Viva voce in postgraduate surgical examinations in anglophone west Africa.

The Viva Voce is a form of assessment dating back to antiquity. It is widely used by the English-speaking West African Postgraduate Medical Colleges for intermediate and exit level examinations. Although it is still popular till the present day, there is a growing awareness of its limitation as an examination method. This paper explores the origin, format, advantages and limitations of oral examinations in postgraduate surgical assessment and proffers practical guidelines on its usage.