Toastmasters - UK and Ireland :: Toastmasters - UK and Ireland :: Contests - An Overview
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Description Includes a description of each type of Contest

Contests - An Overview 


Types of Speech Contest

International Speech Contest

Green light: 5 minutes - Yellow light: 6 minutes - Red light: 7 minutes

The speech can be any subject so long as it's original.
District contests must be held by June. In August, District winners go to the International Convention where they compete in Semi-Finals then, if successful, the World Final. Competitors in the Word Final must deliver a different speech, determined as sufficiently different by a majority of five Qualifying Judges (who are separate from the normal Judges). The current World Final winning speech can be viewed here.


Table Topics Contest


Green light: 1 minute -
Yellow light: 1.5 minutes - Red light: 2 minutes

The topic should be general in nature and not require specialised knowledge.
All Contestants are taken out of the room and brought back individually by the Usher. Thereby a Contestant does not hear the topic or any other Constestant's speech before delivering their own speech.
Goes as far as District level.


Evaluation Contest


Green light: 2 minutes -
Yellow light: 2.5 minutes - Red light: 3 minutes

A target speaker gives a speech during which the Contestants may take notes.
After the target speech the Contestants are taken from the room by the Usher to prepare their speeches. After 5 minutes their notes are taken away. Then each Contestants is brought back into the room individually, their notes are returned and they deliver their evaluation. Thereby a Contestant does not hear any other Constestant's evaluation before delivering their own.
Goes as far as District level.


Humorous Speech Contest

Green light: 5 minutes -
Yellow light: 6 minutes - Red light: 7 minutes

An original speech with humour value, but also displaying good speechmaking abilities.
Goes as far as District level.


Tall Tales Contest


Green light: 3 minutes - Yellow light: 4 minutes - Red light: 5 minutes

An original, highly improbable, humorous tale. Wikipedia's definition of a Tall Tale is here.
Goes as far as District level.


Although there are 5 types of contest, each District may hold no more than 4 of them.

District 71 contests:
Autumn - Humorous Speech and Table Topics
Spring - International Speech and Evaluation


Time parameters

Contestants are disqualifed if they fall short of the minimum times, or exceed the maximum times, shown below.

contest

minimum

maximum

International Speech

4.5 minutes

7.5 minutes

Table Topics

1.0 minute

2.5 minutes

Evaluation

1.5 minutes

3.5 minutes

Humorous Speech

4.5 minutes

7.5 minutes

Tall Tales

2.5 minutes

5.5 minutes

You will notice that the disqualification timings are 30 seconds either side of the speech times as signaled by turning on the green and red lights - except for Table Topics, where Contestants must speak for at least one minute to avoid disqualification.



Eligibility

To be eligible a Contestant must:

  • be a 'member in good standing' - that means renewals for the member have been paid by the Club to WHQ on time (2 month grace period applicable); and
  • be entering on behalf of a 'Club in good standing' - that means renewals for at least 6 members have been paid by the Club to World Headquarters on time (2 month grace period applicable); and
  • for the International Speech Contest only, have completed at least 6 Competent Communication manual speeches (unless a charter member of a Club chartered since the beginning of the Toastmasters year).

Whether Contestants are 'members in good standing' of 'Clubs in good standing' can be ascertained by emailing speechcontests@toastmasters.org.

Even if meeting the conditions above, the following members are ineligible:

- District and International officers and candidates.

- Presenters of education sessions at the Contest event.

- Members serving as Judges at any level for a Contest in which the member is still competing.


Rules and Forms

Contest rules are here.

Contest forms and certificates can now be downloaderd free.