Preparation Guides
Guides for high-stakes oral examinations
Each guide covers a specific aspect of a PhD viva, upgrade viva, DClinPsy examination, or RICS APC assessment. They are written to be directly useful, not to be comprehensive for its own sake.
PhD VivaFrom what to expect on the day to defending your contribution under sustained examiner questioning.
What Happens at a PhD Viva
Most candidates arrive at their viva having read a great deal about it but experienced none of it. Here is wha...
How to Answer "What is Your Contribution to Knowledge"
The contribution to knowledge question is almost always the first substantive question in a PhD viva. It is al...
What to Do If You Blank in Your PhD Viva
Blanking in a viva is one of the most common fears doctoral candidates have. It happens. Examiners know it hap...
How to Do a Mock Viva
A mock viva is the single most effective form of viva preparation. Reading your thesis again tells you what is...
What Examiners Read Before Your PhD Viva
Your examiners do not arrive at the viva cold. They have read your thesis and formed a view. Understanding wha...
How to Answer Questions About Weaknesses in Your PhD Viva
Questions about weaknesses and limitations are not traps. They are tests of intellectual honesty and critical...
Your PhD Viva: What to Bring and What to Expect on the Day
The logistics of viva day are rarely discussed in preparation guides, but anxiety about the unknown affects pe...
Upgrade VivaThe transfer or confirmation review: what the panel assesses and how to prepare your research proposal defence.
DClinPsyThe clinical psychology research viva: reflexivity, clinical implications, and the scientist-practitioner identity.
RICS APCThe APC final assessment: competency questioning, ethics scenarios, and the case study presentation.
The RICS APC Final Assessment: What to Expect
The RICS APC final assessment is the last stage of the Assessment of Professional Competence. It is a structur...
RICS APC Ethics Questions: How to Prepare for Ethics Scenarios
Ethics is the most feared element of the APC final assessment because it is the area where candidates are most...
RICS APC Mock Interview: How to Practise for the Final Assessment
A mock APC interview is the most effective preparation available for the final assessment. A panel of assessor...
Reading prepares you for the material. Practice prepares you for the examination.
PanelReady runs a full mock session using your actual thesis, submission, or CV. Scored feedback after every answer. No colleague required.