The Shape of an Extemp Round
Extemporaneous Speaking asks you to research current events all season and then, with only thirty minutes of preparation, build and deliver a coherent seven-minute speech answering a question you did not choose in advance. By the end of this lesson you will be able to describe every stage of a round in order.
From Draw to Speech
A round begins when you check in at the prep room and, when your slot comes up, draw three question slips out of a folder or envelope. You silently read all three, pick one, and hand the other two back unopened to the ballot-runner or prep room monitor. The instant you keep your question, a thirty-minute prep clock starts, during which you research using your file box or approved electronic sources, outline your speech, and rehearse before walking to your assigned room to speak for up to seven minutes.
US Extemp vs. International Extemp
United States Extemp (USX) questions concern American domestic politics, economics, and policy, such as whether the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates this quarter. International Extemp (IX) questions concern foreign affairs and global issues, such as whether NATO expansion has made Eastern Europe more or less stable. Both events share identical mechanics — three questions, thirty minutes, seven-minute speech — but the reading list and vocabulary differ, so competitors usually specialize in one file system.
Why the Structure Matters
Because you cannot know your question in advance, Extemp rewards speakers who have internalized a repeatable speech skeleton: an attention-getting device that leads into a thesis, a preview of three points, and three developed points that each answer the question before a conclusion that returns to the opening story. Judges are trained to expect this skeleton, so straying from it without a strong reason usually costs you speaker points even if your content is sharp.
Reading the Room Before You Draw
Experienced competitors ask the prep room monitor which round it is and how many competitors are ahead of them in the rotation, because a crowded prep room with heavy file traffic can slow down access to shared sources. Some tournaments allow only printed files while others allow tablets or laptops with restricted browsing, so confirming the tournament's technology policy before the round starts prevents a wasted minute of your thirty scrambling to find an allowed source.
A competitor draws three USX slips in the prep room.
Slip one: "Should the United States raise the federal minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour?" Slip two: "Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates in 2025?" Slip three: "Can Congress pass meaningful immigration reform this term?" The competitor knows her file on immigration reform is thin this month but she read three strong pieces on the Fed's rate outlook two days ago, so she keeps slip two, returns the other two slips to the monitor, and the thirty-minute clock begins.
1. How many questions does a competitor draw before choosing one to answer?
2. What starts the thirty-minute prep clock?
3. True or False?
"USX and IX use different overall round mechanics, including different prep times."
4. Why would a competitor confirm a tournament's source-technology policy before drawing?
Answer all 4 to check.
Extemp is a research event wrapped in a strict, repeatable round structure: draw, choose, prep thirty minutes, speak seven.