Rehearse your thesis defense before facing the committee.

You know your research better than anyone in the room will. The defense is not a knowledge test — it is a performance under questioning, and almost nobody rehearses the questioning part.

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Dressrun lets you present your defense to a skeptical AI committee that listens, interrupts and asks about what you actually said. Run it until the interruptions stop rattling you.

What a mock defense should rehearse

  • The opening ten minutes, cold, at the pace you will use in the room. This is where nerves peak.

  • Being interrupted mid-argument and returning to your thread without losing the structure.

  • Answering "why this method?" and "what would you do differently?" out loud, briefly, without apologising.

  • Handling a question you do not know the answer to with a calm "That is outside what this study measured; here is what I would expect."

Why your advisor is not enough

Your advisor knows the work and is rooting for you. Labmates pull punches. The examiner who decides how the day goes is the one with no stake in your success — and that is the one you have practised least.

A skeptical AI committee is not a substitute for expert domain questions, but it is excellent at the thing that actually derails candidates: the pressure of being interrupted by someone who looks unconvinced.

A one-week defense rehearsal plan

  1. 01

    Days 1–2

    Full presentation to a neutral committee of three, timed. Cut whatever ran long.

  2. 02

    Days 3–4

    Skeptical committee. Let them interrupt. Practise the bridge back to your slide.

  3. 03

    Day 5

    Opening only, five reps, skeptical room.

  4. 04

    Day 6

    Full run to a friend or labmate, with the AI reps behind you.

  5. 05

    Day 7

    One easy run to a supportive room. Then stop.

Rehearse it with Dressrun

Rehearse it on a call that reacts

  1. 01

    Open the practice room

    Open Dressrun in Chrome or Edge on a laptop or desktop with a camera and mic, and optionally say what the presentation is for.

  2. 02

    Set up a committee

    Choose three participants and the "skeptical" personality. Set the session to ten minutes for the opening, or shorter to drill one section.

  3. 03

    Present from your slides

    Open your slides in another window and present as you will in the room. The committee listens and interrupts with questions about your argument.

  4. 04

    Read your feedback and run it again

    End whenever you like. You get your pace, filler words, the questions you were asked, notes on clarity, structure and how you handled questions, and the sentences worth saying differently — then run it again.

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FAQ

Common questions

It asks questions based on what you say, so it will follow your argument. It is not a domain expert. Use it for pressure and structure; use your advisor and labmates for deep content questions.

Ten minutes is the maximum per session — long enough for your opening, which is where most of the value is. Rehearse the rest in sections.

Yes. Talk through your thesis as you would in a viva and let the committee interrupt. It is the questioning practice that matters.

Related guides

Your next presentation is coming whether you rehearse or not.

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