IELTS cue card: describe a person you admire
An answer plan for the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task about a person you admire, with prompts for who they are, what they did, and why they matter to you, plus follow-up practice.
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Viva and thesis defence question preparation notes
Revision notes for a viva voce or thesis defence: your summary pitch, likely examiner questions by theme, answer frames, and how to handle criticism you did not expect.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Your two-minute summary
Examiners often start with "Tell us about your project". Prepare:
- The problem: [what was not known or not working]
- Your question: [one sentence]
- Your approach: [method in plain words]
- Main finding: [one or two results]
- Why it matters: [who can use this]
- 2
Motivation and gap
Likely questions:
- Why did you choose this topic?
- What gap in the literature does it address?
- Who are the key authors you are building on or arguing against?
My answers: [___]
- 3
Methodology
- Why this method and not [alternative]?
- How did you choose your sample, sources or cases?
- What would you change if you started again?
- How did you deal with ethics and consent?
Frame: "I considered [X], but chose [Y] because [reason]. The trade-off was [___]."
- 4
Findings
- What is your most important finding?
- Which result surprised you?
- How confident are you in [specific result]?
- How do your findings compare with [named study]?
Know the page or chapter where each key result is.
- 5
Limitations
Name them before they do:
- Scope: [___]
- Data or sample: [___]
- Method: [___]
Frame: "That's a fair point. It limits [what], but it doesn't affect [core claim] because [reason]."
- 6
Contribution and future work
- What is original about this thesis?
- What would you do next with more time or funding?
- Could this be published? Where?
- How could practitioners use it?
My three contributions: [1] [2] [3]
- 7
Handling tough questions
- Pause. It is fine to think for a few seconds.
- Clarify: "Do you mean [A] or [B]?"
- Acknowledge, then answer: "Yes, that's a weakness. Here's how I addressed it..."
- If you don't know: "I haven't looked at that, but my expectation would be... I'd want to check."
- 8
Corrections and close
- Bring a list of typos and errors you have already found.
- Ask if anything needs clarifying in writing.
- Prepare a question for them if invited: [___]
- Thank the examiners for their careful reading.
How to use this template
A viva, oral defence or thesis defence is a conversation about your research, and the best preparation is to anticipate the questions examiners tend to ask. These notes group those questions by theme: your summary, motivation and research gap, methodology, findings, limitations and contribution. Each card has space to write your own answers and a short phrase frame for responding calmly. The handling card covers questions you did not expect, and the final card reminds you about corrections and how to close. Formats vary between countries, universities and degree levels, from a short masters defence to a long doctoral viva, so check your own institution's guidance on length, presentation requirements and who attends. Print these notes for revision rather than reading from them in the room.
Tips
- Reread your thesis in full a few days before, flagging key pages with sticky tabs so you can find results quickly.
- Practise your two-minute summary aloud until it is natural. It is often the first question and sets the tone.
- Ask a supervisor or colleague to hold a mock viva and choose questions you have not seen.
- Treat criticism as discussion, not attack. Examiners want to see you defend reasoning and accept fair points.
- Write down a question if it has several parts, and answer each part in turn.
- Keep a glass of water nearby; a sip buys you a natural pause to think.
Make it fit
- For an undergraduate project presentation, focus on the summary, method and limitations cards.
- If your defence starts with slides, turn the summary card into your presentation outline.
- For a defence in a second language, add a card of key technical terms and their pronunciation.
- Turn any card into a flash card deck by putting the question on the front and your answer on the back.
- For a group project defence, assign each team member the cards for the chapters they wrote and agree who answers method questions.
Updated October 28, 2026