Conduct of Examination

26. The Examining Board is required to conduct an oral examination of candidates in all cases except where an examination of a re-submitted thesis is being conducted. Under this circumstance, this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Examining Board where it has reached the view that the thesis clearly meets the standard to pass without amendments, or with only very minor corrections or amendments. In other, exceptional circumstances, a viva for a resubmission may be waived with the approval of the Examining Board and the Head of the Graduate School. The Chair shall advise the candidate of the arrangements which have been made for the oral examination.

27. The following individuals must be present at the oral examination:

i. The Chair;
ii. The External Examiner(s);
iii. The Internal Examiner where one is required.

28. The oral examination must normally be held in the University. However, the Head of the Graduate School may, in exceptional circumstances, permit an oral examination to be held elsewhere. Such a practice, should not, however, be more costly than holding an oral at the University itself.

29. With the approval of the Head of the Graduate School, an oral examination may be held by electronic means. Detailed guidance on protocols for the conduct of the examination will be available from the Academic Registry.

30. Students may bring to the attention of the Examining Board any circumstances that could affect their performance in the viva or affected production of the thesis. These should be noted these on the Intention to Submit Form where possible. The Graduate School will then consult with Student Support and the Chair of the Board as appropriate to put adjustments in place and brief examiners.

31. A supervisor attending an oral examination may speak only when invited to do so by the Chair.

32. A candidate's supervisor(s) shall have the right to convey to the Chair of the Examining Board any concerns relevant to a candidate's research project, the resulting thesis or its examination which the supervisor(s) consider(s) the Board should take into account prior to reaching its decision. The supervisor(s) shall convey these concerns, in writing, both to the Chair and to the candidate as soon as practicable after the presentation of the thesis and in any event, early enough to allow the candidate sufficient time prior to the examination of the thesis (including any oral examination) to consider the points made and prepare a response.

33. It shall be the responsibility of the Chair of the Examining Board to ensure that the candidate is satisfied with the time allowed for consideration of and response to the points made by the supervisor(s), and to secure for the record a written statement by the candidate to this effect.

34. An Examining Board shall consider any written submission to the Chair by a candidate's supervisor(s) and any response by the candidate in accordance with the provisions immediately above.

35. There shall be no recording of the viva.

36. After completion of the examination, the Chair will ensure that the interim report form and the result and report form is completed and a copy given to the student. The Chair must ensure that the Report and Result form and the interim report form are completed and that the Graduate School is informed of the outcome. The Report and Result form will contain the external examiner’s report (including a report on the oral examination), the internal examiner’s report, a joint examiners’ report and the Examining Board’s formal recommendation of result. The formal recommendation of result must record the exact decision of the Examining Board and must be signed by the Chair, the external examiner(s) and the internal examiner(s), but not by any person attending in an advisory capacity.

37. In the event that the thesis must be re-examined or that corrections must be made, the Chair is responsible for arranging for the collation and provision of the feedback to the candidate and the supervisor at the time of the viva, or shortly thereafter.

38. On receipt of the completed Report and Result form, and, where appropriate, confirmation that all required corrections are complete, the Academic Registry will inform the candidate of the final result.

39. All copies of a failed thesis must be returned to the candidate once the process of examination (and the hearing of any subsequent appeal case) has been completed.