Is a viva an interview?

It is a kind of oral examination, not a job interview, although both are spoken question-and-answer sessions.

Viva is short for viva voce, Latin for "with the living voice": an exam where you answer out loud.

Yes. A viva can change your mark, and for a thesis it can decide whether you pass, need corrections or resubmit.

Viva vs interview: what is the difference?

Last updated 12 November 2026

A viva (short for viva voce, "with the living voice") is an oral examination: examiners ask you questions about work you submitted, such as a thesis or a final-year project, to check that you understand it. A job interview is a conversation in which an employer decides whether you fit a role. Both are spoken, but they test different things.

What each one tests

In a viva the topic is fixed by what you submitted. In an interview the topic is the job.

Viva: your understanding of your own work, the choices you made and their limits.
Job interview: your skills, experience and behaviour, and whether you suit the team and the role.

Who asks the questions

A viva is run by examiners or teachers, often your own supervisor plus an internal or external examiner. A job interview is run by a hiring manager, a recruiter or a panel, and increasingly the first round is an AI screening interview.

How the result is used

A viva confirms, raises or lowers the mark for your work, or decides whether a thesis passes. An interview decides whether you move to the next round or get an offer.

How to prepare for a viva

Re-read your work, list the decisions you made and why, know the weakest part and what you would do differently, and practise explaining it out loud in two minutes.

How to prepare for a job interview

Turn the job description into topics, prepare short stories from your experience with the STAR method, and practise answering out loud with follow-up questions.

Practise this out loud

Take a live AI mock interview with questions built from your resume and the job description, then get a clear feedback report.

Start a mock interview

Frequently asked questions

Is a viva an interview?: It is a kind of oral examination, not a job interview, although both are spoken question-and-answer sessions.
What does viva mean?: Viva is short for viva voce, Latin for "with the living voice": an exam where you answer out loud.
Can you fail a viva?: Yes. A viva can change your mark, and for a thesis it can decide whether you pass, need corrections or resubmit.