Original practice prompts with plans and model answers.
PhD Viva Simulator
Practise defending contribution, methodology, limitations and alternative interpretations.
General viva preparedness; university-specific regulations must be suppliedVersion 2026.1-betaReviewed 20 July 2026
Separate evidence checks mapped to the task type.
Criterion total used for the formative range.
Spoken defence
Beta
What this module assesses
| Criterion | Marks | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution clarity | 5 | Explains the original contribution clearly. |
| Methodology defence | 5 | Justifies the chosen methodology. |
| Limitations awareness | 5 | Recognises limitations and implications. |
| Oral defence quality | 5 | Gives a direct, structured and defensible answer. |
Practice questions and model answers
Original material for deliberate practice.
These are original questions written for Assessments Aced. Official sources are used to align scope and assessment expectations, not copied as commercial question content.
01What is the original contribution?Spoken defence · 5 minOpen question and model answer
What happened
The examiner asks you to distinguish your work from the closest existing literature.
Your jobGive a direct 60–90 second answer.
Answer plan
- State contribution
- Contrast literature
- Explain significance
- Originality
- Clarity
- Significance
Model answer
The original contribution is a framework showing how resource constraints change the sequence in which small firms adopt AI-enabled workflow tools. Existing studies mainly describe adoption factors, whereas my research explains how those factors interact over time during implementation. This matters because it gives researchers a process model and gives practitioners a way to identify the next constraint that must be resolved.
02Why was this methodology appropriate?Spoken defence · 5 minOpen question and model answer
What happened
The examiner challenges whether a larger quantitative study would have been more reliable.
Your jobDefend the chosen methodology and acknowledge the trade-off.
Answer plan
- Link method to question
- Compare alternative
- Acknowledge trade-off
- Limit claim
- Method fit
- Alternatives
- Limitations
Model answer
A larger survey would have measured prevalence, but my question concerned how managers interpreted risk and made adoption decisions. Semi-structured interviews were therefore appropriate because they captured sequence, reasoning and context that fixed-response data would miss. The trade-off is limited statistical generalisability, which I address by making analytical rather than population claims and by proposing later quantitative testing of the framework.
03What is the most important limitation?Spoken defence · 5 minOpen question and model answer
What happened
The examiner asks which limitation most threatens the thesis conclusions.
Your jobIdentify one material limitation and explain its effect.
Answer plan
- Name limitation
- Explain effect
- Limit claim
- Propose follow-up
- Candour
- Implication
- Mitigation
Model answer
The most important limitation is that participants were recruited through professional networks, which may over-represent firms already interested in digital change. This means the study may understate resistance among less engaged firms. I therefore avoid claiming that the sample reflects all small businesses and treat the findings as a theory-building account that requires testing in a broader, independently sampled population.
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University doctoral regulations and thesis documentsUser or institution supplied
Required for any university-specific viva module
Checked 20 July 2026