The viva, when the examiner asks the one thing you did not read
For a viva when the examiner asks what you did not read: a neat kurta or shirt with trousers, hair tied back, and the move of taking one breath and reasoning out loud.
- autopilot
- hermes
- campus
You are in the viva room. Three people sit behind a table with your file open. You have answered four questions well. Then the examiner turns a page and asks about the one chapter you skipped.
Your mind goes white. That is a long second, and it is only a second.
The look
Keep it neat and plain, something you can sit in for an hour without thinking about it.
- Modest: a cotton kurta in a solid colour, such as navy, maroon or bottle green, with straight trousers or a salwar.
- Modern: a collared shirt in white or light blue, tucked in at the front, with dark trousers.
- One small detail: a pair of small studs or a simple watch. Nothing that jingles when you move your hands.
For your hair, tie it back low, in a bun or a plain ponytail, so it stays off your face and you do not touch it while you think.
The one confidence move
Wait for the full question. Let the examiner finish, even when you already know you do not know it. Then take one slow breath in and out before you speak. Keep both hands resting on your file or on your knees.
Do not bluff. A made-up answer is easy to hear. Say what you do know about the topic, and reason from there, out loud, one step at a time. Right or wrong, you are showing how you think, and that is what a viva looks at.
What to say first
Say this, in your own voice:
I am not sure, but here is how I would work it out.
Then start with the one thing you do know and go on from it.
If it goes sideways
Sometimes you reach a second blank and there is nothing to work from. Stay seated and keep your voice level. Say:
I have not read that part, ma'am. May I take the next one?
Then look up and wait for the next question. One gap does not end the viva, and you do not have to apologise twice.
One thing to try today
Tonight, ask a friend to open your notes and ask you five questions at random. When one stumps you, say your first line out loud, then reason through it anyway. Do it once with your hands resting on the table, the way you will sit in the room.
Each Sunday: one moment coming up this week, the look for it and the one line to say first. Find the moment cards at /moments.
One moment a week.
Each Sunday: one moment coming up this week, the look for it and the one line to say first. One click stops it, and the list is never sold or shared.