
Speech Contests FAQ 2024/2025
Here you can find everything you need to participate, volunteer, and help shape unforgettable moments of growth. Whether you’re a contestant, judge, or organizer, this is your guide to excellence!
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1. Why do contestants competing in prepared speech contests in Portuguese, Spanish, and French need to have completed Pathways Levels 1 and 2, just like in the International Speech Contest?According to the Speech Contest Rulebook, non-English contests must be conducted using the rules of the corresponding English speech contest. If a non-English contest is conducted using the rules of the International Speech Contest, all rules, including eligibility requirements, apply. Therefore, contestants in prepared speech contests in Portuguese, Spanish, and French must have completed Pathways Levels 1 and 2 or be a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), unless they are charter members of a club chartered less than one year before the club contest.
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2. Do contestants need to meet the Pathways Levels 1 and 2 eligibility requirements at all levels, including the club contest?Yes, for the International Speech Contest and Prepared Speech Contests in Portuguese, Spanish, and French, contestants must meet the eligibility requirements, including having completed Pathways Levels 1 and 2 or being a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), at all levels of competition, starting with the club contest. This ensures that contestants participating in these contests have demonstrated a consistent level of skill development. An exception applies to charter members of clubs chartered less than one year before the club contest. In these cases, contestants may compete even if they have not completed Pathways Levels 1 and 2, provided the club is officially chartered before the Area contest. For other contests, such as Table Topics or Evaluation, this requirement does not apply.
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3. Can a club nominate a contestant without holding a contest?Yes, a club can nominate a contestant directly without holding a contest. However, if the club decides to hold a contest, it must follow all official rules, including the required roles (e.g., judges, timers) and contestant eligibility criteria. Even if there is only one contestant, the club contest must be conducted according to the rules. If the contestant is disqualified due to eligibility or timing issues, they will not advance to the Area level, even if they were the only contestant in the club contest.
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4. If an Area or Division has only one or two contestants, does a contest still need to be held?Yes, even if an Area or Division has only one or two contestants, a contest must still be held, following all official rules and procedures. Contestants in these contests must meet all eligibility requirements and adhere to timing rules. If a contestant is disqualified due to eligibility or timing issues, they will not advance to the next level, even if they were the only contestant in the contest.
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5. Can a dual member compete in more than one contest at the same level?At the Club level, a dual member may compete in the same type of contest in different clubs, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for each club. However, once they advance to the Area level, they can only compete in one Area contest of the same type, even if the contests are held in different Divisions or Districts. For example, a dual member may compete in the International Speech Contest at Club A and Club B, but can only represent one club at the Area level for the International Speech Contest. Contests conducted in different languages are considered different contest types, so a dual member may compete in different languages at the same level (e.g., International Speech Contest in English in one Area and Prepared Speech Contest in Portuguese in another Area).
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6. How can protests be made during a contest, and who is allowed to make them?Protests can only be made by voting judges and contestants, and they must be lodged with the chief judge and/or the contest chair before the contest is adjourned. Protests are limited to three specific grounds: Eligibility: If a contestant does not meet the eligibility criteria. Originality: If less than 75% of a contestant’s speech is original content. Reference to another contestant or their speech: If a contestant references another contestant or speech presented during the contest. If a protest is raised regarding originality or reference to another contestant, the contestant in question must be given the opportunity to respond. A majority of the voting judges must agree for a disqualification to occur. Protests related to eligibility can be decided solely by the contest chair, and their decision is final. Audience members are not allowed to lodge protests.
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7. Can speech contests be recorded or photographed?Speech contests may be recorded by contest organization, but only if all participants—contestants, judges, and officials—have signed the Data Protection Form. Similarly, photos may be taken during the contest, provided prior consent is obtained from everyone involved. Personal recordings by audience members, contestants, or others are not allowed under any circumstances.
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8. Is it mandatory to provide audio equipment (microphones) for speech contests?Yes, if audio amplification is necessary for the venue, the contest organizers must provide a fixed podium microphone and a portable microphone. All equipment should be available for contestants to test prior to the contest. Contestants are responsible for arranging their preferred setup discreetly before being introduced. This ensures that all contestants can be clearly heard by the judges and audience.
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9. What should contestants do if they experience technical issues (e.g., microphone failure) during a speech contest?Upon being introduced, contestants must immediately proceed to the speaking position and say, “Thank you, Contest Chair” to confirm that the audiovisual equipment is working properly. If the equipment is not functional at the time of introduction, the contest chair will pause the contest to allow for necessary corrections. Once the issue is resolved, the contest chair will reintroduce the contestant, and they may begin or resume their speech. Timing will start as soon as they resume after reintroduction. If a technical issue occurs during the speech, contestants are generally expected to continue their presentation unless the issue makes it impossible for them to proceed. In such cases, the contest chair may decide whether to pause the contest. Contestants are advised to familiarize themselves with the audio equipment beforehand to minimize the risk of disruptions.
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10. Can a Contest Chair or Contest Toastmaster compete in speech contests?Yes, a Contest Chair or Contest Toastmaster can compete in speech contests, provided that the contest they are competing in is not part of the same event where they are serving as Contest Chair or Contest Toastmaster. This rule ensures there is no conflict of interest or overlap between your role as an organizer and as a contestant.
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11. Can the Chief Judge serve as the target speaker in a contest?No, the Chief Judge cannot serve as the target speaker in the contest they are overseeing. According to the Speech Contest Rulebook, contest officials—including the Chief Judge—cannot perform more than one role in the same contest (with the exception of the Area level, where this may be permitted due to practical constraints). Additionally: The target speaker’s speech, project, and objectives must remain confidential and cannot be disclosed to the Chief Judge, voting judges, tiebreaking judge, contestants, or the audience. Allowing the Chief Judge to serve as the target speaker would compromise the impartiality and fairness of the contest, as the Chief Judge is responsible for ensuring the judging process complies with contest rules.
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12. Can a member competing in a contest serve as a contest official in the same contest type at a different level or district?No, a member competing in a specific contest type (e.g., International Speech Contest) cannot serve in any of the specified contest official roles (e.g., voting judge, tiebreaking judge, or chief judge) for any contest of that type, even if it is held in another club, area, division, or district. This rule applies to all levels of the same contest type, regardless of location, to ensure fairness. It prevents situations where a member might serve as a judge for someone they could later compete against in the same contest type. However: A member competing in one contest type is eligible to serve as a voting judge, tiebreaking judge, or chief judge in a different contest type (e.g., competing in Evaluation Contest but serving as a judge for Table Topics Contest) at any level.
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13. Are contestants allowed to use props or electronic devices during their speech?Yes, contestants are allowed to use props and electronic devices, such as music, PowerPoint slides, or virtual backgrounds, but they must adhere to the following rules: Notification: Contestants must notify the contest chair prior to the contest if they plan to use props or electronic devices. Venue Restrictions: Contestants must comply with any restrictions imposed by the venue regarding the use of props or electronic devices. Setup and Removal of Props: All props must be set up during the minute of silence before the contestant’s speech and removed during the minute of silence following the speech. Contestants may request assistance from someone to handle props, but it is not the responsibility of the contest chair or contest officials to help. Demonstration Requirement: Contestants must demonstrate to the contest chair, prior to the contest, that the props can be set up and removed within the allotted time. If the contestant is unable to demonstrate this, they will not be allowed to use the props during the contest.
What's new in 2024/2025?
This year, Toastmasters International introduced a new modality: the Online Speech Contest. As a result, online contests are now treated as a separate modality rather than a format. According to the official rules, all contests from Area level onward must be conducted in person. Clubs, however, have the flexibility to organize their contests in online, hybrid, or in-person formats. Therefore, all contests, except for the Online Speech Contest, are required to be held in person starting at the Area level.
District 107 Decisions:
The Speech Contest Rulebook allows Districts to decide on some specific aspects of the speech contests.
The District 107 Executive Committee, made of the Core Team, Division Directors and Area Directors, decided the following regarding contests for 2024/2025:
- The District finals of the 2024/2025 speech contests will take place in the Spring Conference in Rabat, Morocco, on May 16-28. Come join us!
- The speech contests in Rabat will be:
- If an Area has four clubs or fewer, two contestants from each Club in that Area are allowed to compete at the Area level; If a Division has four areas or fewer, two contestants from each area are allowed to compete at the Division level. At the District level, only one contestant from each Division is allowed to advance.
International Speech Contest (English)
Spanish Speech Contest
Portuguese Speech Contest
French Speech Contest
Evaluation Contest (English)
Contestants and Judges Eligibility

Note that candidates for elected District leader positions for the term beginning the subsequent July 1 are ineligible to compete at all levels and are ineligible to serve as a contest official or as a test speaker at the Area, Division, or District level.
Given that, currently, candidates are not openly known before the speech contests start, the District advises the contest chair to ask every member they wish to count on for roles in the speech contests to excuse themselves from being contest officials if they are candidates. The same recommendation goes toward the Chief Judge, who chooses the tie breaker judge, who also can't be a candidate for an elected position.
Required Roles for Each Contest Level
All contest officials must be paid members.

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Why do contestants competing in prepared speech contests in Portuguese, Spanish, and French need to have completed Pathways Levels 1 and 2, just like in the International Speech Contest? According to the Speech Contest Rulebook, non-English contests must be conducted using the rules of the corresponding English speech contest. If a non-English contest is conducted using the rules of the International Speech Contest, all rules, including eligibility requirements, apply. Therefore, contestants in prepared speech contests in Portuguese, Spanish, and French must have completed Pathways Levels 1 and 2 or be a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), unless they are charter members of a club chartered less than one year before the club contest.
Webinars
The District prepared two webinars to help you run speech contests smoothly!
CLAUDIA VILLARREAL on HOW TO ORGANIZE A FLAWLESS SPEECH CONTEST
SÉRGIO ÁGUIA and RAFAEL MARQUES on HOW TO RUN HYBRID SPEECH CONTESTS

Winning Contest English

Webinar Hybrid Contests without Challenges
Winners Academy
In January and February 2023 the District has been running weekly webinars to help members become speech contest winners! We invited amazing people willing to share their fantastic experiences to help YOU!

Winners Academy
Jan 4 2023: Mike Carr — 2020 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking.
Jan 12 2023: Carol Bausor, DTM — Conference Speaker | Communication Trainer | TEDx speaker: "How to make your voice easy on the ear!"
Jan 19 2023: Roger Caesar, DTM — Professional Speaker | 2nd Runner up - World Championship of Public Speaking 2021: “Decide. Commit. Succeed”.
Jan 23 2023: Jessica Breitenfeld — Professional Speaker | District 107 Champion 2022: “How to be funny. 3 serious tips”.
Feb 2 2023: Lério Cunha — International Keynote Speaker: “Turning a Speech into a Conversation”.
Feb 2 2023: Percy Roland — International Speaker and Trainer: “Lessons from a Loser”.
Izidro Sousa — Three times District 107 Champion | World Championship of Public Speaking Finalist: “Structure & Building Blocks of a Contest Speech”.
Feb 16 2023: Mark Brown — Executive Speaking Coach| The World Champion of Public Speaking 1995: "Platform Mastery - Shine on stage and online!"
Would you like to watch future webinars of Winners Academy live and get answers to your questions? Register here: https://forms.gle/vv3dWWDKxYEmSqjS7