Preparing for MBA Viva/Defense Questions: What Examiners Actually Ask

The MBA viva (also called an oral examination or dissertation defense in some institutions) is an academic conversation, not an interrogation. Examiners are not looking to trip you up — they are assessing whether you understand your own work, can discuss it critically, and have thought beyond what is written on the page.

What Examiners Are Really Assessing

Three things: (1) that you wrote the dissertation yourself and understand every methodological and analytical decision; (2) that you can discuss your findings critically rather than just describing them; (3) that you can acknowledge limitations and think about how future research could address them. Examiners who feel these criteria are met pass students — even when the written work has weaknesses.

The 12 Most Common Viva Questions

1. "Tell me about your research in 3 minutes." — Practice a structured summary: research question, methodology, key finding, contribution. This often sets the tone for the whole viva.
2. "Why did you choose this research question?" — Connect it to a genuine gap in literature and explain the practical relevance. Avoid "because I was interested in it."
3. "Why did you choose this methodology?" — Justify every decision in the research onion: paradigm, approach, design, method. Do not just name them — explain why they were appropriate for your research question.
4. "What are the limitations of your study?" — Be specific and honest. Sample size, cross-sectional design, self-reporting bias, single-industry focus. Show you understand what your study cannot claim.
5. "How would you do this differently if you started again?" — This is not an invitation to criticise your work. It is an invitation to demonstrate methodological reflection. Name one or two genuine improvements.
6. "How does your study contribute to existing knowledge?" — Name the specific gap you addressed. "This study extends Jones (2021) into an emerging market context" is a better answer than "this study adds to the literature."
7. "Why did you select these particular participants/sample?" — Justify your sampling strategy (purposive, random, snowball) and sample size (saturation, power analysis). Have the numbers ready.
8. "What alternative theoretical frameworks could you have used?" — Show you read broadly. Name an alternative framework and explain why you chose yours over it.
9. "Can you generalise your findings?" — Probably not fully, and that is acceptable. Discuss the scope of transferability and under what conditions your findings might apply more broadly.
10. "What are the practical implications of your findings for managers?" — Have two or three specific, actionable implications ready. These should flow naturally from your discussion chapter.
11. "How might someone challenge your interpretation of this finding?" — Show critical self-awareness. Acknowledge alternative interpretations and explain why you favour yours.
12. "What would be the next logical study to build on your research?" — This shows you can position your work within a research agenda. Name a specific follow-up study that addresses one of your limitations.