Exam Tips

Before the exam:  

• Ensure that all members have set aside about 3 hours for your exam.
• Check all audio/visual presentation equipment or test your screen sharing
• Briefly review your thesis and get familiar with your figures 
• Get familiar with several key references, including authors’ names, research groups and major points that may support your defense 

On the day of the exam: 

• There is no dress code, but it is recommended to dress in a professional manner 
• Come approximately 30 minutes early to check the equipment if holding the exam in person
• It is optional and by no means necessary to bring water and/or refreshments for your exam committee. If you or your supervisor choose to do so, these should be modest 
• Bring a hard copy of your thesis if holding the exam in person

Presentation: 

• 20 minutes maximum 
• Remember: everyone has read your thesis; you don’t need to teach your examiners 
• Background: provide the rationale and significance of your research 
• Hypothesis: this is the most important part of your research 
• Methods: concentrate on the experimental design 
• Results: only present the main results 
• Conclusion: be clear and accurate 

Examination Questions: 

• There are several types of examination questions, which fall into four categories: 
• Related to your research: background, significance 
• Questions from your thesis: statement, presentation of figures, additional information, your mistakes 
• Background knowledge: statistics, etc. 
• Unpredictable questions
  • If the Globe and Mail wants to release your research, what would the title of the article be? 
  • What are the top 3 secrets of your success? 
  • If you could re-do your project, what kind of new approaches would you like to use? 

How to answer your questions:

• Make sure you understand the question properly. Repeating the question back can allow you time to think it over 
• Provide a clear, brief answer 
• Use references to demonstrate your knowledge and support your point 
• Don’t be defensive 
• Be honest. Sometimes, “I don’t know” could be the best answer 
• If the question is not related to your research directly, point it out first, then speculate 
• After the first round, if you feel it is necessary, you may ask for a short break

The Examiner/Chair has the obligation to protect you. If you feel harassed, you may bring this to the attention of the Examiner/Chair and/or the other Examiners.