Introduction to Viva Voce

Viva voce which means “by word of mouth” in Latin was the earliest form of formal assessment in medical training dating back to the Middle Ages. Although the invention of the printing press and consequent increase in popularity of mass-produced textbooks have since reduced the dependence on the spoken word, oral examination method (viva voce) remains an important method of assessment in many fields of medical training to date. While oral examinations are almost a continuous and an on-going exercise during lectures and ward rounds, they usually take the form of supplementary tests during the final or exit examinations. The oral examination is usually the last paper, supplementing the written and clinical aspects of the examination. These probing questions, and some situations cross-questioning, dig out the degree of real assimilation of learning where a student cannot easily dodge.