Labs
How to plan a VTU lab record before the viva
Updated 6 September 2026 7 min read
Quick answer A week-by-week way to keep the record, observation tables and viva answers from collapsing into the last two days of term.
CIE lab is three marks, not one write-up
Performance is scored while you are at the bench. The record is scored later. Viva is scored last. Copying a beautiful record the night before does not recover a term of missed sessions.
Before each session
- Aim in one sentence.
- Apparatus your lab actually owns, not a textbook list.
- Observation table headed with units.
- One predicted result so you notice a wild reading on the day.
Viva without panic
Examiners ask what you did, why the circuit or program is shaped that way, and what you would change if a reading is wrong. Write two sentences of discussion per experiment in the week you did it.
Use VTUHub lab-prep guides as a checklist. Follow the signed college manual for voltages, software versions and submission format.