A viva is a short, in-person oral exam where you demonstrate understanding by explaining ideas out loud, working a small example, and answering follow-ups. It is not a memory quiz, and not a code-style review. It is a fast check of what you actually understand.

It will be ~8-10m, in the instructor’s office. No notes; you should expect to use whiteboard or scratch paper to work example, however. The only required materials would be, for a programming viva, to bring your own machine if you are expected to run code live.

Booking

You will book a slot through the Google Calendar link provided in the assignment. You must book within the window stated in the assignment. If posted slots do not work, email well in advance to arrange a time; un-arranged no-shows count as misses.

What happens in the room

  1. Setup (30 seconds). We confirm the topic and rules.
  2. Your statement (60 seconds). You restate the claim you will establish or the task you will complete.
  3. Mechanism (3 to 4 minutes). You explain give the core idea (e.g. invariant, algorithm, data-structure law).
  4. Concrete instance (2 to 3 minutes). You run through or trace a small example (I may give one, but you should have one ready).
  5. Follow-ups (2 to 3 minutes). Short questions to test variation, edge cases, or transfer. If I need to confirm a decision, I may extend this period.
  6. Decision (under a minute). Pass or redo, with one sentence of guidance.

Scoring

Depending on the circumstance and course, I will score these differently.

  • They may be pass/fail
  • There may be some more nuanced rubric
  • They may be pass/redo (usually 1 redo option)

Pass or redo

A pass requires: correctly stated claim, correct mechanism, correctly working a concrete instance, and coherent answers to follow-ups.

A redo is a chance to fix a specific gap; each viva has one redo window before a fixed deadline.

Preparation

Fully grok the material. Be able to explain it in your own words, contemplate variations on the idea, consider “what if …?” alternative hypotheses. Practice with the examples. For algorithms, formal systems, logics, you should have the rules and operations memorized. For programming viva, be ready to point at and explain the exact lines that implement various mechanisms.

Academic integrity

You may use any resources while preparing. During the viva, no notes or outside help. Do not share the details of your oral exam with other students.

For code, you must be the author; if you worked with a partner, you must still be able to explain the code solo. If you cannot explain your own work, it does not count.

Rescheduling and no-shows

You may reschedule up to 12 hours in advance if slots remain. No-shows without cause count as misses. Make-ups, if granted, must occur within the assignment’s window.

Accessibility

If you need an accommodation, email early so we can set an alternate window or format consistent with the assignment.