Viva Preparation Timeline Week by Week: An 8-Week Plan to Copy
An eight-week viva plan you can copy, anchored to the submission-to-viva gaps that Oxford, Sheffield, York, Edinburgh and Cambridge publish, with a version for four weeks.
A viva preparation timeline week by week starts on the day you submit and counts back from the viva date. Spend the first week resting and reading your university's rules, the middle weeks rereading and summarising the thesis, and the last three weeks on a mock viva, spoken practice and a final reread. Eight weeks fits the gaps several UK universities publish.
The plan below gives each week one job and one thing you finish with. Copy the table, put your own dates in the first column, and move a task if a rule at your university falls inside that week. It is a calendar, not a question list: for the questions to put to your own thesis, use the guide to viva preparation questions.
How long you have between submission and the viva
At the universities below, the published gap runs from at least four weeks to around three months, and your examiners' diaries can stretch it. Several universities publish a minimum, a target or a window, and these figures set the shape of your plan.
| University or body | What its own page says |
|---|---|
| University of Oxford | At least four full weeks between examiners receiving the thesis and the viva; the internal examiner should contact you within four weeks to arrange a date (Oxford research examinations) |
| University of Sheffield | At least one month after the thesis is sent out; normally within ten weeks of examiners receiving it (Sheffield viva guidance) |
| University of York | The viva will take place within three months of submitting (York viva page) |
| University of Edinburgh | The viva takes place usually within three months of submitting (Edinburgh Doctoral College, A Guide for Viva Preparation) |
| University of Cambridge | If you have no date within six weeks of submitting, contact your Degree Committee (Cambridge oral examination page) |
| UK Council for Graduate Education | The gap is "normally around 3 months", and you should check your university's rules (UKCGE, Preparing for the Viva) |
Sheffield calls its ten weeks "an expectation, not a mandatory requirement", so a date can slip. Oxford says you may not ask for a viva sooner than four full weeks after the thesis goes to examiners, though its board can allow a shorter gap in exceptional cases. Treat four weeks as the shortest plan worth writing, and eight as a comfortable default.
The viva preparation timeline week by week
Each week below has a task list and one output. Week 8 is the week you submit, and Week 1 is the week of the viva.
Week 8: rest, then build a rules sheet
Take a few days off first. Edinburgh's Doctoral College guide suggests you "take a few days away from all your work" before you reread.
Then spend one sitting on your university's rules and write the answers on one page. These are the questions that change your plan:
- Who arranges the date? At Sheffield it is the internal examiner. Students "should not make contact with their examiners prior to the viva." Oxford also tells you not to contact examiners except to reply to them.
- What can I bring? York says to bring an annotated thesis. Cambridge allows an unannotated printed copy identical to the submitted version, plus plain paper and a pen. Find out before you write in any margin.
- Is there a presentation? Cambridge says you should be told at least two weeks before the viva if your examiners want one.
- Do I need adjustments? Cambridge recommends telling the Degree Committee at least four weeks before the expected date. Put that deadline in your calendar now.
Output: a one-page rules sheet with every date and rule you found, each with its source.
Week 7: a slow, word-by-word reread
Read the whole thesis as a stranger would, with a pencil. Edinburgh's guide says to read it "word-by-word, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses along the way", and to "aim to go through one section of your thesis per day."
Keep two lists as you go. One is a typo and errata list with page numbers. The other is a list of passages where you would struggle to explain a decision.
Output: a marked thesis, an errata list and a list of weak passages.
Week 6: one-page summaries
Write one page for each major part of the thesis: what it claims, the strongest evidence by page, and the obvious objection. The viva preparation questions guide has a template for that sheet, so this plan does not repeat it.
If your rules allow annotation, this is the week to tab the thesis. The guide to annotating your thesis for the viva covers the tab and colour system.
Output: one summary sheet per part, plus a tabbed copy where allowed.
Week 5: your contribution in three lengths
Draft your contribution three ways: one sentence, one minute spoken, and five minutes spoken. The UKCGE guide lists practising oral summaries among the tasks for the week before, so drafting them now gives you time to refine them later.
Use the weak-passage list from Week 7. Write a two-sentence reply for each passage, then read the replies aloud.
Output: a contribution sentence, a one-minute version, a five-minute outline, and replies to each weak passage.
Week 4: book a mock viva
Ask your supervisor or a colleague for a mock viva in Week 3. The UKCGE guide says "Try to arrange a 'mock viva'", and Sheffield lists the "Offer of a mock viva" among the support supervisors can give.
Send the mock examiner your summary sheets and the weak-passage list, not just the thesis. That way they spend the hour on the parts you fear.
Output: a booked mock viva with a time, a place and a named examiner.
Week 3: run the mock viva
Treat the mock like the real thing: same length, same seating, thesis on the table. The UKCGE guide's mock viva checklist asks whether you performed well under pressure and in the face of negative or aggressive questioning.
Write down every question you fumbled within an hour of finishing. Those questions are your work for next week.
Output: a list of fumbled questions, ranked by how badly they went.
Week 2: fix weak answers out loud
Answer each fumbled question aloud, then again a day later without notes. This is also the week to finish slides if your examiners asked for a presentation.
The UKCGE guide has a section on revising "in the 2-3 weeks before the viva" and says the most important thing is to find a way that suits you. Practise aloud rather than in your head, because the viva itself is spoken.
Output: a short answer you can say without notes for every fumbled question, and finished slides if needed.
Week 1: final reread and practical arrangements
The UKCGE guide says: "In the week before the viva, re-read your thesis." It also suggests skimming "a couple of papers by your examiners, if appropriate."
Check the room, the time, the travel and the dress rules. Oxford, for example, requires academic dress for an in-person viva but not for a remote one. For the last evening, follow the night before the viva guide.
Output: a reread thesis, notes on two of each examiner's papers, and a packed bag that matches your rules sheet.
The plan on one page
Copy this table into a document or a paper diary. Fill in the dates column first, then move any task that clashes with a rule on your rules sheet.
| Week | Dates | Job | Output | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | ___ to ___ | Rest, then rules sheet | One-page rules sheet | ☐ |
| 7 | ___ to ___ | Word-by-word reread | Errata list, weak passages | ☐ |
| 6 | ___ to ___ | Summaries and tabs | One sheet per part | ☐ |
| 5 | ___ to ___ | Contribution in three lengths | Sentence, 1 minute, 5 minutes | ☐ |
| 4 | ___ to ___ | Book the mock viva | Date, place, examiner | ☐ |
| 3 | ___ to ___ | Run the mock viva | Fumbled-question list | ☐ |
| 2 | ___ to ___ | Fix answers aloud | Spoken answers, slides if needed | ☐ |
| 1 | ___ to ___ | Reread and logistics | Packed bag, examiners' papers read | ☐ |
Below the table, add three fixed dates from your rules: the adjustments deadline, the presentation notice date, and the viva itself. Plan the other weeks around those three dates.
If you have four weeks, or three months
A shorter or longer gap changes the order less than you might think. The rules sheet, the mock viva and the final reread stay in every version.
Four weeks (Oxford's usual minimum after examiners receive the thesis):
| Week | Merge |
|---|---|
| 4 | Rules sheet, then start the reread |
| 3 | Finish the reread, write summaries, book the mock |
| 2 | Contribution in three lengths, run the mock |
| 1 | Fix answers aloud, final reread, logistics |
Skip the long rest at the start, but keep one free day. Cut the summaries to the parts you listed as weak, not every part.
Three months (the window York and Edinburgh give): add rest, not more weeks of rereading. Take a full break after submission, then start the eight-week plan when the date is confirmed. Edinburgh's guide says you usually set the date three weeks to two months ahead, so you may only know your real Week 1 part of the way through.
Decision rules when the plan slips
Plans slip, and some tasks matter more than others. Use these rules to decide what to drop.
- If the date moves later, repeat Week 2, not Week 7. Keep the spoken practice closest to the day, since that is the skill the viva tests.
- If the date moves earlier, drop the summaries for strong parts and keep the mock viva.
- If no one can run a mock, record yourself answering ten questions from the list of 45 common viva questions and play it back.
- If you find a serious error, add it to the errata list and prepare a calm two-sentence account. Do not rewrite the thesis before the viva.
If your oral exam is a US-style committee defense instead, the deadlines come from your graduate school. The dissertation defense preparation timeline lists them for named US schools.
What Thesisroom does with this
Weeks 5 to 2 depend on knowing which passages an examiner might pick. Thesisroom's Defense Practice writes questions an examiner or committee could ask, each tied to a specific passage of your own thesis. You answer in writing or out loud, in one of three styles: Practice, Rapid round or Mock panel.
Defense Practice does not write your answers or hand you a script, so the spoken work in Weeks 2 and 3 stays yours. Before analysis, Thesisroom removes your name, email, phone numbers, student ID, title page, declaration and acknowledgements, as its privacy page explains.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I prepare for my viva?
Plan for four to eight weeks of focused work after you submit. Oxford says there should be at least four full weeks between examiners receiving the thesis and the viva, and the UKCGE guide says the gap is normally around three months. Check your own university's rules first.
When should I start preparing for my viva?
Start with a short rest straight after submission, then read your university's rules. Edinburgh's Doctoral College suggests a few days away from your work before rereading. The deeper work, such as summaries and a mock viva, fits the weeks after that.
How long after submission is the viva?
It depends on the university. Sheffield says at least a month can be expected after the thesis is sent out, and the viva should normally take place within ten weeks of examiners receiving it. York says within three months of submission. Cambridge asks you to contact your Degree Committee if you have no date six weeks after submitting.
Can I contact my examiners to arrange the viva?
Not at Sheffield or Oxford. Sheffield says the internal examiner arranges the viva and students should not contact examiners beforehand. Oxford says not to contact examiners except to reply to them. Other universities may differ, so check your rules.
Can I take an annotated thesis into my viva?
It depends on the university. York says to bring an annotated thesis, while Cambridge allows only an unannotated printed copy identical to the submitted version. Find your rule before you write in the margins or add tabs.
Should I read my examiners' papers before the viva?
The UKCGE guide suggests skimming a couple of papers by your examiners in the week before, if appropriate. Read for their methods and the questions they care about. Do not plan to reshape your thesis around them.
Sources
- University of Oxford, Research examinations
- University of Sheffield, The viva (oral examination)
- University of York, Viva
- University of Edinburgh Doctoral College, A Guide for Viva Preparation (PDF)
- University of Cambridge, PhD oral examination
- UK Council for Graduate Education, Preparing for the Viva: A Guide for Doctoral Candidates (PDF)
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.