Ask Examiner to Rephrase Viva Question: Exact Wording to Use
When and how to ask a viva examiner to repeat, rephrase or clarify a question, with exact lines for each situation, a worked exchange and what to do if it is still unclear.
If you have searched "ask examiner to rephrase viva question" before your viva, the short answer is yes, you can. Vitae, the UK Council for Graduate Education and university viva guides all say candidates may ask for a question to be repeated or clarified. The skill is in asking for the right thing in a way that moves the conversation on.
Below are the three different requests you can make, exact wording for each situation, a worked exchange and what to do if the question is still unclear the second time. Viva rules and customs differ between universities, so read your own university's guidance too.
What the guides say about asking
They say it plainly, and Trinity College Dublin's guide goes furthest. You are allowed to ask, and to ask again.
Vitae's viva page says "You can ask for questions to be repeated or for clarification on ambiguous questions". The UK Council for Graduate Education's guide for candidates (PDF) tells you not to hesitate "to ask for the question to be repeated if you need to".
Trinity College Dublin's PhD viva guide says "It is perfectly reasonable to seek clarification on what is being asked". It adds that you may do so "repeatedly until you are quite clear that you understand the question". One candidate's advice in the same guide is to "Ask for clarification or the examiner to repeat the question if needed."
Repeat, rephrase or clarify: three different requests
Each request asks the examiner for something different. Choosing the right one saves time and shows how much you have already understood.
| Request | Use it when | What the examiner does |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat | You did not hear it, or lost part of a long question | Says the same words again |
| Rephrase | You heard every word but cannot see what is being asked | Puts the question a different way |
| Clarify | You see two or more possible meanings | Tells you which one they meant |
A request to clarify can be the strongest of the three. It shows you have understood the question well enough to spot where it splits.
Ask examiner to rephrase viva question: the exact wording
Match the line to what went wrong. Each one below names the problem and asks for one specific thing.
You did not hear it
- "Sorry, I didn't catch the end of that. Could you repeat it?"
- "Could you say that again a little more slowly?"
The question was long or had several parts
- "Could you repeat the second part?"
- "There were a few parts there. Could we take them one at a time?"
- "Let me check I have them all: the sample, the timing and the follow-up. Is that right?"
You cannot see what is being asked
- "Could you put that another way? I want to be sure I'm answering the right question."
- "Could you give me an example of what you have in mind?"
- "Is there a page or section you're thinking of?"
A word could mean more than one thing
- "When you say 'impact', do you mean the effect on members or the effect on energy prices?"
- "Do you mean 'theory' in the sense of my framework, or the wider literature?"
The examiner made a comment, not a question
- "Would you like me to respond to that?"
- "Is your question whether I agree?"
You think you understand and want to check
- "So you're asking whether... Is that right?"
That last one is the paraphrase check. Say the question back in your own words, briefly, and let the examiner confirm or correct it. If they confirm, you have a few extra seconds of thinking time and a clear target for your first sentence.
A worked example of asking for clarification
The exchange below is an illustration written for this guide, not a record of a real viva. It uses an invented thesis on why people join community energy cooperatives in Wales, based on interviews with members of six cooperatives.
Examiner: "You talk a lot about trust. But isn't the whole thing really about money in the end?"
Candidate: "Can I check what you mean by 'the whole thing'? Do you mean why people join, or why they stay?"
Examiner: "Why they join."
Candidate: "Then I'd partly agree. Money came up in most of the joining stories in Chapter 5. But members said they only trusted the financial offer because they knew the people running the cooperative, so trust came first."
The clarification took one line and split the question in two. The examiner chose one half, and the candidate answered it with a clear first sentence. Our guide on how to structure a viva answer has a shape for this kind of challenge question.
When the question is still unclear
Ask once more, then answer the version you understand and say so. Trinity's guide supports asking more than once, so a second request is fine.
If the rephrased question still does not land, say which reading you will answer. A line like this works:
"I'll answer it as a question about why members stay. Tell me if you meant something different."
This keeps the conversation moving and makes your reading of the question clear. If you have guessed wrong, the examiner can redirect you after a sentence or two, not after a full answer.
If the question is clear but you do not know the answer, that is a different problem. Our guide on how to answer viva questions you don't know covers what to say then.
What to avoid
The main risk is answering a question nobody asked. The UKCGE guide warns against this directly: "try to answer that question, not a question you hoped the examiners would ask".
- Nodding along. Guessing at a question you did not follow, then answering the guess, wastes more time than asking.
- Asking for a repeat when you need thinking time. If you heard the question and need a moment, say so instead: "Let me just think about this briefly", a line from Trinity's guide.
- Repeating the question word for word. Saying it back unchanged does not check anything. Put it in your own words.
- Apologising at length. One "sorry" is plenty. Then ask your question.
Our guide on how to handle silence in a viva covers taking a pause to think. It also covers what to do when your mind goes blank.
In an online viva
On a video call, ask about the sound before you ask about the meaning. A question that seems unclear may simply have broken up.
- "You broke up for a moment there. Could you repeat the last part?"
- "I think there's a lag on my side. Could you say that again?"
If the connection keeps failing, some universities have rules for it. The University of Exeter's examination handbook (PDF) provides for "halting the viva at the request of the student". That applies "if there are any indications of problems with the technology being used".
If you need adjustments for spoken questions
If a disability or health condition affects how you hear or process spoken questions, arrange adjustments before the viva rather than relying on asking on the day. Each university has its own process for this.
The University of Sheffield's viva page says recommended adjustments in a student's Learning Support Plan should be "implemented" for the viva. The school should give examiners a copy of the plan, but only if the student has given permission to share it. Ask your university's disability service what applies to you.
If you are facing a US dissertation defense
The same lines work in front of a committee, though there may be more people asking. In Canada, universities such as McGill spell it "defence".
Ohio State's Graduate School Handbook expects all committee members "to participate fully in questioning". It also gives the Graduate Faculty Representative "the right to ask at least one question". It recommends both a public presentation of the research and a closed questioning session limited to committee members.
With several members, a question can come from someone outside your specialism, using their own field's terms. The clarify line is useful here. For example: "When you say 'validity', do you mean the statistical sense or the qualitative one?"
An audience may be listening too. At McGill, the open session can be attended by the public, under the Pro-Dean's control. Keep the request as short as you would in a viva, then answer.
Practise asking before the day
Asking feels awkward until you have done it out loud. Build it into your mock viva.
- Ask the person playing the examiner to include three unclear questions: one long, one with an ambiguous word and one that is a comment rather than a question.
- Use a different line for each, from the lists above.
- Practise the paraphrase check on at least five ordinary questions, so it comes without effort.
- Record the session and listen for any question you answered without fully understanding it.
What Thesisroom does with this
Thesisroom does not write your answers. Defense Practice writes questions an examiner or committee could ask, each tied to a specific passage of your own thesis, in three styles: Practice, Rapid round and Mock panel.
You can answer in writing or out loud. Before answering, try the paraphrase check on each question and compare your version with the passage it points to. You can find it in the Defense Practice room.
Frequently asked questions
Is it rude to ask a viva examiner to rephrase a question?
No. Vitae says you can ask for clarification on ambiguous questions, and Trinity College Dublin's guide calls seeking clarification "perfectly reasonable". Ask once, briefly and politely, then answer.
How many times can I ask for clarification?
Trinity College Dublin's guide says you may ask repeatedly until you are clear you understand the question. If it is still unclear after two tries, say which reading you will answer and invite the examiner to redirect you.
Will asking for a question to be repeated count against me?
None of the guides we read suggests it does. Vitae and the UKCGE guide both list asking for a repeat as something candidates can do. Answering the wrong question is the bigger risk.
What is the best way to ask for clarification?
Offer two readings and let the examiner choose: "Do you mean why members join, or why they stay?" It shows you understood most of the question and gets you a precise answer to aim at.
Should I repeat the question back to the examiner?
Yes, in your own words and briefly: "So you're asking whether... Is that right?" Repeating it word for word does not check your understanding. A paraphrase does, and it gives you a few seconds to plan.
What if I asked for a repeat but just need time to think?
Say that instead. Trinity College Dublin's guide suggests "let me just think about this briefly" before answering. It is clearer than asking for a repeat you do not need.
Sources
- Vitae: The viva
- UK Council for Graduate Education: Preparing for the Viva, A Guide for Doctoral Candidates (PDF)
- Trinity College Dublin: Trinity PhD Viva Guide (PDF)
- University of Exeter: Handbook for Examination of Postgraduate Research Programmes, TQA Manual Chapter 12 (PDF)
- University of Sheffield: The oral examination (viva voce)
- The Ohio State University: Graduate School Handbook, Section 7, Doctoral Degrees
- McGill University Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies: Oral defence proceedings
How this guide was made: Thesisroom drafted this guide with the help of AI writing tools, then checked every fact, figure and source by hand against the references linked above.