Introduction
Traditionally, the
oral examination (a.k.a. the oral, viva or viva voce) occurs after the written
final exams. There is a lot of misunderstanding and misplaced apprehension
about such oral exams, and here we attempt to present an overview of the oral
examination, remove some of the mystery, promote your confidence and help you
to prepare effectively. 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.
Why are oral exams conducted?
Oral examinations
typically have two main purposes. Firstly, the oral exam allows an external
examiner to ascertain the comparability of a degree grade amongst different
educational institutions. Secondly, it allows the external examiner to confirm
or improve the appropriate degree grade classification for a student that may
be just under the borderline for a higher degree grade, or a student whose
performance may have been impaired due to mitigating circumstances. Students
that are just above a degree grade may not be marked down on the basis of the
oral examination. Thus, you should always look upon the oral exam as an
opportunity to improve your grade. 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 oral exam as
feedback for the department
As mentioned above,
oral exams are usually an opportunity for the external examiner to get feedback
from students on the performance of the Department and University. Depending on
the examiner, you may be asked to comment on your experience during the three
or four yours that you have spent at the Department and University. This gives
you an opportunity to comment on issues such as the following: -
- Teaching quality: teaching methods and facilities, clear
communication to students of the academic aims and objectives of modules, level
of help and guidance during and after modules, provision of tutorials,
provision of feedback
- 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.
Remember that you should give credit and praise where it is
due! If there are areas where you can suggest an improvement, do so in the
spirit of constructive criticismdepartments regularly adopt many of such
suggestions. Finally, use your judgement to decide if the viva is the
appropriate time to
mention a particularly negative experience: if so, do so as
objectively as possible and avoid naming individuals.
Tips and advice for
the oral examination
Be prepared
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.
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