Preparing for your thesis defence (obrona)

Thesis defence questions in Poland and how to prepare for them

Questions at a Polish thesis defence come from a few predictable directions. The reviewer usually asks about the comments in their review; the promotor may ask you to explain a decision in the research; the chair or another committee member may ask how your results relate to practice or what you would do differently. If you know your own thesis well, few questions will come as a surprise.

Defence preparation starts from your thesis and, if it is already available in APD, from the review. We list the questions each part of the thesis is likely to raise and prepare a short answer outline for each: the point to make first, the evidence from your thesis, and how to acknowledge a limitation without sounding defensive.

For students defending in Polish as a second language, understanding the question is often harder than answering it. In the mock defence, the consultant asks questions at a natural pace and in the phrasing committees use, so you can practise asking for a question to be repeated and taking a moment before you answer.

A few days before the defence, reread your methodology and conclusions, since questions often start there, and practise stating your aim in one sentence without notes. Being able to do that helps you through the first minute of the exam.