1. Thesis preparation

To help you prepare for your examination, we have put together a number of useful resources:

• Career Development Framework
• Writing
• Your Thesis
• The UQResearch Data Manager
• HDR systems
• Oral Examination process
• What to expect at the oral examinations for HDR candidates
• Oral Examinations checklist for Candidates (PDF, 44.8 KB)

Presenting and practicing questions

For many the daunting part of the oral examination is the speaking component.

Our Career Development Framework communications workshops are designed to help you build your confidence in presenting. However, the oral examination is not just about presenting, it is also about how to answer questions.

It’s a good idea to think about how you might respond to questions, including difficult ones. Think about:

• what you are prepared to fully defend (for example, your claims about the originality of the thesis and its contribution to knowledge), and
• what you are prepared to concede (for example, no research is perfect and showing that you have thought about how something might have been done differently is often seen as a strength).

You should also think about your contribution to knowledge. Make sure you can clearly and precisely explain your contribution and can relate it to other work in your field.

It’s a good idea to practice speaking some of your thoughts and answers out loud. Speaking about something is always a very different experience to writing about it.

Try not to rehearse or memorise answers. Examiners want to hear you give thoughtful and spontaneous answers that show you can reflect on what is being said.

There are many good online resources, including lists of possible questions you might be asked, that may help you prepare for your oral exam. For example:

• Unpacking the viva
• Top ten questions for the PhD oral exam