ORAL EXAMINATIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS - (THE 'VIVA')
Oral presentations and examinations are becoming more common throughout degree courses, as educational practitioners increasingly appreciate that a very good measure of someone's understanding of a subject is their ability to verbally explain the subject to someone else. For our purposes, we will only explicitly consider the oral examination that occurs with an external examiner after the written final exams of an undergraduate degree. Much of this section will also apply to taught MSc degrees.
Oral examinations are not just an assessment of the student's performance- oral exams are usually an opportunity for the external examiner to get feedback from the students on the performance of the department and university.
The details of practice vary amongst universities, and you will almost certainly be well informed about the particular practices that occur in your Department. If not, however, be sure that you are aware of what will happen by asking in advance. As an example of how practices may differ, some oral exams have a panel of two or three members (e.g. the External Examiner, the Degree Course Co-ordinator and the Head of Department). In other universities, it may only be the External Examiner that is present.
Nevertheless, the oral exam may well involve a discussion of topical subjects that are relevant to the degree course content (e.g. Environmental sciences: what might be the impacts on vegetation of the removal of large herbivores, as occurred in many areas in the UK following foot and mouth disease?). You may be asked what your favourite modules were, and why you found these modules academically interesting and/or challenging. This may lead on to a further discussion based on your favourite modules. For example, if you state that Environmental Impact Assessment was your favourite module and explain why, you may then be asked a variety of questions, such as: What is the legal backing for EIAs?; What are common problems in EIAs?; How could the EIA process be improved? Can you discuss different examples of where the EIA process could be considered a success and a failure?
In addition to considering the taught content of your module, the examiner(s) will also be examining your understanding of the subject matter of your thesis, your appreciation of its significance to established knowledge in the field, and your awareness of the breadth of the subject area. A considerable proportion of the exam may be spent discussing your final year project, given that it is an independent and novel piece of research that you were responsible for designing and executing.
The External Examiner will have read (and graded) your final year project, and you should be prepared for a quite rigorous discussion of your project (See How can I prepare?).
- Research support: level of help and guidance during the final year project, availability of equipment and facilities.
- Student support: library facilities, IT courses, computer availability, printing facilities, photocopying etc.
Read your final year project, and be acquainted with the most important references. Be prepared to discuss such questions as:
Why did you choose this project?
What were the objectives of the project?
Were the objectives addressed?
How did you go about doing (experiment A)?
Tell me another way of doing (method B).
How did you know when you were finished?
What would happen if __________?
What did not work?
Why did you choose (method B)?
What are the limitations of (method B)?
If you were to start again, is there anything you would like to change?
What were the best features of your project?
Why did you choose the statistical methods that are in your project?
Is there another possible explanation for your results?
What further research would you liked to have conducted, and why?
In many ways, there is not a lot that you can do to prepare for discussions on these subjects- the preparation has been the learning effort that you have put in over the duration of your degree!
Be well presented. It may well be customary for students in your department to wear a suit. The oral exam is not a fashion show, but you should at least be well groomed and neatly dressed.
Stay calm and pleasant
Listen carefully to the questions.
Don't answer simply 'yes' or 'no' to questions; on the other hand do not give a prepared speech. Try to answer the question as it is put, remembering that you are engaged in an academic conversation. If you don't understand the question, ask the examiner to repeat the question, or repeat your interpretation to the examiner. If you still don't understand the question, then it is better to admit it than to try and bluff.
Be prepared to justify your ideas and conclusions. If the examiners challenge your interpretation but you feel that your case is a good one, muster your arguments and be willing to present your case firmly but courteously. However, if the examiners have identified a genuine weakness, concede the point gracefully. Even if you feel the examiners are unreasonably critical do not become argumentative or allow the discussion to become heated. You can agree to differ and to reconsider the point.
Don't be overly worried that some parts of the exam were really difficult- it is only by pushing your to your limits that the examiner can determine your ability.
Oral presentations and examinations are becoming more common throughout degree courses, as educational practitioners increasingly appreciate that a very good measure of someone's understanding of a subject is their ability to verbally explain the subject to someone else. For our purposes, we will only explicitly consider the oral examination that occurs with an external examiner after the written final exams of an undergraduate degree. Much of this section will also apply to taught MSc degrees.
Oral examinations are not just an assessment of the student's performance- oral exams are usually an opportunity for the external examiner to get feedback from the students on the performance of the department and university.
The details of practice vary amongst universities, and you will almost certainly be well informed about the particular practices that occur in your Department. If not, however, be sure that you are aware of what will happen by asking in advance. As an example of how practices may differ, some oral exams have a panel of two or three members (e.g. the External Examiner, the Degree Course Co-ordinator and the Head of Department). In other universities, it may only be the External Examiner that is present.
Nevertheless, the oral exam may well involve a discussion of topical subjects that are relevant to the degree course content (e.g. Environmental sciences: what might be the impacts on vegetation of the removal of large herbivores, as occurred in many areas in the UK following foot and mouth disease?). You may be asked what your favourite modules were, and why you found these modules academically interesting and/or challenging. This may lead on to a further discussion based on your favourite modules. For example, if you state that Environmental Impact Assessment was your favourite module and explain why, you may then be asked a variety of questions, such as: What is the legal backing for EIAs?; What are common problems in EIAs?; How could the EIA process be improved? Can you discuss different examples of where the EIA process could be considered a success and a failure?
In addition to considering the taught content of your module, the examiner(s) will also be examining your understanding of the subject matter of your thesis, your appreciation of its significance to established knowledge in the field, and your awareness of the breadth of the subject area. A considerable proportion of the exam may be spent discussing your final year project, given that it is an independent and novel piece of research that you were responsible for designing and executing.
The External Examiner will have read (and graded) your final year project, and you should be prepared for a quite rigorous discussion of your project (See How can I prepare?).
- Research support: level of help and guidance during the final year project, availability of equipment and facilities.
- Student support: library facilities, IT courses, computer availability, printing facilities, photocopying etc.
Read your final year project, and be acquainted with the most important references. Be prepared to discuss such questions as:
Why did you choose this project?
What were the objectives of the project?
Were the objectives addressed?
How did you go about doing (experiment A)?
Tell me another way of doing (method B).
How did you know when you were finished?
What would happen if __________?
What did not work?
Why did you choose (method B)?
What are the limitations of (method B)?
If you were to start again, is there anything you would like to change?
What were the best features of your project?
Why did you choose the statistical methods that are in your project?
Is there another possible explanation for your results?
What further research would you liked to have conducted, and why?
In many ways, there is not a lot that you can do to prepare for discussions on these subjects- the preparation has been the learning effort that you have put in over the duration of your degree!
Be well presented. It may well be customary for students in your department to wear a suit. The oral exam is not a fashion show, but you should at least be well groomed and neatly dressed.
Stay calm and pleasant
Listen carefully to the questions.
Don't answer simply 'yes' or 'no' to questions; on the other hand do not give a prepared speech. Try to answer the question as it is put, remembering that you are engaged in an academic conversation. If you don't understand the question, ask the examiner to repeat the question, or repeat your interpretation to the examiner. If you still don't understand the question, then it is better to admit it than to try and bluff.
Be prepared to justify your ideas and conclusions. If the examiners challenge your interpretation but you feel that your case is a good one, muster your arguments and be willing to present your case firmly but courteously. However, if the examiners have identified a genuine weakness, concede the point gracefully. Even if you feel the examiners are unreasonably critical do not become argumentative or allow the discussion to become heated. You can agree to differ and to reconsider the point.
Don't be overly worried that some parts of the exam were really difficult- it is only by pushing your to your limits that the examiner can determine your ability.
