What is the pass rate for Viva PhD?

An immediate fail is rare; a 2022 survey found that only 3.3% of PhD candidates fail their viva outright – it certainly isn't something you should obsess over.

Is it hard to pass PhD Viva?

The vast majority of PhD students pass their viva. By the time you're ready to submit your PhD you will be an expert in your subject area, more than capable of discussing and debating it. You'll also have done so many times before: at conferences, in conversations with your supervisor, and in your own writing.

What is the pass rate for Viva in the UK?

In the UK, a study of over 26,000 PhD candidates revealed that only 16% of students were awarded major corrections, while 3.3% of students failed their viva outright.

What is the grading of Viva PhD?

There are six outcomes of a PhD viva: (1) pass without corrections (2) pass subject to minor corrections, (3) pass subject to major corrections, (4) downgrade to MPhil with no amendments, (5) downgrade to MPhil subject to amendments, (6) immediate fail.

What is the pass rate for a PhD?

The percentage of students who don't complete their PhD varies hugely; some institutions report as high as 71% and some as low as 9%. The PhD non-completion rate depends on many factors, such as the subject or department you are studying in, your age and whether you have a good mentor.

The viva: the examiner's point of view

Is a 2.1 good enough for a PhD?

readers: a 2.1 is an honours classification, not a GPA. I believe it correlates to 3.3-3.7 GPA, depending who you ask.] Getting onto a PhD with a 2:1 is certainly achievable, and not at all uncommon.

What is the failure rate for PhDs in the UK?

Summary. The PhD failure rate in the UK is 19.5%, with 16.2% of students leaving their PhD programme early, and 3.3% of students failing their viva. 80.5% of all students who enrol onto a PhD programme successfully complete it and are awarded a doctorate.

How do I ace my PhD viva?

What happens during a PhD viva?

what is the PhD viva? Officially called the viva voce, meaning 'living voice' in Latin, the viva is an oral examination that sees a PhD student defend their thesis and showcase their knowledge to a panel of academic experts.

Is a viva open book?

During Your Viva...

Most vivas are “open-book,” meaning you can bring reference materials with you.

How many people fail PhD Viva UK?

An immediate fail is rare; a 2022 survey found that only 3.3% of PhD candidates fail their viva outright – it certainly isn't something you should obsess over.

What to wear for PhD Viva UK?

While you might not think that clothing is an important piece to the viva, it is something that you certainly should consider. Wear something that is professional, but comfortable. This is typically a collared shirt for men at a minimum, though a suit jacket and tie are also pretty common.

How long do you need to prepare for a Viva?

Recipe for a good viva prep. If you have the time, forget about the whole PhD thing. You really just need 1 week or less (depending on your availabilities) to prepare just before the thesis, no need to get started too early.

Do most people pass their PhD?

Getting a doctorate could be one of your biggest life achievements—provided you can make it to the finish line. Drop out rates vary by discipline, but as many as 50 percent of students don't complete their doctorate.

What is the first question in a Viva PhD?

Which PhD year is the hardest?

It depends: if by the 3rd year you have a viable idea, then the 1st year of Phd is the hardest. If no workable idea by the 3rd year, then 4th year is the hardest.

How to pass a viva exam?

You will need to be able to answer questions both in summary and in depth. Keep testing yourself by practicing how to summarise your main arguments, your research outcomes, explaining why you chose the approach that you did and what your methodology was. Then work on longer answers.

What do you wear to a PhD viva?

Whilst the Faculty would advocate being comfortable, most participants tend to wear smart, professional and respectful attire. If you have any special requirements, you will be given the opportunity to let the administration know so that we can make arrangements for you in advance.

How do you thank viva examiners?

"You are quite welcome!", said enthusiastically, would have been fine. I also like to say something like, "I appreciate your time." Both of these statements end the exchange and are polite.

What to say when you don t know the answer in viva?

I don't know could be your answer to a question in the viva, but it doesn't have to be all of your answer. Say why. It can be as simple as “I didn't do that” or “I didn't read this.” Or perhaps, “I've not thought about it that way, but let me have a think…”

How to survive viva?

Can you take notes into Viva?

Don't worry, there isn't an expectation that you'll have memorised your thesis, but the notes will be a useful reference point. You can take your thesis and notes into the viva with you, and we recommend putting page markers into sections you feel you may need to refer to/quote from.

How common is it to fail Viva?

WHAT are the possible outcomes of a viva? Fail with no right of resubmission – this result is very rare and usually only happens if you have plagiarised your thesis.

How many people start a PhD but don t finish?

Well, first it means that after years graduate study, and thousands of dollars spent working towards your doctoral degree, 43.4% of students will not complete their program. Think about that: almost half of all students don't graduate.

What percentage of Brits have a PhD?

So it seems like a PhD is pretty rare – but how rare is it where you are? In the UK 2 per cent of the population has a doctorate.