The oral examination is usually scheduled around ten weeks after thesis submission. You'll receive a minimum of two weeks' notice regarding the time and location. Once all examination reports are received by Research Assessments, you and your supervisor/s will be given section one of your initial thesis examination reports to aid in preparing for the oral exam.
Here's the format of the oral examination to aid in your preparation. Additionally, our HDR Communications Advisers conduct Oral Examination Training sessions throughout the year.
For more information, please visit Training workshops and events webpage for more information.
| Agenda item | Duration (approximate) |
|---|---|
Panel Chair and Examiner pre-meeting | 10-15 minutes |
Panel Chair introduction | 5 minutes |
Overview of the thesis by the Candidate | 10 minutes |
Examiner questions to the Candidate | 1-1.5 hours |
Panel Chair and Examiner deliberation | 15 minutes |
Formal end to proceedings and recommendations by Examiners | 15 minutes |
After the Oral Examination, the Panel Chair will work with the examiners to identify any required changes or amendments to the thesis and to finalise a final recommendation for one of the five thesis classification levels.
The Panel Chair endeavours to submit these required changes and the final classification recommendation to Research Assessments within two business days following the examination.
Research Assessments will notify you ff the examination result and provide instructions for the next steps in the process.
For detailed information on the thesis with an oral examination, please refer to Guideline: HDR Thesis Examination.