The PhD viva often feels like a daunting experience that carries the weight of years of training. But it can be a productive and even fun experience. Here are some ways to prepare for it!

It’s been a while since I did mine, of course, and different universities may have varying protocols.

• Make sure you know your thesis inside and out. This seems a given, I know, but it’s worth reading it cover to cover again anyway. I used a highlighter and post-its to mark out my arguments at each point, so it’d be easy to refer to when the need arose. It helps to know for yourself which the strong points are and where others may observe ideas that they may pull up for discussion or clarification. I was overprepared, but what the hell!
• Look up the internal and external examiners.  [You may even want to check if yours is in-person or hybrid or online and factor that in] You may even get a say in who the examiners are. You want someone who is going to meet your work with interest and a constructive spirit, so think of people you may have encountered at conferences and such who left a mark. These people can also become your professional references. Look up their expertise; this is often the positionality from which they frame their questions. It helps to remember that they may have a lot of specific or related expertise, but no one knows your thesis and your specific topic like you do. In that room, you’re the authority! 
• Some institutions allow your supervisor to sit in as an observer and take notes for you. If yours allows this, you’ll have to decide if you want them in there. No matter what you choose, note down the questions you’re asked anyway. This will help when you make corrections or decide to publish the damn thing. [I chose not to have mine in there. It was my way of taking charge of my work, but it really is based on individual temperament].
• Manage your expectations. Very few PhDs ever fail. But it isn’t always the case that it is instantaneously done and dusted. Most people need to make a few corrections and such and this is perfectly normal. I actually didn’t look at my thesis the day before the viva; it helped me to breathe and reminded me that I had spent so many years working on it and that all I needed to do in the last moment was believe in the fruits of my labour and that I needed to defend my work without being defensive about it.
• Prepare by having a mock viva with a friend. I had two people do this for me. One who had read some drafts so they were coming from an informed position and could push me on the specifics and another friend who had not, so they could insist on absolute clarity of ideas when I spoke. [The university you’re at should have a list of questions you can use, but I’ll put some down below anyway] 
• On the day, have your thesis at hand and a bottle of water. Go slow and don’t feel rushed to answer even if you feel like they’re waiting with bated breath. A sip of water or looking something up in the thesis (or pretending to) can give you a moment to think and regroup. Ask them to clarify if you need to; say “I don’t know but let me think about it” if you need to. Be confident about the strengths of your work, but if they point out what they think are limitations or weaknesses, consider it. Is it down to the scope of your work or is this something you need to talk out with them? And it is absolutely fine if you need to. Everyone in that room is in service of that thesis; they want you to do well!! Mine actually ended up being a fun conversation, and I hope yours will be too. 
• You may even have questions for them, especially if you want to do something more with the contents of that thesis. I was very aware that mine would need a decent amount of revision if I turned it into a book, but I wish I had thought to ask them for advice for transforming it.
• The viva seems like a bigger deal now than it will in hindsight. Don’t let it cause you fear. It is a rather spectacular opportunity to discuss your work and extend your community. 

Some questions to think about for the mock/viva prep:

• Why did you choose this topic? [personal significance, intellectual value, ethical need, and so on]
• What theoretical frameworks do you build upon? Why? 
• Has anything developed in this field since you submitted? What gaps still persist in this field of work?
• What remains outside your scope and how do you signpost to it? 
• If you did any manner of fieldwork, factor that into your mock questions.
• How does your research intervene in ongoing scholarship/practice? How does it allow the two to intersect?
• Pick two key issues for each chapter and try to unpack/expand on them for practice. 
• What ideas do you have in order to carry this work on in the future? 

And lastly, if you want any other resources, here are some good ones:

A Twitter thread of examiners talking about their approach to vivas

A blog on how an examiner approaches a thesis

A podcast by @VivaSurvivors 

Webpage on defending the thesis by VITAE