the examination processes

background

Reg. G 8.1 The examination for the award of MPhil or PhD shall have two stages: firstly the submission and preliminary assessment of the thesis and secondly its defence by oral examination.

Following submission of your thesis, each Approved Examiner receives, via AQS, a copy of the thesis for preliminary examination. Each examiner will read carefully the thesis and produce a written report which is returned to AQS. The Examiner also indicates on the report form a preliminary verdict on whether the thesis satisfies the requirements for the award of MPhil or PhD.

The preliminary assessment requires each approved examiner to scrutinise the thesis and to provide an independent written report and preliminary verdict to Birmingham City University
This is a significant responsibility and busy examiners may require 6 – 8 weeks or more to complete this task
Normally the examiners recommend unanimously that a Viva should be held to confirm their preliminary findings
Exceptionally, the examiners may deem the thesis to be so unsatisfactory that there is no point in proceeding to a Viva without significant revision of the thesis (this is VERY rare)
The Viva CANNOT be held until each Examiner has returned their preliminary assessment form to Birmingham City University

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Examination of the Thesis

Once you have submitted (normally 3 copies of) your thesis for examination to Academic Quality and Support (AQS) with the completed candidate declaration form, the copies are sent out to the previously approved examiners. Each Examiner will read the thesis in detail and produce a written report of their findings to AQS. Birmingham City University normally expects Examiners reports to be received within 4-6 weeks of receipt of the thesis, but at certain times of the year (holidays / exam periods) it may take longer. In the report the Examiners will also provide a preliminary judgement as to whether they believe the candidate has satisfied the requirements for the award of MPhil or PhD and whether the Oral (Viva Voce) examination should go ahead. In general this is the case, but in very rare circumstances, where the thesis is deemed highly unsatisfactory, the Examiners can decide to dispense with the Oral examination and ask for a revised thesis to be submitted. The Oral examination cannot go ahead until AQS have received the reports from ALL Examiners.

You need to factor the time to send out and examine the thesis and to conduct the Viva into any time constraints that you may have, such as expiry of Visa, etc. Normally it should be possible to complete the Examination process (thesis and Viva) with 3 months of submission, subject to the availability of Examiners.

 

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Oral examination (Viva)

G 8.1 The examination for the award of MPhil or PhD shall have two stages: firstly the submission and preliminary assessment of the thesis and secondly its defence by oral examination.

The Viva is the subject of many Myths and Apocryphal stories!
Your chance to “defend” your thesis and convince the examiners that:
It is your research that you have presented
You understand the context within which the research is situated
You have read and understood the key references in this area
You have employed an appropriate research methodology
You can justify why you followed certain procedures / methods for experimental work and analysis of your data
You can explain & justify your “contribution to knowledge”
DON’T PANIC – Examiners are normally very supportive people and want you to succeed – but the work must justify it!

The Examiners will have agreed a strategy for the Viva and key areas that need to be explored
The Examination Panel Chair will normally introduce the examiners and explain the procedure
You may be asked to summarise the overall aims and objectives of your research and key findings
The Examiners will then question you and seek clarification on different aspects of the thesis
Quite common to work through the thesis chapter by chapter so bring your copy and other support materials if required
Not always right or wrong answers – some questioning to probe breadth / depth / thinking
Generally lasts 2-3 hours but depends on the Examiners and the Candidate’s performance

At the end of the Viva you will be asked to withdraw whilst the Examiners consider their findings
This will be the longest 15-45 minutes of your life!
After Examiners have reached their verdict you will be invited to rejoin them to receive it from the Chair of the Panel
The Chair will summarise the panel findings, including examination of the thesis and your Viva performance.
Congratulations will be in order if the outcome was successful
but remember you haven’t got the MPhil or PhD until URDC Chair approves the examiners’ recommendations!
If problems were found, these will be outlined and the required course of action and options made clear.
Detailed written feedback on remediation will be provided after this has been drawn together – 2-3 weeks
URDC will write to you explaining exactly what is required and by when

 

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OUTCOMES

G 13.3 The Oral Examination
Following the oral examination the examiners shall, where they are in agreement, submit on the appropriate form a joint report and recommendation relating to the award of the degree to the Secretary to the RDC. The preliminary reports and joint recommendation of the examiners shall together provide sufficiently detailed comments on the scope and quality of the work to enable the RDC to satisfy itself that the recommendation is appropriate. Where the examiners are not in agreement, separate reports and recommendations shall be submitted. The recommendations shall be made on the appropriate form.

The examiners DO NOT award the MPhil / PhD but make recommendations to URDC
They can make the following recommendations:
Award Degree - no changes (VERY RARE)
Award Degree - minor changes (MOST COMMON)
Do Not Award Degree - major changes
Re-submit with / without Viva (UNCOMMON)
Do Not Award PhD but offer MPhil (VERY RARE)

 

AWARD DEGREE

13.4.1 the candidate be awarded the degree;

In reality, as most candidates word-process their own theses, it is rare for no corrections to be required
If you have submitted the thesis soft-bound you will in any case have to submit a final version of the thesis after examination
Almost inevitably therefore you will be required to correct any minor errors that may have been “ignored” had you submitted a hard-bound version
If this happens you were very lucky!

 

MINOR CHANGES

13.4.2 the candidate be awarded the degree subject to minor amendments being made to the thesis

You have satisfied the examiners at the Oral examination and the thesis is generally satisfactory.
Minor amendments are primarily spelling; grammar, referencing or improvements in clarity / presentation
A list of the required amendments will be supplied.
Restructuring, re-writing Chapters, addition of new materials, re-analysis of results, etc is NOT MINOR
Responsibility for verifying the final thesis commonly delegated to the Examination Panel Chair
Candidates have 6 months to submit amended thesis

 

RESUBMIT (MAJOR CHANGES)

13.4.3 the candidate be not awarded the degree but be permitted to re-submit for the degree and be re-examined, with or without an oral examination

You have not satisfied the Examination Team, either after the Viva or after only preliminary scrutiny of the thesis
Many possible causes: inadequate literature review; poor methodology; errors in experimental work or analysis; inadequate discussion; conclusions not substantiated, etc
In most cases the whole thesis has not failed, but modification / addition / correction more significant than Minor Changes is required to parts of the thesis – detailed guidance given
A re-Viva may or may not be required – depends on performance
Candidates have 12 months for resubmission and normally the whole Examination Team must approve the changes

 

OFFER MPHIL (PHD EXAMINATION)

13.4.4 In the case of a PhD examination the candidate be not awarded the degree of PhD but be invited to submit for the award of MPhil. The examiners may recommend that the degree of MPhil be awarded subject to the presentation of the thesis amended to the satisfaction of the examiners. The candidate must confirm in writing his/her agreement to waive the right to be re-assessed for the award of a PhD provided under G 13.4.3 above.

RE-EXAMINATION

 

G 14. RE-EXAMINATION OF THE THESIS

G 14.1 One re-examination will be permitted by the RDC, subject to the following requirements:

14.1.1 a candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners at the first examination, including where appropriate the oral examination may, on the recommendation of the examiners and with the approval of the RDC, be permitted to revise the thesis and be re-examined;

14.1.2 the examiners shall provide the candidate, through the RDC, with written guidance on the deficiencies of the first submission; and

14.1.3 the candidate shall submit for re-examination within the period of one calendar year from the date of the latest part of the first examination; where the RDC has dispensed with the oral examination the re-examination shall take place within one calendar year of the date of this dispensation (see paragraph G 13.2.2 above). The Research Degrees Committee may, where there are good reasons, approve an extension of this period.

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appeal against examiners' decision

There is an appeals process by which students can appeal; against the Examiners' decision. The appeal must relate specifically to the Examination Process and not to the experience of the MPhil / PhD as a whole (which is more likely to constitute a Complaint).

Link to Appeal Against Examiners Decision

 

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