A speech on a set theme that the speaker researches, writes and rehearses in advance, then delivers within a fixed time limit and is judged on content, delivery, clarity and relevance.
Prepared Speech is the rehearsed counterpart of an impromptu round. The speaker is told the topic or theme ahead of time, writes the speech, learns it well enough to deliver it with eye contact, and presents it to a panel inside a strict time limit. In the template installed from this page it is an Individual item open to boys and girls together, run in English across three age categories: 10 to 12, 13 to 15 and 16 to 17.
In the national competition this template is built from, the first stage is a video submission: each entrant records the speech and sends it in, and a shortlist of eight finalists per category is invited to a Grand Final. Finalists then deliver a prepared speech live on one of the same topic selections used in the first stage. That two-stage shape is useful to copy for any organiser who wants to screen a large field cheaply before bringing only the strongest speakers to a live stage.
A round is simple to run: the speaker is announced, walks to the front, delivers the speech while a timekeeper counts, and stops at the limit. The template sets a maximum of six minutes for every category. The published rules originally gave longer, age-stepped allowances and were later corrected to one flat four-to-six-minute window, so the template uses the corrected six-minute ceiling for all three categories rather than the superseded figures.
A strong entry opens with a hook rather than a greeting, makes two or three clear points that each earn their place, supports them with an example the audience can picture, and closes on a line the panel will remember. Because every speaker in a category has had time to prepare, marks are decided less by who knows the topic and more by who structures it, speaks it clearly and stays on the theme.
Organisers run Prepared Speech because it rewards research, writing and rehearsal, which an unseen-topic round cannot. Paired with an impromptu round it gives a complete picture of a speaker: one item shows what they can build with time, the other shows how they think on their feet.
Where Prepared Speech is run
Prepared Speech is used in public-speaking competitions for school-age speakers, usually alongside a spontaneous round, and in speech and drama festivals that offer a prepared class next to sight-reading and recitation classes. In eTalenter’s templates it appears in one real-world national public-speaking competition, where it is the main Grand Final item for 10 to 17 year olds. Other templates carry speech items under related names such as Speech or Elocution, which have their own pages.
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Key facts
- Always Individual, never a team event
- Open to boys and girls together, with no gender split
- English-language item in the installed template
- Three age categories: 10 to 12, 13 to 15 and 16 to 17
- Maximum speaking time of six minutes for every category
- Entry is free of charge in the source competition; the template installs a fee of zero for each organiser to change
- Scored with the marks scale of 10 per judge used across the template; the source publishes criteria but no numeric points breakdown
On eTalenter, Prepared Speech is filed under Literary and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Prepared Speech is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 10, commonly time-limited to around 6 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Prepared Speech
What a Prepared Speech panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Content: whether the speech has a clear argument, accurate facts and examples that support each point, rather than a list of general statements.
- Delivery: voice projection, pace, pauses, eye contact and posture. A speech read from a page or recited in a flat monotone loses marks even when the words are good.
- Clarity: clean pronunciation, a logical order the audience can follow, and plain language suited to the age category.
- Relevance: how closely the speech stays on the set topic or theme. A well-delivered speech that drifts to a different subject is marked down.
- Time discipline: finishing inside the six-minute ceiling. A speech that is cut off before its conclusion usually scores lower than one paced to land its ending on time.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Prepared Speech under Scoring Setup, or start from the full elocution, speech & extempore judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Prepared Speech
How entrants and their teachers usually get Prepared Speech right on the day:
- Choose an angle on the topic early and write one sentence that states your main message. If every paragraph does not support that sentence, cut it.
- Draft to about five minutes of spoken length, not six. Read it aloud with a timer, because nerves and pauses on the day add time.
- Open with a question, a short story or a surprising fact. Judges hear many speeches that start with a greeting, and a strong first fifteen seconds sets the tone.
- Learn the structure, not every word. Know your three or four key points and the example behind each, so a lost word does not derail you.
- Rehearse in front of a person, then in front of a small group, then on camera if the first round is by video. Watch the recording for filler words, rushed endings and flat delivery.
- For a video round, film in a quiet room with the camera at eye level, steady light on your face and clear sound. Check the file plays properly before you send it.
- After each practice, change one thing only: pace, gestures or ending. Changing everything at once makes it hard to see what helped.
Ready-made event templates that include Prepared Speech
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primaly National Public Speaking Competition | Literary | Marks | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Prepared Speech judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between Prepared Speech and Impromptu Speech?
In a prepared speech the speaker knows the topic in advance and can research, write and rehearse. In an impromptu speech the topic is revealed shortly before speaking and there is only a short preparation window. Many competitions run both so that a speaker is tested on preparation and on quick thinking.
Can speakers use notes or props?
The source competition publishes judging criteria but does not describe a notes or props allowance in the data used for this template, so organisers should state their own rule before the event. Speaking without a script generally scores better on delivery.
How long is a Prepared Speech?
In the installed template the maximum is six minutes for all three age categories. The source rules were corrected from longer, age-stepped allowances to one flat four-to-six-minute window.
Is it judged individually or as a team?
Individually. Each speaker is scored alone, and the template is set up for single speakers with boys and girls competing together in each age category.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full elocution, speech & extempore judging criteria guide, or browse every literary competition item.
Try Prepared Speech in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Prepared Speech, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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