What a viva answer needs to show
Abnormal psychology viva questions test more than whether you can name a diagnosis. A useful answer links the person’s reported experiences to a careful assessment, a defensible formulation and an appropriate next step. You should also show where the evidence is uncertain, consider relevant alternatives and explain how you would respond to risk.
There is no single international viva format or marking scheme for abnormal psychology. Your course or professional body may specify a framework, terminology or assessment structure; check its official guidance and use the diagnostic system your programme expects. The stations below are practice prompts, not claims about a particular examination.
A practical answer can follow this sequence:
- Clarify the problem. Summarise the main symptoms, their course and their effect on daily life. Identify missing information rather than filling gaps with assumptions.
- Offer a provisional formulation. State a leading possibility and explain which features support it. Keep diagnosis provisional until relevant alternatives and causes have been explored.
- Check safety and context. Ask about immediate risk, protective factors, physical health, substances, medications, culture and the person’s preferences where relevant.
- Give a proportionate next step. Say what you would assess or do next, who should be involved, and what would prompt urgent action.
A practice examiner strip for these questions looks like this:
These are practice emphases, not a published rubric for any specific examination. Before answering, decide what the question is asking: describe a pattern, compare explanations, assess risk or plan support. Then answer that task directly before adding detail.
Build stations from your own material
Choose one topic from your course notes and turn it into a short station: a brief case, an opening question and a clear task. Use the same topic for your revision board, cards and oral practice so that a weak spoken answer can be traced back to a specific knowledge gap. A useful station tests application, not just recall of a definition.
For each station, practise speaking for a few minutes without trying to recite a textbook. The practice target shown in the examples is a timing aid, not an official examination limit. Start with a concise summary, make your reasoning audible, and finish with what you would do next. If you cannot support an inference from the case, say what information you need.
A MySummaries station list for a candidate’s abnormal psychology board could look like this:
The attempts and scores here represent practice progress. For each station, review not only what you said but also what you omitted: a polished diagnostic label cannot compensate for a missed safety question or a conclusion unsupported by the case.
Station 1: low mood and suicidal thoughts
This station tests whether you can assess immediate safety without turning a brief vignette into a diagnosis. Begin by acknowledging the distress, then ask directly about the person’s thoughts of death or suicide. Clarify whether there is intent, a plan, access to means, a timeframe, past attempts or self-harm, and what has stopped them acting so far. Ask about supports and whether they feel able to stay safe now. A denial of intent alone does not settle risk.
The clinical picture also needs assessment: duration and pattern of low mood, loss of interest, sleep, appetite, concentration, energy, functioning and any previous episodes. Ask about symptoms of elevated or irritable mood, substance use, medication, physical health and recent stressors. Do not state a depressive disorder as established from the vignette alone. The next step depends on the full assessment and immediate circumstances; urgent danger requires prompt local emergency or crisis support.
MySummaries can mark a spoken attempt against its practice feedback dimensions. These dimensions are not a universal examination rubric:
Examiner
A 24-year-old reports low mood, poor sleep and thoughts that life is not worth living. How would you assess and formulate this presentation?
You identified depressive symptoms and their functional impact, but made the diagnostic conclusion sound more certain than the vignette supports.
ImproveCall it a provisional formulation and establish duration, other symptoms and previous episodes.
You asked about sleep and appetite but did not explore elevated mood, substances, medication or physical health.
ImproveName at least two relevant alternatives or contributors and the information needed to assess them.
You asked about suicidal thoughts and support, but did not clarify intent, plan, means or immediate safety.
ImproveAsk directly about each of these and explain what would trigger urgent action.
Your tone was calm, but the answer ended without a clear plan or checking the person’s preferences.
ImproveSummarise, agree the next assessment or support step, and confirm how immediate safety will be managed.
A strong answerI would first acknowledge the distress and ask directly about thoughts of suicide, including intent, plan, access to means, timing, past attempts and whether the person feels safe now. I would explore protective factors and involve urgent local support if there were immediate danger or they could not stay safe. I would clarify the duration and pattern of low mood, loss of interest, sleep, appetite, concentration and impact on functioning. I would ask about previous episodes, elevated mood, substances, medication, physical health and current stressors before making a provisional formulation. I would agree the next assessment and support step with the person and explain when to seek urgent help.
That is a MySummaries station, filled with abnormal psychology material. Yours is written from your own notes. Start free
A common lost mark is saying “I would refer them” without explaining the urgency or what information determines it. Make the action conditional and specific: what would you do if the person had a current plan and access to means, and what would you do if they denied intent but still felt unsafe? Avoid promising confidentiality without limits; explain that safety concerns may require sharing information according to local law and policy.
Station 2: new-onset unusual beliefs
The task here is to explore the experience before attaching a label. Ask what the person believes is happening, how certain they are, when it began, how often it occurs and how it affects sleep, relationships and work. Clarify whether they hear or see things others do not, whether speech or behaviour has changed, and whether they feel at risk of acting to protect themselves. Use neutral language: “What makes you think the messages are directed at you?” is more informative than challenging the belief or agreeing with it.
Consider a broad differential. A psychotic disorder is one possibility, but mood episodes with psychotic symptoms, substance- or medication-related causes, physical or neurological illness, severe sleep disruption and culturally or contextually meaningful beliefs may need consideration. Ask about recent substance use, prescribed and non-prescribed medication, physical symptoms, past episodes, mood, trauma and the person’s cultural context. Establish whether there is immediate risk to the person or anyone else, and seek timely specialist assessment when indicated. Do not infer a cause from the belief alone.
A MySummaries marked practice answer can show where a reasonable response still needs more precision:
Examiner
A 30-year-old believes colleagues are sending coded messages and has stopped attending work. How would you assess this change and consider possible explanations?
You described possible psychosis and functional decline, but did not establish onset, frequency or the person’s degree of conviction.
ImproveCharacterise the experience and its impact before offering a provisional formulation.
You mentioned substance use but overlooked mood, medication, physical health and cultural context.
ImproveAsk about these contributors and state that the vignette cannot determine the cause.
You asked whether the person felt threatened but did not assess thoughts or plans to harm themselves or others.
ImproveAsk directly about safety, perceived threats, intended responses and access to means.
You challenged the belief early and did not explain how to arrange assessment.
ImproveUse neutral questions, acknowledge distress without confirming the belief, and describe a proportionate assessment plan.
A strong answerI would ask the person to describe the messages, when they began, how often they occur, how certain they feel and how the experience has affected work and relationships. I would ask about other unusual perceptions, mood changes, sleep, substances, prescribed medication, physical symptoms and previous episodes, while exploring their cultural context. I would assess whether they or anyone else may be in immediate danger, including how they might respond to the perceived messages. Several explanations remain possible, so I would not diagnose from this vignette alone. I would arrange timely assessment appropriate to the level of risk and involve the person in the plan.
The key distinction is between acknowledging distress and endorsing an explanation. You might say, “That sounds frightening; I’d like to understand more about what you have noticed.” Then gather detail and assess safety. If the person describes an acute physical change, intoxication, severe confusion or immediate danger, your answer should reflect that the next step may need to be urgent rather than a routine follow-up.
Station 3: food restriction and weight loss
This station tests whether you consider physical as well as psychological health. Ask about the amount and pace of weight loss, food and fluid intake, restriction, binge eating, vomiting, laxatives or excessive exercise. Explore concerns about weight or shape, but do not assume that appearance tells you whether someone is medically unwell. Ask about dizziness, fainting, weakness, palpitations, menstrual or other hormonal changes where relevant, and the effect on school, work and relationships.
A careful assessment includes physical observations and appropriate medical review; a viva answer should not present a psychological formulation as a substitute for this. Ask about mood, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, substance use, relevant medical conditions and the person’s goals. Explain that an eating disorder is one possibility, but the vignette does not establish a particular diagnosis. If there are signs of medical instability or immediate risk, describe prompt medical assessment according to local pathways. Otherwise, plan a comprehensive, collaborative assessment and appropriate support, taking age, consent, family involvement and local practice into account.
A MySummaries oral review for this station could look like this:
Examiner
A 19-year-old has restricted food for several months and has lost weight. What would you assess, and how would you plan the next step?
You recognised possible disordered eating and asked about body image, but treated the vignette as if weight concern were essential.
ImproveDescribe the behaviour and consequences first; assess the person’s beliefs without assuming a single presentation.
You explored restriction and exercise but missed bingeing, compensatory behaviours, physical symptoms and medical causes.
ImproveAsk about intake, weight change, purging, laxatives, exercise, physical health and relevant medical history.
You noted weight loss but did not identify medical instability as a reason for prompt review.
ImproveAssess concerning physical symptoms and state that suspected instability needs urgent medical assessment.
You proposed support but did not make the plan collaborative or mention age, consent and appropriate involvement of others.
ImproveAgree next steps with the person and consider consent, support networks and local pathways.
A strong answerI would clarify the pace and extent of weight loss, food and fluid intake, restriction, bingeing, vomiting, laxative use and exercise. I would ask about weight or shape concerns without assuming these are present, and about dizziness, fainting, palpitations, weakness and impact on daily life. I would arrange appropriate physical assessment because psychological questions alone cannot establish medical safety. I would also assess mood, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, medical history and the person’s own concerns. If there were signs of medical instability or immediate risk, I would seek prompt local medical care; otherwise, I would agree a comprehensive assessment and support plan with the person.
A MySummaries transcript can make one costly phrase easier to repair:
I would ask how much weight they have lost and over what period, and about food, fluids and any vomiting or laxative use. I would check for dizziness, fainting or palpitations, and arrange a physical assessment. It is probably anorexia because they have lost weight. I would ask about mood, self-harm and the person’s goals, then agree an appropriate next step.
It is probably anorexia because they have lost weight.
Weight loss alone does not establish a specific eating-disorder diagnosis, and the vignette does not give enough information about the person’s symptoms or medical status.
Say: Say that an eating disorder is one possibility, clarify eating behaviours and beliefs, assess physical health, and keep the formulation provisional.The fix is not simply to hedge every sentence. State what the evidence supports, then identify what you still need to know. For example: “The restriction and weight loss are concerning, but I cannot identify a specific disorder from this information. I would assess eating behaviours and physical risk, then plan appropriate medical and psychological review.”
How to practise the stations
After each attempt, listen for four things: whether you answered the actual question, whether you gave reasons for your formulation, whether you assessed safety and whether your next step followed from the findings. Repeat only the weak part. If you missed a risk question, practise that section aloud; if you named a diagnosis too early, practise a provisional formulation and differential. Keep a short note of the missing fact or phrase, then test yourself again later without reading it.
Do not memorise the model answers word for word. Adapt their sequence to the case and to the diagnostic framework taught on your course. A strong viva response is structured but responsive: it changes when the person’s symptoms, context or immediate safety change.
How MySummaries helps
MySummaries turns your own notes into a revision board, then uses that material for recorded oral practice and feedback on your spoken answer. Build a board from your course PDFs, slides or photographed notes, and use the feedback to target the parts of your formulation that need another attempt. Start at portal.mysummaries.app.