About this event
Introduction to Public Speaking (grades 9 and 10 only) has you write and deliver a speech on the topic FBLA releases each year, building confidence, organization, and verbal communication skills. Individual event. How it runs: there is no test. You deliver a speech of up to 5 minutes, followed by 2 minutes of questions from the judges. Visual aids, props, handouts, and electronic devices are not allowed, though you may use notes you prepared. At the National Leadership Conference there is a preliminary round, and the top speakers from each section advance to a final round that decides the winners.
FormatPresentation
DurationSpeech up to 5 minutes, 2 minutes Q&A
Solo or teamIndividual
CategoryCommunication & Public Speaking
Your plan
How to study
Built from the official rating sheet and the event's own clock.
Read the guidelines and the sheet
Everything is scored on the rating sheet below. The official guidelines give the rules, the deadlines and what to submit.
Official guidelines (opens in a new tab)Outline it against the sheet
Give each part of your entry the room its points earn, starting from the biggest rows, so nothing on the sheet is left out.
See the sheetWrite it yourself
Your entry should be your own work. ChapterPrep's judge scores it and asks questions; it never writes it for you.
Rehearse the presentation
Type or say your presentation. The judge scores it on the official rating sheet and times you against the 5-minute limit.
Get judged on your presentationRehearse to the clock
You have 5 minutes, then 2 minutes of questions. Time every run, out loud, start to finish.
Judging
What judges score
- Topic and theme, incorporating the provided topic with a consistent theme10
- Introduction10
- Supporting information, the body20
- Conclusion connected to the topic and theme10
Speech Delivery
- Pace and fluency, without filler words10
- Engagement, with facial expressions, eye contact and posture10
- Vocal clarity10
- Poise and presence10
- Demonstrates the ability to effectively answer questions10
Presentation Protocols
- Adherence to Competitive Events Guidelines10
Total 110 points
Guidelines and resources
Bookmark to saveCurated by ChapterPrep. Free unless noted. External links open in a new tab.
Free guides for this kind of event
- Book · LibreTextsStand up, Speak out, Sec. 9.3: Putting It Together: Steps to Completing an Introduction (opens in a new tab)
- Book · LibreTextsStand up, Speak out, Sec. 10.3: Keeping Your Speech Moving (opens in a new tab)
- Book · LibreTextsStand up, Speak out, Sec. 11.2: Steps of a Conclusion (opens in a new tab)
- Book · LibreTextsStand up, Speak out, Sec. 14.4: Practicing for Successful Speech Delivery (opens in a new tab)
- Book · OpenStaxWriting Guide with Handbook, Sec. 19.5: Writing Process: Writing to Speak (opens in a new tab)