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Annual Event
National Public Speaking Competition 2022
(Registrations for 2022 now open for Secondary Category!)
We are back!
Want to pit yourself against the best public speakers in Singapore? Find out where you stand as a public speaker on a national level by joining us at the National Public Speaking Competition!
The Public Speaking Academy has been organising the National Public Speaking Competition for our Primary and Secondary school students since 2010. While we took a break for COVID-19, the Competition will be returning in 2022 onwards as we bring you the best public speakers in town! This is your invitation to join the community of champion speakers and bring your skills to the next level.
Check out our highlight reel to find out more or swing by our YouTube Channel to watch the other young and confident speakers!
What is the National Public Speaking Competition?
The National Public Speaking Competition is a public speaking competition for students in the Primary and Secondary categories to challenge themselves against other speakers in Singapore. As the organiser, we encourage a competitive and challenging environment for our young public speakers to push themselves in prepared and impromptu speeches. Beyond a contest, the National Public Speaking Competition fosters a young, growing public speaking community, with the opportunity to engage in skills-exchanges and networking opportunities. The main objectives of the Competition are:
01
Encourage
Encourage our young participants to explore and nurture an interest in public speaking, while honing their skills on a nation-wide platform
02
Showcase
Showcase and celebrate the varied talents of all the communicators, especially in providing a professional platform for them to shine and grow
03
Challenge
Challenge our young communicators to think critically, coherently and creatively, in crafting their speeches and managing impromptu settings
04
Foster
Foster a growing community of speakers, from beginners to experienced speakers, in a conducive and interactive environment for shared learning
" The National Public Speaking Competition remains the preferred platform by schools to invest in the effective communication potential of their students – in 2017, the Competition entered the Singapore Book of Records as the largest public speaking competition in Singapore! We look forward to welcoming our next set of talented speakers, with your support. Find out more about the key details of the Competition below! "
The Competition Format
1
Registration
Each school can send a maximum of 10 contestants – schools are encouraged to conduct their internal selection for their representatives. We welcome independent applicants as well.
2
QUALIFYING ROUNDS
Our panel of professional adjudicators will select 10 students to advance into the Grand Finals (fbased on each Category)
3
GRAND FINALS
Our panel of professional adjudicators will select the Champion, 1st and 2nd Runners-Up for the Competition (for each category). The Champion will be crowned the National Champion of Public Speaking.
In recognition of the intense competition to reach the Grand Finals, all participants will be awarded a trophy for their achievement of advancing into the finals.
Key Rules & Regulations
While the Rules & Regulation for the Competition can be found in our InfoKit, we have set out some key eligibility requirement here for your reference:
1
Qualifying Age Group:
Contestants must be within the national age group of the respective contest levels/categories below (independent contestants will be grouped based on their age group).
- Primary Category (7 to 12 years old, based on year of birth)
- Secondary Category (13 to 17 years old, based on year of birth)
2
Deadline Requirement:
Contestants must be registered with the organisers before the stipulated deadline for the National Public Speaking Competition (to be confirmed).
3
Originality Requirement:
Every speech submission must be original, personal product and contestants must not plagiarise speeches from print media, website(s), or other uncredited sources. Any quoted material should be cited appropriately in the speech.
4
Content Requirement:
Contestants are not allowed to use potentially offensive/rude language in their speeches. The themes for their speeches should avoid sensitive issues such as (but not limited to) religious, political, racial, gender, sexual inneundoes, discriminatory themes. This aside, as an open-theme public speaking competition, contestants are allowed to choose any topic as part of their national prepared speech and are not limited to any particular speech genre (i.e. they are allowed to present a persuasive speech, an inspirational speech or an informative speech).
5
Standing Requirement:
Contestants must be of good standing (e.g., full-time student pursuing a primary education at an approved institution)
The Organising Committee of the Competition reserves the right to disqualify, bar, or remove a Contestant from the Competition based on an infringement of the Rules & Regulations. Any protest or objection lodged is only limited to grounds of originality and eligibility – any other grounds will not be entertained unless on an exceptional basis. If Contestants wish to raise a point of objection or protest during the Competition, he/she may do so by raising it to the Chief Adjudicator/Tournament Director directly. The assessment of all protests will be subject to the discretion of the panel of adjudicators and Organising Committee, and their decision will be final, conclusive, and not subject to further appeal.
Format of Competition
The Competition consists of two Rounds - the Qualifying Round and Grand Finals. The key details for each round are set out below:
Round 01
National Public Speaking Competition Contest Component – Qualifying Rounds
National Prepared Speech Component (100%)
Description
Contestants will prepare a speech based on the specified requirements for the Competition - they will present this before our panel of adjudicators who will decide the top 10 (for each Category) to move to the Grand Finals. For this Round, 100% of the scores will be determined by the speech delivered in the Qualifying Round.
Speech Duration
3 to 4 min
Grand Finale
National Public Speaking Competition Contest Component – Grand Finals
National Prepared Speech Component (50%) + National Impromptu Speech Component (50%)
Description
Contestants will present their prepared speech based on the specified requirements for the Competition and respond to an impromptu topic on the spot (which will only be given on stage). Our panel of adjudicators will decide the National Champion, 1st, and 2nd Runners-Up for each category. Each component form 50% of the final scores for the Grand Finals.
Speech Duration
3 to 4 min for Prepared Speech; 1 to 2 min for Impromptu Speech
Judging Criteria & Weightage
50%
Prepared
National Prepared
+
50%
Impromptu
National Impromptu
=
100%
Final Score
Global Standards
Timing Details (for Speech)
A timing device (based on a lights-system) will be stationed at the contest venue on the day of the competition. For the National Prepared Speech Component (both Qualifying Round & Grand Final), contestants must speak for at least 3 mins and not more than 4 mins 30 secs. For the National Impromptu Speech Component (for Grand Final), contestants must speak for at least 1 min and not more than 2 mins 30 secs. Contestants must sum up their respective speeches within 30 secs from when the red light is switched on. There will be no buzzer, ringing, or any audible devices used to signify that the contestant has exceeded the time limit. Failure to adhere to the timing details stipulated above will result in immediate disqualifcation - this decision is final and not subject to appeal. We have set out the timing sequence below as well:
Timing Sequence for National Prepared Speech Component
Timing Sequence for National Impromptu Speech Component
Date & Time
The Organising Committee is currently confirming the dates and time for our 2022 run which is planned to be in-person for both the Qualifying Rounds and Grand Final. For an indication, the dates and time for our previous run in 2018 is set out below for reference:
Primary Category
| Level of Contest | Date / Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying rounds | Currently scheduled for 2023 17 October 2018; 1.30pm – 6pm | YMCA of Singapore 1 Orchard Road Level 4, Function rooms 1, 2 and 3 |
| Grand Finals | Currently scheduled for 2023 23 October 2018; 1.30pm – 6pm | YMCA of Singapore 1 Orchard Road Level 1, LKC Auditorium |
Secondary Category
| Level of Contest | Date / Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying rounds | 17, 18 Oct 2022, 2 to 6 pm (Schools will be assigned a date and time-slot, and will need to arrange their own transportation) | Public Speaking Academy SAFRA Tampines Branch 1 Tampines St 92, #01-13 Singapore 528882 |
| Grand Finals | 27 Oct 2022, 2 to 6 pm (Schools will need to arrange their own transportation) | YMCA of Singapore 1 Orchard Road Level 1, LKC Auditorium |
Hall of Fame / Past Winners
We are extremely proud of our past Champions for the National Public Speaking Competition – their accomplishments as young public speakers will be recorded here in recognition of their immense achievement:
Check All Our Past Winners
For some inspiration, feel free to swing by our YouTube channel and view the award-winning speeches from previous iterations of the National Public Speaking Competition!
I am Interested!
We are ready to welcome you for our National Public Speaking Competition 2022 (Secondary School Category - 13 to 17 years old)! Students may choose to join as a representative of their school (in which case, registration must be done via the school) or as an Independent contestant (if the school is not sending representatives). The registration details are as follows:
Registration form: please complete and submit the registration form via this link: https://forms.gle/a4ftLmUv3ezFHYVc7
Multiple Contestants: If you have multiple representatives from your school download our CSV/Excel File (click here!). Complete the file with all the required details and send it by the deadline via email with the header “NPSC 2022 Contestant Registration” to contact@publicspeakingacademy.com.sg (please download and edit the file instead of attempting to edit the document online).
Registration Fee: The registration fee is S$50 per contestant (used to cover venue bookings, certificates/trophies, administrative matters etc.). Payment can be done via e-invoice (for schools) or other options (PayNow, Bank Transfer, PayPal) – our team will reach out once the registration details are in order. (Note: The registration fee is waived for existing learners at Public Speaking Academy – please inform us if this applies to you or any of the contestants!)
Deadline: both the registration form and payment for all contestants must be completed by 31 Aug 2022, 2359 hrs. As per our Rulebook, late submissions will not be accepted and no extensions will be given.
Guides: You may view our Rulebook here. For schools registering their representatives, you may view our InfoKit here.
We look forward to seeing your registration and joining us in nurturing the future champion speakers! If you have any queries before registering, feel free to reach out to us at contact@publicspeakingacademy.com.sg and indicate “NPSC” in the Subject header!