PhD viva questions usually cover the big picture, literature and gap, objectives and theory, methodology, analysis and results, findings, limitations and contribution. The viva voce is the final step before the university awards your PhD. Most scholars are worried about this part more than anything else. But there is good news. When you reach the viva, your examiners have already recommended the thesis. In the viva you have to show that the work is your own and that you understand it. The examiners are not looking for a second chance to reject it.
Examiners in India mostly ask the same kinds of questions, and we have grouped them by theme here. For each group we explain what the examiner is testing and how to prepare answers. There is also a part on what to do when you don’t know an answer, and on how the open viva runs. These questions are taken from common practice in Indian universities. There is no official list. Last reviewed September 2026.
How the viva works in India
Once you submit the thesis, the university sends it to external examiners. Mostly two, chosen by the university. When their reports are satisfactory, the viva date gets fixed. As per the UGC regulations, your supervisor and at least one of the external examiners conduct the viva. It is an open viva also. Members of your research advisory committee, faculty from the department, other research scholars and interested experts can attend and ask questions. The UGC has allowed universities to hold the viva by video conference too, subject to their own statutory approval. Many are doing it now.
Mostly the viva goes in this order.
- You present the thesis, commonly for 20 to 45 minutes.
- The external examiner asks questions. This is usually the main part, lasting from 30 minutes to well over one hour.
- People in the audience ask their questions.
- The examiner and supervisor discuss about it among themselves. Then the examiner signs a report recommending the award, or sometimes asking for changes.
In your university some details can be different, like how many examiners come and whether you see the examiner reports beforehand. Check these with your research cell. For where the viva comes in the full PhD timeline, and how long evaluation usually takes, see our PhD timeline guide.
Common PhD viva questions, grouped by theme
Nearly all viva questions come under one of the groups in this table. Nobody gets asked every question, but you should be prepared for any of them.
| Theme | Questions you should expect | What the examiner is really checking |
|---|---|---|
| The big picture | Summarise your thesis in five minutes. Why did you pick this topic? And what is your main contribution? | Whether you can explain your own work clearly, without seeing your notes. |
| Literature and gap | Who are the main authors in your area? Which gap does your study fill? Has anything new been published after you submitted? | Do you know the field well, and is the gap really your own? |
| Objectives and theory | Why did you take these objectives? Which theory is behind your model? Why this theory and not some other one? | Is there a clear line going from the problem to the objectives to the design? |
| Methodology | Why this design? How did you fix the sample size? Why did you use this sampling method? How did you check reliability and validity? | Whether the choices came from you, or you simply followed some template. |
| Analysis and results | Why did you use this test? This number here, what does it mean? Was the normality assumption met? What is the effect size? | Did you run the analysis on your own, and do you understand it? |
| Findings and discussion | Which finding was a surprise for you? Your result does not match the earlier studies, so why? Starting again today, what would you do differently? | Can you look at your own results critically? |
| Limitations and future work | What are the main weaknesses in your study? How far can the findings be generalised? What should the next study do? | Can you say clearly what your study cannot show? |
| Contribution and practice | What does your thesis add to knowledge? Who can use the findings, and in what way? Any implications for policy? | Whether the thesis is useful beyond the degree. |
Mostly the viva starts with easy, broad questions like “Tell us about your work” or “Why did you choose this topic?”. They are only to make you comfortable, so no hurry. Give a clear two-minute answer. Say what the problem was, what you did and what you found. That first answer sets the tone for the rest of the viva.
Most scholars struggle in the methodology questions. Here the examiner wants to know why you chose each thing. Many scholars reply “my supervisor suggested it” or “other studies used it”, but examiners are not convinced. Something like “A stratified sample was used because awareness was expected to differ between irrigated and dry-land farmers, and I needed enough of each to compare them” is a proper reason. If the methodology chapter already justifies each choice, your answers are written there. Our guide to writing the methodology chapter shows how that looks.
How to prepare answers to viva questions
Reread the thesis
Read it fully from first page to last, the way an examiner reads it, with a pencil in hand. Mark typos, weak passages and any part you would explain differently now.
Study the examiner reports
If your university gives them to you, take every point in them seriously, because each one will almost surely come up. Keep a clear answer ready for all of them.
Update your reading
Look for studies that came out after you submitted the thesis. Examiners like asking about recent work.
Prepare the presentation
Your university sets the length, usually 20 to 45 minutes. Cover the problem, objectives, method, key findings, contribution and limitations in it.
Practise answering aloud
Ask a colleague or your guide to put questions to you from the table on this page. Answer out loud in full sentences, and keep the notes away.
Prepare structures, not scripts
Mugging up each answer word by word does not help much. Memorised answers sound rehearsed. And when the examiner asks the same thing in a different way, it is hard to adjust them. For each likely question, know the two or three points you want to make. Take “What is your contribution?” as an example. There I would start with the new finding. After that comes where nobody had tested it, and its practical use. Then you can handle any version of the question.
Know your numbers
Without looking, you should be able to tell your sample size and how you reached it. Same for the response rate, the main test results and the reliability of your key scales. Many times the examiner asks about one particular table, so know where the important tables are in your thesis.
Know your gap
In one or two sentences, you should be able to say what was not known before your study and what is known now. In almost every viva this question comes in some form or other. If you struggle, see how you wrote the gap in your thesis. Our gap statement guide may help you to put it more sharply.
Anticipate the weak points
Nobody knows the weak areas of your thesis better than you. Maybe the sample from one district is small. Or the scale you adapted was not fully validated. Sometimes one objective is met only partly. Prepare for these questions first. When an examiner raises a weakness that you have already thought about, a clear and honest answer usually satisfies the examiner.
When you do not know the answer
Every scholar faces at least one question which they cannot answer fully. Examiners know this happens, and mostly they watch how you deal with that moment.
- Take a moment. A few seconds of pause is normal. It shows you are thinking, and nobody sees it as weakness.
- Ask for clarification when the question is not clear to you. A reply like “Do you mean the sampling of districts or of households within them?” is perfectly fine.
- Answer the part you can. You can say “I did not test that directly, but my results on X suggest…”, and that is fine.
- Say so honestly. “I have not come across that study. I will read it. Could you tell me the author?” is an acceptable answer. Bluffing is not acceptable. Examiners can make out when you bluff, and then they start doubting even your good answers.
- Do not argue, but do defend. Sometimes the examiner questions a choice that you believe was correct. Explain your reasoning calmly in that case. Scholars who agree with every criticism give the feeling that they don’t understand their own work. When the examiner makes a fair point, though, accept it and say what you would do differently.
Questions from the audience
In an open viva, faculty and other scholars can also ask questions. Some are really curious. A few questions are not directly about your thesis, and for those a short, polite answer is enough. For a question outside your scope you can say “That is outside the scope of my study, but it would be an interesting direction.” Usually your supervisor or the examiner will step in if somebody goes too far.
The viva presentation and what to bring on the day
Keep the presentation focused on what the examiner needs to see. That means the problem and gap, the objectives, the method in short, key findings for each objective, your contribution and the limitations. Most scholars make 20 to 30 slides. Avoid dense tables on the slides and show only the few results which matter, and keep the full tables in backup slides in case somebody asks for them.
Rehearse with a timer at least three times, once in front of an audience. When the presentation goes much beyond the time, the examiner gets impatient even before the questions have started.
Carry these things with you on the day.
- A bound or printed copy of the thesis, with small tabs stuck on the key tables and chapters.
- Your presentation on a pen drive and also in your email. Keep a PDF copy also, as the room computer may have different software.
- One page with your objectives, hypotheses, sample size and main results, only for your own reference.
- Copies of your published papers and their acceptance letters.
- For an online viva, a camera, microphone and internet you have already tested, plus a backup connection and a quiet room.
- Water. And enough time to reach early and check the room and the projector.
You will find these items and the preparation steps above in our viva checklist also. It remembers your ticks.
Wear formal but comfortable clothes. Reach early. Before you begin, thank the examiner and the chair. At the end the examiner may ask you to wait outside. This happens in many vivas, nothing to get tensed about.
After the viva
If the examiner asks for minor corrections, take the list in writing. Do the corrections quickly and get your supervisor to confirm them. After that the university completes the process for the award, and your thesis gets deposited in Shodhganga. Before the viva, it is also worth reading our guide on PhD thesis structure once more, because many times examiners go through the thesis chapter by chapter.
Some scholars want a mock viva with an examiner from their field, with questions taken from their own thesis and written feedback after. Our viva voce preparation service offers that. You give the answers yourself, and we help you to practise.
Want a specialist to help with this in your own work? Viva Voce Preparation: a free first consultation, then a written scope and fixed quote.
FAQ
Questions scholars ask
Can a candidate fail the PhD viva in India?
Failing is uncommon, since the viva happens only after the examiners recommend the thesis. The examiner can ask for corrections. In rare cases there can be a second viva also, if the candidate is not able to show that they understand the work or did it themselves. If you prepare properly, chances of that happening are very low.
How long does a PhD viva last?
Mostly one to two and a half hours in total, with the presentation and the questions together. Some vivas finish sooner. It depends on the examiner and on how your university does it.
Will I see the examiner reports before the viva?
This differs from university to university. Some share the reports, or the questions raised in them, with the candidate before the viva. Others give them only to the supervisor. Your supervisor can tell you which way your university follows. If the reports do come to you, prepare an answer for every point.
Can my supervisor answer questions for me?
Not really. Every answer has to come from your side. Your supervisor sits on the viva board but should not answer on your behalf. They may sometimes clear up a procedure point, or put a question in simpler words.
Is an online viva different from an in-person one?
The questions are the same in both. What changes is the practical risk. Check your connection, camera and screen sharing before the day, and keep a phone ready as backup. Also confirm that the university has shared the link with the audience, because the viva still has to be open.
What if I am asked about a study published after I submitted?
Yes, this happens, and it is a fair thing to ask. Search for new work in your area before the viva. Maybe they name a study which you have not read. Then say it honestly and ask what the study found. After that, connect it to your own results if you can.
