How to Clear Engineering Viva: Do's and Don'ts

An engineering viva often has you anxious, sitting in a tense room, facing tricky questions. Sometimes, the examiner may even push a piece of paper and instruct you to solve a numerical which will make you even more tense.

If you’re an engineering student you must have faced this many times.

What if we say there is a trick to overcome the ‘viva stress?’

By following the tips that we list below, you can clear an engineering viva confidently. So, let’s read ahead.

Understanding the Purpose of the Viva

Have you ever faced anxiety on exam day? Although you are prepared and ready to face the inevitable test, stress is inevitable and your heart starts beating faster as soon as your roll call approaches.

While you cannot ‘eliminate’ viva or exam anxiety completely, you can simplify your outlook. How? Just by understanding the “why” of any exam. Here are some points explaining the purpose of conducting a viva:

To test your fundamentals
For analyzing your understanding of a subject
To test your practical knowledge

Once you gain clarity and purpose of a viva, clearing this test becomes very easy.

You know the motive behind the questions. In most cases, an external examiner isn’t familiar with you. So, the examiner wants to test you in terms of your general technical knowledge.

Preparing for an Engineering Viva: Do’s

A viva is an excellent practice for deciding future like private jobs or PSU interviews. So, starting your preparation now can be helpful in the long term.

1. Revise and Memorize

There are two types of viva exams:

In-semester
Project

In-semester viva exams are related to a particular subject. This includes the theory, lab sessions, and recent trends. A project viva, on the other hand, is lengthy and includes questions relevant to your entire project work. So, the revision process of these two types of viva exams will differ.

For subject-oriented oral exams, revise and understand these aspects thoroughly:

Curriculum fundamentals
Practical work
Important formulae

You can use suggestions, notes, visual elements, and similar techniques used when memorizing concepts for a GATE exam. In some cases, the examiner will instruct you to choose a unit in your syllabus. So, revise every minute detail of your preferred topics.

In the case of a project viva, you should note all the activities and methodology followed to develop the work. Be ready to defend your approach during such a lengthy viva voce.

2. Refer to Suitable Study Material

Sometimes, the hectic engineering schedule can leave you less time to prepare for a viva. Hence, going through the extensive curriculum can become a bit too overwhelming. In such a case, you should refer to books that compile important content in a simplified manner. What’s even better is using your personal notes prepared throughout the semester. This way, you will be able to recall the concepts quickly.

Additionally, these personal study materials will also be useful during theory exams.

3. Discuss with a friends

Viva exams are speech-oriented. You will need to explain concepts or lab experiments to the committee during the actual test. Hence, talking and discussing with a friend or colleague works wonders. For this purpose, you can go to the respective lab and analyze each experiment setup.

Additionally, you can also discuss the aim, results, and procedure with one another. This will help you not only better understand the content but also do so faster.

Here’s what you can discuss for a viva:

Lab experiments
Syllabus concepts
Doubts
Recent trends in the industry

4. Relax and Stay Confident

Engineering is not entirely technical. It will help if you stay updated and confident to face your exams. You can deal with the stress in engineering by believing in your abilities.

Here are some other ways to relax before facing a viva:

Take deep breaths
Get adequate sleep the night before the viva
Don’t overthink
Listen to music if possible
Stay hydrated
Eat healthy food
Do light excercise to De-stress yourself

Significantly, these little things help maintain an optimistic mood. While you will definitely find yourself stressed, you will however eventually settle down after the exam begins. So, staying relaxed and confident in your preparation will help you clear engineering viva successfully.

5. Prepare a List of Questions That Will Most Likely Come

Yet again, this tip needs segregation depending on in-semester subject viva exam and project-based viva. For subject-based viva exams, students with far roll numbers are in luck. They can consult their friends and make a list of the frequently asked questions during the day.

However, this would not work for all and you must not wait until the day of the exam. Instead, you should list all the potential questions related to the project. In such a case, organizing a mock viva with your faculty and project mates works wonders.

Here are some potential common questions that will give you a fair idea:

Which research papers did you refer to for initiating your project work?
What is the SI unit of XYZ?
Name at least three recent innovations in this field.
Which manufacturing process did you use for this component?
How did you select this part?
Explain the results in depth
What is the aim of this lab experiment?

Note: The above list of questions covers both in-semester and project-based viva exams. You should list the potential queries based on the type of viva.

Preparing for an Engineering Viva: Don’ts

Full-fledged exam preparation also covers what you shouldn’t do before and during the test. Similarly, avoid the following mistakes to ace the viva oral:

1. Don’t Dress Inappropriately

Engineering viva exams are highly professional. An external examiner is usually a senior or expert faculty who commutes from another college. Hence, professionalism is crucial for such exams.

So, make sure you dress and appear presentable in front of the panel.

Here’s a list of what you should not wear:

Casual T-shirts
Funky jeans
Bright-colored jackets.
Folding the sleeves of your shirts.

In addition, clean and ironed clothes will establish your seriousness towards the viva.

2. Don’t be Awkward

Clearing an engineering viva puts particular emphasis on body language. You should not appear impolite and scared during the exam.

Here are a few behavioral tips you should follow to impress the examiner:

Greet with ‘good morning/afternoon/evening’
Don’t sit on the chair directly
Maintain eye contact with the examiner
Don’t look upwards and downwards while thinking
Avoid any unwanted gesture during the viva

Notably, you should walk in with a respectful and confident approach. The examiner will understand your nervousness most of the time.

3. Don’t Lie

What if you don’t know an answer to a question? Should you provide a diplomatic answer?

No, absolutely not. Honesty is vital during any viva exam. The external examiner knows the precise answer to any question. So, if you cannot answer, simply state without any hesitation. Remember, passing a question is better than providing an incorrect answer. You will receive more than two chances to prove your knowledge.

So, you can always make up for an unanswered question later in the viva. In addition, some examiners ask students to explain any concept of their choice. Make sure you utilize such scenarios, by answering confidently.

4. Don’t Overlook Future Industry Trends

Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning, and Big Data are some recent and futuristic technologies.

An engineering viva will also test your knowledge on such relevant topics. So, it will help by staying aware of the recent happenings in your stream of Engineering.

In most cases, external examiners stick to the curriculum and lab sessions. Still, the unpredictable nature of viva exams can include a few general questions. So, here are some trends that you can watch out for:

Edge Computing
Digital Twins
Automation
Cobots
Blockchain

So, try to read some relevant trends. In the case of the in-semester subject viva, you can browse trends related to the respective domain.

5. Don’t Underutilize Lab Sessions

The majority of viva exams include queries on your lab experiments. So, it is advantageous to discuss potential questions after each practical.

You can also discuss these questions with your professor or your lab in charge. Simultaneously, you should note these questions, which can be helpful during the end semester viva. This tip is a continuous process that can help you gradually. So, don’t overlook simple things like staying active during the lab sessions.

In addition, timely completion of your lab records will reduce any burden towards the end of the semester and you will approach the viva without facing burnout.

What to do During the Viva?

The above dos and don’ts will help you with the preparation phase. But you need to follow certain tips during an ongoing viva. Here are some handy guidelines to succeed during an engineering viva examination.

Listen Carefully to the Questions

Listening skills are crucial for an engineering viva. On most occasions, the external examiner can ask you tricky questions, and answering instantaneously can portray a lack of patience and overenthusiasm. Both these qualities can impact your viva scores. So, always stay attentive and listen cautiously to questions thrown at you to answer it accurately.

Next, take a very small pause to understand the expectation of this question. After a quick pause, begin answering in a calm but in confident tone.

Overall, this habit will also exhibit respect towards the examiner.

Stay Positive

As far as possible, don’t mention any negative incidents during the viva. Try to speak in an affirmative tone and be as professional as possible.

The external won’t prefer pessimistic candidates. So, you must display positivity in your body language and answers. Here are some tricks to stay positive during the viva:

Keep a positive mindset towards the examiner.
Think that the examiners are interested and eager to listen.
Look at viva as an opportunity to showcase your knowledge.
Believe in constructive criticism.

Smile and Talk

Greeting anyone with a smile spreads positivity and lightens up your mood. This will help you feel better and will set a good tone for the engineering viva.

In addition, don’t sit idle during the viva exam. Talk and attempt to answer the questions if you are at least partly sure. This way, the examiner will notice that you are prepared for the exam.

This will also reduce your anxiety and calm your nerves.

Follow Basic Etiquette

Engineers need to follow formal protocols due to their reputed career profile. This practice starts during the student phase.

You will need to face several interviews to land internships or job opportunities too which will require certain etiquette. So, practice the same during your engineering viva exams.

Here are some handy tips:

Don’t interrupt anyone (if you are in a group viva).
Keep your hands below the chest level.
Maintain a straight posture.
Speak in a consistent tone.

Significantly, these basic etiquettes during an engineering viva will enhance your personality. So, you should follow this tip sincerely.

Answer Passed Questions

Generally, Engineering colleges conduct group viva due to the presence of many students in a batch. So, you might enter the viva room with a couple of classmates.

In such scenarios, answering a passed question can prove beneficial and help establish a good rapport. So, always answer such questions if you’re sure of the answer.

At the same time, do not feel tempted to answer every question. This will make you come across as arrogant. A good strategy is to raise your hand and request the examiner.

It is, however, advisable to observe the examiner’s mood. A long, hectic day can affect the examiner’s energy. So, try to assess the situation and go with the flow.

Wrapping Up

Clearing an engineering viva is a blend of different tips. First, you need to note the dos and don'ts mentioned in this article. Next, you should understand certain etiquettes that exhibit your professional approach during a viva.

Notably, you should pay attention to lab sessions, fundamentals, and industry news to perform well in a viva. Furthermore, a project-based viva will demand an in-depth understanding of your work during the different stages.

Most examiners find these qualities commendable. Attending an engineering viva is an excellent opportunity to showcase your technical knowledge about a subject. Above all, stay confident, honest, and optimistic to clear the viva with flying colors.