Extemp

Overview

Extemp is current-events speaking. You draw three questions on US (USX) or international (IX) news, pick one, then have 30 minutes to build a 7-minute speech with three points and real cited evidence — all without notes when you deliver. It's the event that turns you into someone who actually understands the world.

Extemp speeches are tightly formulaic on purpose — the structure lets the content shine.

• •AGD (Attention-Getting Device, 15–20s) — short story, joke, or vivid image
• •Link (10s) — tie the AGD to the topic
• •Significance (15s) — why does this question matter, now?
• •Question + answer (5s) — restate the prompt, then your one-sentence answer
• •Preview (10s) — your 3 points
• •Point 1 (90s) — claim, source-cited evidence, analysis
• •Point 2 (90s)
• •Point 3 (90s)
• •Conclusion (20s) — restate Q, restate A, callback to AGD

Discipline > genius. Hit each checkpoint or you'll run out of time.

• •0:00–0:03 — Read all 3 questions. Pick the one you have evidence for, not the one that 'sounds smart'.
• •0:03–0:10 — Open your tubs/files. Pull 6–9 articles. Skim for one strong source per point.
• •0:10–0:18 — Outline: 3 points, 1 source + 1 analysis sentence per point.
• •0:18–0:25 — Write your AGD and conclusion. They should mirror each other.
• •0:25–0:30 — Stand up and rehearse out loud. Time it. Cut the slowest point.

Every point in the speech follows S.E.A.L.

• •S — State the point in a single sentence.
• •E — Evidence: cite a source (publication + date) and the fact.
• •A — Analysis: explain WHY the evidence proves the point.
• •L — Link back to the question.

• ✕Picking a question on a topic you don't read about regularly
• ✕Citing 'a recent article' with no publication or date — judges drop you
• ✕All three points making the same argument — they need to be distinct
• ✕Memorizing the speech word-for-word; it sounds robotic and dies under pressure
• ✕Running long. 7:30 is a warning. 7:45 is a rank drop.

• →Daily reading: 20 minutes of Reuters/AP/Economist every morning.
• →Source drill: take any article and rewrite the lede as a citation tag.
• →Cold prep: have someone hand you a random question, give yourself 20 min, deliver.
• →Intro library: pre-write 15 AGDs you can adapt to any topic.
• →Time-trim: deliver the same speech in 7:00, then 6:30, then 6:00.

Sample prompts