General Public Speaking MCQs

1. Which of these should you focus on before a speech?

2. When public speaking, what is the generally accepted number of points you should focus on?

3. It is always appropriate to use hand gestures while speaking

4. Which visual cue is critical to engaging your audience?

5. True or false? With enough practice and experience, stage fright will disappear entirely.

6. Which is NOT important for effective communication with your audience?

7. If the microphone is malfunctioning, what should you do?

8. True or False? When making a presentation, it's best to read the text on your slides so you don't get off track

9. True/False When you are reading a direct quote from a source, it's okay to break eye contact with your audience until you have completed reading them the quote.

10. Which of these should you avoid?

11. Which of the following is best practice for memorization?

12. Who should be responsible of knowing how the equipment works?

13. True or False? You should stay put whilst you are making a speech.

14. The first step in structuring a speech should be

15. The topic of your speech should be:

16. Who should you practice your speech with?

17. When should you introduce props to the audience?

18. True or False? It is better to memorize your speech word for word.

19. Before a speech, you should:

20. Which of these is optimal?

21. A chronological speech design ________.

22. Which of these are NOT recommended presentation styles?

23. When speaking publicly you should:

24. Which of these are a main goal of the opening segment of your presentation?

25. What should you do just before speaking publicly?

26. True or False? You should repeat what you said earlier in your speech as a closing to your speech.

27. True/False: If you are shy of direct eye contact, you can increase your confidence when speaking to someone by looking directly at the bridge of their nose (between the eyes), when you are speaking to them.

28. How should your posture be when public speaking?

29. To fight anxiety during a speech, you should:

30. Many great public speakers suffer from nerves.

31. Why are diction and enunciation important?

32. True or False? It is not okay to use offensive language even if you know your audience.

33. Stage fright diminishes with practice and experience.

34. True or False? Filler words should be withheld from presentations, including 'Umm', 'Like' or 'Uh'

35. How can stage fright be a good thing?

36. Which part of your speech should be the strongest?

37. What is one thing you want your audience to be able to do after your speech?

38. True or False? Using visuals is a distraction for the audience.

39. You should have a 'target' audience member in mind when writing and performing your speech.

40. True or False? You should focus eye contact on one person.

41. How should you prepare the day before a public speaking engagement?

42. What should you do if you can't answer a question?

43. Which of these is the best option to calm down during your speech?

44. Which of these are a useful method for becoming a better and more credible public speaker?

45. What is the best way to improve your public speaking?

46. True or False? You should repeat questions when asked by someone in the audience so that everyone knows what question you are answering.

47. What is the best way to feel confident in public speaking?

48. How much preparation time should a speech take?

49. What should you do if you are momentarily overwhelmed, for example, by coughing or emotion?

50. Faster is better.

51. Stage fright is a normal part of public speaking.

52. When is it acceptable to chew whilst public speaking?

53. How should your voice sound when speaking publicly?

54. Your appearance matters when you are speaking publicly.

55. If you are nervous, you should do what?

56. The audience is the enemy.

57. What makes you a better public speaker?

58. What is an argument in which a speaker rejects another speaker's claim based on the speaker's character and not the claim itself?

59. You should always be ______ when speaking.

60. When using visuals, you should:

61. What is the best way to recover from a slip-up?

62. How should you approach the pacing of your speech?

63. To have the best chance of your audience identifying with you and your message it is best to use mostly _____ person pronouns.

64. Making a great presentation depends on many factors. Which factors are most important?

65. Which of the following statements regarding the use of a personal story in a speech is/are TRUE?

66. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term ' ____________' refers to the testimony of an ordinary person who has some first-hand knowledge, experience, or insight on a given topic.

67. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. When performing a post-speech audience analysis, the speaker should take into consideration all of the following EXCEPT _____________.

68. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. A speaker delivering a speech from a manuscript should follow all of the following guidelines EXCEPT _____________.

69. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence. The term ______________ refers to the distractions that listeners often contend with, and may include lack of knowledge about the speaker's topic, headaches, and preoccupation with problems unrelated to the speech.

70. Choose the word that best completes the following sentence. A presentation on a five-step process for making a banana cream pie would be an example of a/an ______________ speech.

71. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence. In a public speaking situation, the communication cycle includes all of the following components except ______________ .

72. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence. A presentation entitled 'The Eating Habits of Screech Owls' would be an example of a/an ______________ speech.

73. Which of the following statements regarding the preparation and use of slides is/are TRUE?

74. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. Performing thorough research and using specific, relevant evidence from reliable sources is most important when ____________.

75. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. Presentational aids enhance a speaker's confidence in all of the following ways EXCEPT _____________.

76. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. When performing a situational audience analysis, the first thing a speaker should consider is _____________.

77. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term '____________' refers to an error in reasoning in which the speaker assumes that one event will establish a trend that will in turn lead to disastrous results.

78. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. Which of the following is NOT a strategy for capturing the audience's attention during the delivery of the introduction of a speech?

79. Choose the word that best completes the following sentence. A speech delivered with little or no prior preparation is called an ______________ speech.

80. Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence. All of the following are ways to focus the topic of a persuasive speech except ___________.

81. Which of the following is a detailed outline that includes the title, specific purpose, central idea, introduction, main points, sub-points, transitions, conclusion, and bibliography of a speech?

82. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence. During the communication process, adults tend to rely mostly on ____________ when attempting to determine the meaning of a statement.

83. Which of the following statements regarding the use of presentational aids DURING a speech is NOT true?

84. Which of the following modes of delivery would be LEAST effective for an important speech in which word choice is crucial?

85. Choose the word that best completes the following sentence. A prepared and rehearsed speech that is not written out or memorized, but that is delivered from a brief set of notes, is called a/an ______________ speech.

86. Which of the following presentational aids would be most effective if the speaker wanted to show parts of an object?

87. Choose the word that best completes the following sentence. The goal of a/an ______________ speech is to present new information and understanding about a particular topic for the enlightenment of the audience.

88. Choose the series of phrases that best completes the following passage. _______________ is an important part of effective speech delivery. The characteristics of a speaker's voice that distinguish it from others is called __________, while the patterns of change in a speaker's pitch are called _____________.

89. Which of the following methods of organization would be the best choice for an informative speech that describes a process as a series of steps?

90. Choose the best option based on the following statement. The most effective persuasive speeches are those in which the speaker takes an extreme view on the topic.

91. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term ' _______________' refers to a brief phrase (such as 'First,' 'The next step,' and 'Finally') that focuses the audience's attention on the speaker's key points or that indicates where the speaker is in the speech.

92. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence. The term ______________ refers to what a speaker wants audience members to remember long after they have forgotten everything else about the speech.

93. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. Referencing other experts during a speech _____________.

94. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. Competence, character, and dynamism are all components of the speaker's ____________ and are crucial points to consider when crafting arguments and choosing supporting materials.

95. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term '_______________' refers to a type of inductive reasoning in which a speaker notes that two things are similar in some respects and comes to the conclusion that they must be similar in a further respect.

96. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The three types of credibility are ____________.

97. Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence. A _______________ is a brief speech outline that contains keywords, source citations, and delivery cues.

98. Which of the following presentational aids would be most effective if the speaker wanted to show changes among variables over time?

99. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. All of the following techniques are effective ways for a speaker to bring a speech to a satisfying psychological conclusion EXCEPT ____________.

100. Choose the series of words that best completes the following sentence. The term ______________ refers to the ____________ experiences, education, knowledge, values, goals, and attitudes.

101. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence. _______________ is a process in which people share thoughts, ideas, and feelings in understandable ways.

102. Choose the word that best completes the following sentence. The verbal, visual, and vocal responses a speaker receives to his message is called __________.

103. Choose the word that best completes the following sentence. A/An ______________ speech is one that is designed to change, influence, or reinforce the attitudes, beliefs, or actions of the audience.

104. Which of the following is NOT a type of presentational aid?

105. Choose the series of phrases that best completes the following sentence. A _____________ interprets and analyzes _____________ and may include history textbooks, criticisms, encyclopedias, and journal articles.

106. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. All of the following constitute best practice for using statistics in a speech EXCEPT ____________.

107. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term '______________' refers to a technique in which the speaker connects himself with the values, attitudes, or experiences of the audience.

108. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. All of the following are characteristics of effective vocal delivery EXCEPT ____________.

109. Which of the following is NOT an effective delivery technique?

110. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. Speaking ______________ is a mode of delivery that allows for the most fluid interaction with the audience and that often makes a speech sound more dynamic, spontaneous, and fresh.

111. Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence. _________________ is a method of organization used in persuasive speeches that seek immediate action from the audience.

112. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. In general, supporting materials like descriptions, examples, statistics, and testimonies should be _____________ by the speaker.

113. Which of the following is/are types of supporting materials commonly used in speech writing?

114. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The two most important strategies to keep in mind when preparing presentational aids are _____________ and _____________.

115. Which of the following presentational aids would be most appropriate for a speech about the art of Georges Seurat?

116. A thesis statement that begins 'There are three major considerations' would most likely use which of the following methods of organization?

117. Choose the best option based on the following statement. The term '____________' refers to the impact made on the audience when they perceive the speaker as confident, decisive, and enthusiastic.

118. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. Music, diaries, pottery, autobiographies, novels, clothing, and official documents are all examples of _____________.

119. Choose the word that best completes the following sentence. All of the following are listening styles except ______________ .

120. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. To avoid alienating the audience by stereotyping or otherwise patronizing people on the basis of gender, race, religion, or other factors, the speaker should strive to use ______________.

121. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term ' ____________' refers to reasoning that moves from particular facts to a general conclusion.

122. Which of the following statements regarding the use of humor in speech delivery is/are TRUE?

123. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. An effective introduction of a speech should ___________.

124. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. When using expert opinion as supporting material, a speaker should ____________.

125. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. When analyzing the audience during the course of a speech, the speaker should be aware first and foremost of the audience's ________________.

126. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The three types of claims or questions a speaker might address in a speech are those of __________.

127. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. An effective conclusion of a speech should do all of the following except ______________.

128. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term '____________' refers to the twisting or misrepresentation of facts to suit the speaker's purpose.

129. Choose the word that best completes the following sentence. We are practicing a/an ____________ listening style when we listen to seek enjoyment or inspiration.

130. Which of the following statements regarding the development of the central idea of a speech is/are TRUE?

131. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. Rhetorical questions, controversial statements, pithy quotations, personal stories, and humor are all examples of _______________.

132. Choose the phrase that best completes the following sentence. A _______________ is a tentative plan that shows the basic structure of the major parts of speech, their relative importance, and the way they fit together.

133. Which of the following options represents the proper sequence of initial steps one should take when planning a speech?

134. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term '_____________' refers to an error in deductive reasoning in which the speaker assumes that one event causes another event simply because the first preceded the second.

135. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The five parts of reasoning a speaker should keep in mind when preparing arguments and supporting materials are ____________.

136. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term '________________' refers to dividing an audience into smaller groups of people with similar needs, preferences, and characteristics.

137. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. A _______________ is an important type of connective that speechwriters use to indicate when the speaker has finished one thought and is moving on to another.

138. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The term ' ____________' refers to the credibility of a speaker that is produced by everything he says and does during the speech.

139. Choose the best option based on the following statement. Informative speeches should always be balanced and objective.

140. Which of the following is NOT one of the four functions of presentational aids?

141. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. The element of physical delivery that conveys the most information to the audience is _____________.

142. Choose the best option based on the following statement. The body of a speech should generally not address more than five main points.

143. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. A/An _______________ would be the most appropriate presentational aid to use for information that cannot be effectively displayed or that the audience must study or refer to before, during, or after the speech.

144. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. All of the following constitute best practice for using narrative as a form of evidence in a speech EXCEPT ____________.

145. Choose the series of phrases that best completes the following sentence. The term '______________' refers to a brief statement that sums up the main ideas of a speech, whereas the term '____________' refers to the speaker's goal or the response he wants to evoke.

146. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence. All of the following are characteristics of effective physical delivery EXCEPT ____________.

147. The more __________ your examples, the greater impact they are likely to have.

148. These lines establish the __________________ for the declaration of independence.

149. During a presentation, you should _____________ look at your visual aids.

150. Researchers estimate that you remember ______ percent of what you simultaneously see and hear.

151. Speechmaking is a form of power and therefore carries with it heavy __________ responsibilities.

152. When persuasive speakers use facts and statistics, they rely on ____ to influence the audience.

153. One strategy for managing debilitative communication apprehension is to __________.