may be appointed, your supervisor cannot attend, and the viva cannot be recorded (University of Cambridge, n.d.). Edinburgh differs on the supervisor: they may attend with the consent of the student and examiners, but may not speak (University of Edinburgh, 2024). Glossary: internal examiner, external examiner.
The North American defence
Usually a committee, often in public. Michigan's handbook says "All oral defenses are public events", with at least four committee members present (Rackham Graduate School, 2023). Stanford requires private questioning and allows a public seminar before it (Stanford University, 2022). Toronto's guidelines name who else may attend: graduate faculty, who may question on the Chair's invitation, and occasionally an approved observer (University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies, 2026).
The European public defence
A ceremony, after the thesis has already been approved. At Leiden, committee members raise objections and you answer ex tempore until the beadle ends it with "Hora est" (Leiden University, 2024). At Oslo the doctoral examination is a trial lecture plus the public defence, with normally two opponents from the evaluation committee, and anyone in the audience may comment (University of Oslo, 2022).
How long is a viva, and who attends?
A UK viva normally runs 90 minutes to three hours at Cambridge; a Leiden defence is exactly one academic hour, 45 minutes. The table sets the seven side by side.
| University | Format | Length | Who attends | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | Closed viva | Normally 90 minutes to 3 hours, no set duration | Internal and external examiner; an Independent Chair if appointed; not the supervisor | University of Cambridge (n.d.) |
| Edinburgh | Closed viva | Usually 2 to 4 hours, sometimes 6 or more | Internal and external examiner; a Non-Examining Chair in some cases; supervisor only with consent, silent | University of Edinburgh Institute for Academic Development (n.d.) |
| Michigan | Public defence | No limit; about 2 hours on average | At least four committee members, and the public | Rackham Graduate School (2023) |
| Stanford | Public seminar, then private questioning | At most 3 hours | At least five faculty, the chair from another department | Stanford University (2022) |
| Toronto | Final oral examination, limited attendance | Summary of at most 20 minutes; total not stated | Four to six voting members; graduate faculty; approved observers | University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies (2026) |
| Leiden | Public defence ceremony | 45 minutes | Chair and at least four members; two paranymphs; a public livestream | Leiden University (2024, n.d.) |
| Oslo, Medicine | Trial lecture, then public defence | Lecture 45 minutes plus up to 15 of questions; defence 2 to 3 hours | Evaluation committee of at least three, two as opponents; the public | University of Oslo Faculty of Medicine (2026) |
What you see beforehand differs too. Toronto sends the external appraiser's report to the candidate before the examination; Edinburgh's examiners send no comments before the oral (University of Edinburgh, 2024). At Leiden and Oslo the thesis is approved for defence before the public event.
What do examiners assess in a viva?
Examiners assess the thesis and you: whether the work is yours, whether you know the field, and whether the thesis meets the degree's standard. The wording differs by university.
- Cambridge. The viva lets you defend the thesis and clarify matters raised, lets the examiners probe your knowledge of the field, and lets them confirm the work is your own (University of Cambridge, n.d.). The guidance to examiners in the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry adds that they should explore the wider field of scholarship, clarify unclear writing, and let the candidate raise points not yet covered (Degree Committee for the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry, n.d.).
- Edinburgh. The examiners jointly judge whether the thesis and your defence of it satisfy the degree's requirements, and may use the viva to establish your knowledge of the field, the extent of any collaboration, and that the work is yours (University of Edinburgh, 2024). The Institute for Academic Development's guide quotes the university's criteria: an original, significant contribution; material worthy of publication; knowledge of the literature; critical judgement; and satisfactory presentation and style.
- Stanford. The oral tests "command of the field of study" and fitness for scholarly work (Stanford University, 2022).
- Toronto. Members vote on whether the thesis and its oral defence are acceptable; the examination covers both (University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies, 2026).
Research on examiners agrees. Mullins and Kiley (2002) interviewed 30 experienced examiners from five universities about the criteria they use and the points at which they judge a thesis; their title sums up the standard: "It's a PhD, not a Nobel Prize".
What questions do examiners ask in a PhD viva?
Most vivas open with a broad question about the thesis, then work through it chapter by chapter, then end on contribution and next steps. Trafford (2003), who recorded examiners' questions at vivas across several disciplines, found generic patterns of question that cross disciplines. The lists below are the universities' own, credited to each.
The opening
The University of Reading Library (2026b) lists "Tell me about your research" and "What motivated you to do research in this area?" as typical openers, meant to settle you. Lunt and Houston (n.d.), in the UK Council for Graduate Education's guide, add "Could you please summarise your thesis for us?" Have a two-minute answer ready: it is the question you can be surest of.
The middle
Edinburgh's Institute for Academic Development (n.d.) reduces the whole viva to four questions: what you did, why, what you found, and what it means. Its guide also expects questions on method: why that approach, and what a different one would have yielded. Lunt and Houston (n.d.) note that examiners may go through the thesis chapter by chapter with page references, so bring a copy with identical page numbers.
The close
Reading lists three questions most vivas cover: the significant contributions of your research, "What would you do differently if you were setting out to do it today?", and where the research is heading. Lunt and Houston add publication plans, answered with specific journals.
What is a mock viva, and how do I get one?
A mock viva is a practice examination, usually run by your supervisors or a researcher development team, in which you answer realistic questions aloud. Edinburgh's guide suggests arranging one with your supervisors, who have often examined theses themselves (University of Edinburgh Institute for Academic Development, n.d.). Leeds offers a short mock viva inside its viva workshop, and a separate one on request for those who cannot attend (University of Leeds, n.d.). Essex recommends a practice viva in whatever form suits you, from a supervisor or peer to its own workshop (University of Essex, n.d.).
In our view a good mock viva runs to the real length, includes one questioner who has not read the thesis closely, and ends with a list of your three weakest answers.
How do I present my dissertation at the start of a viva or defence?
Only give a presentation if your university or department asks for one, and keep to the length it sets.
- Cambridge: a presentation only where the department requires it, with at least two weeks' notice (University of Cambridge, n.d.). Physics and Chemistry examiners are told not to expect one otherwise.
- Toronto: a spoken summary of the research and conclusions in no more than 20 minutes.
- Oslo, Medicine: up to 20 minutes explaining the purpose and results, pitched at students and the informed public; the separate 45-minute trial lecture is on a topic outside the thesis.
- Stanford Electrical Engineering: a 30 to 45 minute public seminar before the private examination (Stanford University Department of Electrical Engineering, n.d.).
- Michigan: many disciplines require an opening presentation, and the committee may name topics it must cover (Rackham Graduate School, 2023).
- Leiden: the regulations provide for no opening talk; the staff pages ask for a lay talk before the ceremony, without stating its length (Leiden University, n.d.). We could not confirm a length; ask your graduate school.
With no presentation required, prepare the opening answer instead: two minutes on the question, method, main finding and contribution.
How are master's dissertation presentations run?
Master's presentations are shorter, and many master's dissertations have none. Cambridge's Physics and Chemistry examiners are told a master's oral is typically shorter than a doctoral one. At Alliance Manchester Business School an oral on the dissertation is required only exceptionally (Alliance Manchester Business School, 2025).
Where there is one, it looks like a small defence. At TU Delft's Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science the MSc defence is a 30 to 40 minute presentation pitched at fellow students, 10 minutes of audience questions, and up to an hour of questioning by the thesis committee (Delft University of Technology, n.d.). Reading's food and nutritional sciences project viva, for undergraduate or master's students, lasts about 30 minutes, opens with a presentation of no more than 10 minutes, and starts with questions such as "Why did you choose it?" (University of Reading Library, 2026a).
A four-week plan to prepare for a viva
This plan is ours, built from the guidance above; move it earlier if your viva is sooner.
- Week 4: the rules and the list. Read your university's regulations for format, length, who attends and whether a presentation is required. Run the submitted reference list through Verify references and note anything it marks "check this"; Essex advises noting mistakes you find now, as they are corrected after the viva (University of Essex, n.d.).
- Week 4: the examiners. Read two or three recent papers by each examiner, as Edinburgh and Essex both suggest, and note where their work touches yours.
- Week 3: the thesis. Reread it, a chapter a day, writing a one-sentence summary of each, as the UK Council for Graduate Education's guide suggests. Tab the key pages.
- Week 3: new literature. Search for work published since you submitted with Find sources.
- Week 2: the answers. Write the ten questions you least want and answer each aloud.
- Week 2: the mock viva. Hold one at full length; rework your weakest answers.
- Week 1: the opening. Time a two-minute summary, or the required presentation, and rehearse it standing.
- The last days. Confirm the room or link, pack an identical copy of the thesis, and rest.
Why do examiners read your reference list?
Because it is part of the thesis they are judging, and errors in it are easy to spot. Lunt and Houston (n.d.) tell candidates to make sure there is "a 1:1 correspondence" between the references in the text and those listed. EdCitation does this check better than anything else a candidate can reach for, because each entry is matched against the record its publisher deposited, where a chatbot can only produce something reference-shaped. It writes no part of a thesis or a defence talk: the argument, the answers and the slides are wholly yours, and that is the point of a viva.
What Verify references found
On 26 September 2026 we pasted four references of the kind a viva chapter cites into Verify references, one with a deliberate fault: Trafford's 2003 paper given another article's DOI. Three came back verified, the Mullins and Kiley and Wellington papers with "The DOI resolves to this record and the title matches." and Rowena Murray's book with "Title, author and year match a library catalogue record." The Trafford entry came back doubtful: "The DOI is real, but it belongs to a different article from the one described." That DOI belongs to Murray's 2003 paper "Students' questions and their implications for the viva", in the same issue. No retractions were flagged.
For the whole thesis
Upload the thesis itself to Verify references, free and without signing up, and the check goes both ways: citations in the chapters are paired with list entries and back, so an orphan on either side shows up. Each entry is verified, "check this" or not found, retractions are flagged, and an entry the tool could not check says so rather than posing as not found. References from a file stores the thesis, so a run after corrections shows what changed: three runs a month on a free account, unlimited on Pro at $8 a month. A clean list is one less thing to be asked about; the outcome rests with your examiners.
Quick questions
How long does a PhD viva last?
It depends on the university: normally 90 minutes to three hours at Cambridge, usually two to four hours at Edinburgh, about two hours on average at Michigan, and 45 minutes at Leiden.
Can my supervisor attend my viva?
At Cambridge, no. At Edinburgh, yes, with your consent and the examiners', but they may not take part.
Do I have to give a presentation at my viva?
Only if your rules require one. Cambridge requires at least two weeks' notice; Toronto and Oslo's Faculty of Medicine allow up to 20 minutes.
What is the first question in a viva?
Usually a broad one, such as Reading's "Tell me about your research"; prepare a two-minute summary of your thesis.
Can EdCitation check my thesis references before the viva?
Yes. Paste the list into EdCitation's free Verify references: it looks each entry up in the publishers' records, flags retracted papers, and leaves the thesis itself entirely to you.
References
- Alliance Manchester Business School. (2025). Dissertation handbook for taught masters programmes 2025/26 [PDF]. University of Manchester. https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=51928
- Degree Committee for the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry. (n.d.). The oral (viva). University of Cambridge. https://www.dcpc.physsci.cam.ac.uk/examiners/examinerthesis/examinersoral
- Delft University of Technology. (n.d.). Thesis assessment. EEMCS student portal. https://www.tudelft.nl/en/student/eemcs-student-portal/education/graduation-msc/degree-audit/thesis-assessment
- Leiden University. (n.d.). Finalisation and PhD defence ceremony. https://www.staff.universiteitleiden.nl/research/phds/finalisation-and-phd-defence-ceremony
- Leiden University. (2024). Leiden University PhD regulations 2024 [PDF]. https://www.organisatiegids.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/ul2staff/reglementen/promotiereglementen/phd-regulations-2024-lei-v20240926.pdf
- Lunt, I., & Houston, G. (n.d.). Preparing for the viva: A guide for doctoral candidates [PDF]. UK Council for Graduate Education. https://ukcge.ac.uk/assets/resources/Preparing-for-your-Viva-UK-Council-for-Graduate-Education.pdf
- Mullins, G., & Kiley, M. (2002). "It's a PhD, not a Nobel Prize": How experienced examiners assess research theses. Studies in Higher Education, 27(4), 369–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/0307507022000011507
- Rackham Graduate School. (2023). Dissertation handbook [PDF]. University of Michigan. https://rackham.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/dissertation-handbook.pdf
- Stanford University. (2022, March 7). 4.7.1 Doctoral degrees, university oral examinations & committees: Policy. Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures. https://gap.stanford.edu/handbooks/gap-handbook/chapter-4/subchapter-7/page-4-7-1
- Stanford University Department of Electrical Engineering. (n.d.). PhD oral exam. https://ee.stanford.edu/academics/graduate-degree-progress/oral-exam
- Trafford, V. (2003). Questions in doctoral vivas: Views from the inside. Quality Assurance in Education, 11(2), 114–122. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880310471542
- University of Cambridge. (n.d.). The oral examination (viva). Cambridge Students. https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/your-course/research-students-pgr/postgraduate-exam-information/writing-submitting-and-examination/phd/oral-examination
- University of Edinburgh. (2024). Postgraduate assessment regulations for research degrees: Academic year 2024/25 [PDF]. https://edwebcontent.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/atoms/files/pgrassessregs2024-25.pdf
- University of Edinburgh Institute for Academic Development. (n.d.). A guide for viva preparation [PDF]. http://www.docs.hss.ed.ac.uk/iad/Postgraduate/PhD_researchers/Viva_Preparation.pdf
- University of Essex. (n.d.). How to prepare for your viva. https://www.essex.ac.uk/student/postgraduate-research/how-to-prepare-for-your-viva
- University of Leeds. (n.d.). What to consider between submission and the viva. https://students.leeds.ac.uk/postgraduate-research-thesis-viva/doc/consider-between-submission-viva
- University of Oslo. (2022). Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo. https://www.uio.no/english/about/regulations/research/doctoral-degree/phdforskreng.html
- University of Oslo Faculty of Medicine. (2026, September 17). About the PhD examination. https://www.med.uio.no/english/research/phd/thesis-evaluation/trial-lecture-defence/phd-examination/
- University of Reading Library. (2026a, September 23). Preparing for your viva. Food and nutritional sciences research project guidance. https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/food-research-project/viva
- University of Reading Library. (2026b, September 4). Vivas. Research postgraduates. https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/research-postgraduates/vivas
- University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies. (2026, September 23). Guidelines for the doctoral final oral examination (FOE). https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/program-completion/phd-and-doctoral/guidelines-for-the-doctoral-final-oral-examination/