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The Viva & Oral Defense Template Kit
For the doctoral candidate with a viva or defense date set: know your thesis cold, rehearse the hard questions and get corrections signed off first time.
Every viva and defense template from the workbook, ready to type into: thesis maps, question banks, mock-viva scoring and the corrections tracker.
- 53 fillable templates
- US Letter + A4
- Instant download
$19
Secure checkout on Payhip. Download both PDFs straight after payment.
Save with the Defend & Publish Bundle: this kit plus Journal Selection & Submission Template Kit, $29 instead of $38. See the bundles
What you get
- 53 fillable templates in one fillable PDF (58 pages, 788 fillable fields)
- US Letter and A4 versions, both included
- Type into the boxes and save, or print and write by hand
- A clickable template map with a Done box for every template, and bookmarks
See inside
All 53 templates
- 1.1 Viva Reality & Myth-Buster Sheet
- 1.2 What the Viva Actually Tests
- 1.3 Format Spectrum Locator
- 1.4 Viva Vocabulary Decoder
- 2.1 Viva Specifications Capture Sheet
- 2.2 Possible-Outcomes Map
- 2.3 Examiner Research Dossier
- 2.4 Examiner-to-Thesis Link Sheet
- 3.1 Thesis-at-a-Glance Map
- 3.2 Chapter Summary Sheets
- 3.3 Key Facts, Numbers & Citations Sheet
- 3.4 Multi-Level Summary Builder
- 3.5 “Where Is It?” Locator
- 4.1 Contribution-to-Knowledge Articulator
- 4.2 “What's New / Original” Sheet
- 4.3 Significance & Impact Statement
- 4.4 Contribution Elaboration Ladder
- 5.1 Chapter-by-Chapter “Defend Your Decisions” Sheets
- 5.2 Methodological-Justification Sheet
- 5.3 “Why Did You…” Question Prep
- 5.4 Trade-Offs & Alternatives Sheet
- 6.1 Thesis-Weakness Pre-Empt Worksheet
- 6.2 Limitations-Ownership Sheet
- 6.3 Anticipated-Critique Response Planner
- 6.4 Weakness-to-Awareness Reframe
- 7.1 50 Most-Likely Viva Questions (with answer planners)
- 7.2 Question-Genre Map
- 7.3 Answer-Planner Template
- 7.4 Examiner-Specific Question Predictor
- 8.1 Spoken-Answer Structure Sheet
- 8.2 Handling-Challenge & Disagreement Sheet
- 8.3 “I Don't Know” / Conceding Gracefully Scripts
- 8.4 Clarify-Before-Answering Drill
- 8.5 Peer-Engagement Mindset Sheet
- 9.1 Defense-Slide Framework
- 9.2 Opening-Summary Talk Builder
- 9.3 Presentation-Timing & Rehearsal Sheet
- 9.4 Presentation-to-Q&A Transition Plan
- 10.1 Examiner-Type Strategy Guide
- 10.2 Examiner-Style Diagnostic
- 10.3 Difficult-Moment Navigation Sheet
- 10.4 Panel-Dynamics & Chair-Role Note
- 11.1 Mock-Viva Scoring Sheet
- 11.2 Mock-Viva Setup Kit
- 11.3 Mock-Viva Debrief & Gap Sheet
- 11.4 Iteration & Readiness Tracker
- 11.5 Online-Viva Practice Checklist
- 12.1 Viva-Day Logistics & Mindset Checklist
- 12.2 Outcome Interpreter
- 12.3 Post-Viva Corrections Tracker
- 12.4 Corrections-to-Examiner-Satisfaction Sheet
- 12.5 Resubmission Strategy + Next Steps & Celebration
- 12.6 Supervisor's Mock-Viva & Support Kit
Every template page gives you
- Its purpose and how long it takes
- Short steps on how to fill it in
- Fillable boxes sized for real answers
- The output it produces
- A supervisor sign-off line
- Where to find the completed example in the workbook
How to use it
- Open the PDF in a free PDF reader app that supports fillable forms (Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and works best). Some phone and browser viewers do not save typed answers.
- Click a box and type. Save often: your answers stay in the file.
The kit and the workbook
The kit gives you the tools. The Viva & Oral Defense Workbook teaches the method: it explains every template and shows a completed example of each one. If this is your first time, start with the workbook.
Questions
How do I get the files?
Checkout is on Payhip, our store. Straight after payment you can download both PDFs, and Payhip emails you the link too. You can download them again from the same link later.
Can I type into the pages?
Yes. Open the PDF in a free PDF reader app that supports fillable forms (Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and works best), type into the boxes and save. Some phone and browser viewers do not save typed answers.
US Letter or A4?
Both are included in every purchase.
Is this the same as the workbook?
No. The kit has every fill-in template from The Viva & Oral Defense Workbook, ready to type into. The workbook adds the teaching and a completed example of every template.
What if a file does not open?
Digital files cannot be returned once downloaded, but if a file does not open or something is wrong with it, email rafiq@gradsummit.com and we will fix it or refund you.
Can my class or research group use it?
Each purchase is for one person. For a class or research group, email rafiq@gradsummit.com about a group licence.
The Viva & Oral Defense Template Kit
53 fillable templates, US Letter and A4, $19.
Licence: For the buyer's own use. Every page is stamped with the buyer's email and the purchase date. Please do not share or resell the files. For a class or research group, ask about a group licence.
By Rafiq Muhammad, MD, MIHMEP, PhD. The templates were drafted with the help of AI tools and written, checked and laid out by the author.