How to Prepare for Your Thesis Defence: 12 Questions Committees Ask Most

The thesis defence is the final step of years of work and the stage that makes most students most nervous. The good news: the committee is not there to trip you up but to see that you did the work and understand it. With good preparation, the defence becomes a chance to present your thesis.

Preparing the presentation

• Check the time limit. Presentations are usually 15–30 minutes; ask your graduate school.
• Number of slides: roughly one slide per minute is a good starting point.
• Flow: introduction and problem → aims and questions → theoretical framework (brief) → methods → results → discussion → conclusion and recommendations → limitations
• Less text, more visuals: no paragraphs on slides; use bullet points, tables and charts.
• Give time to results: committees are most interested in results and discussion.

Rehearse

• Rehearse aloud with a timer at least a few times.
• Ask a friend or your supervisor to ask you questions.
• Note and improve your answers to difficult questions.

The 12 questions committees ask most

1. Why did you choose this topic?
2. What is the original contribution of your study?
3. Why did you choose this research design?
4. How did you determine your sample size? Are the results generalisable?
5. What is the validity and reliability of your instruments?
6. Why did you use this statistical analysis? Did you check its assumptions?
7. What is your most important finding?
8. Was there an unexpected result? How do you explain it?
9. Which studies contradict your findings, and why?
10. What are the limitations of your study?
11. What would you do differently if you did it again?
12. What do you recommend for future research?

Answering questions

• Listen first. Hear the whole question; ask for it to be repeated if needed.
• Be brief and clear. Give the direct answer first, then the reasoning.
• Admit what you do not know. "I have not studied this in depth, but I would consider it from … perspective" leaves a far better impression than making something up.
• Do not take criticism personally. Note the committee’s suggestions; revisions are a normal part of the process.

On the day

• Keep your presentation in more than one place (USB, email, cloud).
• Bring a printed copy of the thesis; questions may refer to page numbers.
• Arrive early and check the equipment.

Defence preparation with Academiana

Academiana helps in two ways. Defence presentation turns your thesis text into a PowerPoint draft with speaker notes, without adding anything that is not in your text. Defence rehearsal reads your thesis and prepares the questions a committee is likely to ask; you answer by typing or speaking, and the system shows the strengths and gaps of your answer, an outline of a stronger answer and a likely follow-up question.