Judging Criteria and Ballot Basics
Understanding what a judge is actually scoring will change how you build every future speech. You will be able to identify the major categories on a typical Extemp ballot.
What Ballots Usually Measure
Most Extemp ballots score analysis, organization, use of evidence, delivery, and answer to the question, often with a ranking against the other five or six competitors in the round rather than a raw numeric score alone. Analysis and direct answer to the question typically carry the most weight, meaning a beautifully delivered speech that dodges the actual question will still rank low.
Ranks vs. Points
Many circuits use a ranking system where the top speaker in a round gets a rank of one and the last gets a rank of six, alongside speaker points on roughly a twenty-to-thirty scale; other circuits use points alone. Because rankings often decide advancement more than raw points, a competitor's job in every round is to be clearly better than at least half the room, not just to hit a personal-best score.
Reading Judge Paradigms
Some judges, especially those with a debate background, explicitly reward evidentiary sourcing and logical warranting even more heavily than delivery polish, while community judges without Extemp background may weight confidence and clarity more. Asking a judge for their paradigm before the round, when allowed, or observing their note-taking style, helps a competitor calibrate emphasis in real time.
A judge's ballot lists five competitors and must rank them one through five.
Competitor A gave the most polished delivery but only summarized recent headlines without a clear thesis or impact; Competitor C had rougher delivery but built three distinct points that each directly answered the question with a source-backed impact. The judge ranks C first and A third, noting on the ballot that 'delivery cannot substitute for direct, analytical answer to the question.'
1. On most Extemp ballots, which two categories typically carry the most weight?
2. True or False?
"A polished, confident delivery can fully compensate for a speech that never directly answers the question."
Answer all 2 to check.
Judges rank competitors primarily on analytical, direct answers to the question, with delivery and organization supporting rather than replacing that substance.