What to say if you don't know the answer in a defense?
If you have prepared well, you should be able to answer. If there is a question that you do not know the answer to, it is okay to say "I don't know, but that is an interesting question because XYZ." Sometimes, teachers will ask questions for you to think out-of-the-box. But, you are not expected to know everything.
- Take your time. ...
- Think aloud. ...
- Admit you're unsure. ...
- Use flexible thinking. ...
- Repeat the question. ...
- Ask follow-up questions. ...
- Offer to come back to the question later. ...
- Acknowledge the question's value.
How to Say "I Don't Know" When You Don't Know An Answer - YouTube
Plan a strategy to answer the panel's questions. Keep your answers direct, but elaborate on the research details wherever necessary. If you do not know the answer to a question, that is alright. The key is to be able to formulate an answer even if you do not possess enough knowledge to answer at that point in time.
The idea that C is the best answer to choose when guess-answering a question on a multiple choice test rests on the premise that ACT answer choices are not truly randomized. In other words, the implication is that answer choice C is correct more often than any other answer choice.
If you want to keep the same basic form, it's politer to say "I don't believe I know you..." However this leaves a slight bit of doubt, so that he could conceivably come back and say "oh yes, we met, remember?" If you really want to be clear that you don't know the person, use something like the first three above.
- “Would you mind repeating the question?” ...
- “Can I get a few more minutes to think about it?” ...
- “I'm not sure, but here is what I DO know…” ...
- “This is my best guess …” ...
- “I'm not quite sure … ...
- “May I ask a friend for help?”
If the defense is found to be unacceptable, then the committee must decide if the student will be given a chance to repeat the defense, or if the students fails (in this case the student will not be awarded the degree and will be required to discontinue).
"Welcome to the thesis defense on [the title of your thesis]". Next, introduce yourself with your name and give a short description of your background and occupation. Don't forget to say “thank you for attending!”
- Top 25 Likely Project Defense Questions and Answers. ...
- Question 1: In few sentences, can you tell us what your study is all about? ...
- Question 2: What is your motivation for this study? ...
- Question 3: How will this study contribute to the body of knowledge?
How do you do defense research?
- Know your thesis very well. As you have spent considerable time working on your thesis, you should be very familiar with your thesis. ...
- Ensure your supervisor has reviewed and approved your thesis. ...
- Prepare responses to potential questions that may be asked during the defense.
- Anticipate Questions. In your presentation, try to answer all of the questions you expect your committee to ask. ...
- Look for Weaknesses. ...
- Practice. ...
- Avoid Wordiness on PowerPoint Slides. ...
- Be Able to Pronounce the Words Correctly. ...
- Watch Recordings of Previous Defenses.
Before defending your project, you should source similar materials on your topic, center focus on how the problems were identified and addressed. Identify your keywords, variables, the background of the study and also be able to explain in detail your abstract and conclusion off-hand before your defense date.
