The structured oral (viva) examinations are the second component of Section 2 of the Intercollegiate examinations, usually occurring over a two-day period after the clinical section, but for any individual candidate the four vivas will occur on the same day. It is perhaps worth putting the vivas into context: between them the vivas contribute 48 of the 96 marking episodes in Section 2. The clinicals (intermediate and short cases) together make up the other 48 episodes, but in general it is more common for a poor mark in the vivas to be compensated for by a good mark in the clinicals than vice versa. Employing the training principles of a heptathlete, effort may be better spent on the weaker disciplines than becoming better at one’s strengths.