Free DSST Principles of Public Speaking Practice Test (2026)

Question 1

'A bike-share program worked well in Portland, a city of similar size and climate, so it will likely work in our city too.' What kind of reasoning is this?

Accepted Answer

Reasoning by analogy

Answer

Causal reasoning

Answer

Reasoning from principle

Answer

Reasoning from specific instances

Question 2

A speaker will argue for a tax increase to an audience known to be strongly against new taxes. Which approach is most likely to be effective?

Accepted Answer

Begin by stressing goals and values the speaker and audience share

Answer

State the most controversial demand first to grab attention

Answer

Dismiss the audience's concerns as uninformed

Answer

Avoid any mention of opposing arguments

Question 3

A speaker prepares carefully, uses brief notes and chooses the exact wording while speaking. This method of delivery is

Accepted Answer

extemporaneous

Answer

impromptu

Answer

manuscript

Answer

memorized delivery

Question 4

In Monroe's motivated sequence, which step follows the need step?

Accepted Answer

Satisfaction

Answer

Attention

Answer

Visualization

Answer

Action

Question 5

Midway through a speech, several listeners look puzzled after a technical explanation. What should the speaker do?

Accepted Answer

Restate the point in simpler terms and add a concrete example

Answer

Speed up to finish the technical section quickly

Answer

Ignore the reaction and continue as rehearsed

Answer

Skip to the conclusion of the speech at once

Question 6

Sounds such as 'uh', 'um' and 'er' that fill silence in a speech are called

Accepted Answer

vocalized pauses

Answer

vocal variety

Answer

articulation

Answer

inflections

Question 7

During a speech, the speaker says, 'The second reason to adopt a pet from a shelter is cost.' This sentence is best described as

Accepted Answer

a signpost

Answer

an internal summary

Answer

a rhetorical question

Answer

a thesis statement

Question 8

'Our state should require all high school students to pass a personal finance course before graduating.' This central idea addresses a question of

Accepted Answer

policy

Answer

fact

Answer

value

Answer

definition

Question 9

Which is the best way to cite a source aloud in a speech?

Accepted Answer

'According to a 2023 report from the US Census Bureau, ...'

Answer

'I read somewhere online a while ago that ...'

Answer

'Many recent studies have clearly shown that ...'

Answer

'As just about everyone already knows, ...'

Question 10

In a persuasive speech, the target audience is

Accepted Answer

the part of the whole audience the speaker most wants to persuade

Answer

everyone who could ever hear a recording of the speech

Answer

listeners who already strongly agree with the speaker

Answer

the instructor or judges who will grade the speech

Question 11

Most public speaking texts recommend that a short classroom speech have how many main points?

Accepted Answer

Two to five

Answer

Exactly one

Answer

Eight to ten

Answer

As many as the speaker's research supports

Question 12

When using statistics in a speech, a speaker should generally

Accepted Answer

round complex numbers and identify the source

Answer

give every figure to several decimal places

Answer

present as many statistics as possible in quick succession

Answer

avoid explaining what the numbers mean

Question 13

A student builds a speech by stitching together sentences copied from three different websites without credit. This is called

Accepted Answer

patchwork plagiarism

Answer

global plagiarism

Answer

incremental plagiarism

Answer

self-plagiarism

Question 14

Before a talk, a speaker learns the audience's ages, education levels and occupations. This is

Accepted Answer

demographic audience analysis

Answer

situational audience analysis

Answer

attitudinal audience analysis

Answer

audience adaptation during delivery

Question 15

Before interviewing an expert for a speech, a speaker should first

Accepted Answer

define the purpose of the interview and research the topic

Answer

record the conversation without asking permission

Answer

plan to ask only yes-or-no questions

Answer

skip preparation so the conversation feels natural

Question 16

Which is the best specific purpose statement for an informative speech?

Accepted Answer

To inform my audience about the three stages of hurricane formation

Answer

Hurricanes and other kinds of extreme weather events

Answer

To talk about some interesting things about the weather

Answer

To persuade my audience to buy flood insurance

Question 17

Which supporting material would carry the most weight in a speech about childhood vaccination safety?

Accepted Answer

Testimony from a pediatric infectious-disease researcher

Answer

A post from a celebrity with many followers

Answer

The speaker's personal feeling about vaccines

Answer

A quote from an unnamed internet forum user

Question 18

A speech on the history of the internet moves from ARPANET in 1969 to the World Wide Web in 1991 to smartphones in 2007. Which organizational pattern does it use?

Accepted Answer

Chronological

Answer

Spatial

Answer

Topical

Answer

Problem-solution

Question 19

Which practice best reflects ethical public speaking?

Accepted Answer

Citing the sources of facts and quotations aloud during the speech

Answer

Leaving out evidence that weakens the speaker's position without saying so

Answer

Using name-calling to discredit people who disagree with the speaker

Answer

Presenting an unverified statistic as certain because it sounds convincing

Question 20

A student needs current, credible articles from scholarly journals for a speech on sleep research. The best place to search is

Accepted Answer

an academic database available through the library

Answer

the first page of a general web search

Answer

a popular social media platform

Answer

a general online encyclopedia that anyone can edit

Question 21

Which element belongs in the conclusion of a speech rather than in the introduction?

Accepted Answer

A summary of the main points

Answer

A preview of the main points

Answer

A statement establishing the speaker's credibility

Answer

An attention-getter that introduces the topic

Question 22

When should a speaker display a visual aid such as a chart?

Accepted Answer

Only while discussing it, then remove or cover it

Answer

Throughout the entire speech

Answer

Before the speech begins, so listeners can study it

Answer

Only after the speech, during the question period

Question 23

Which word choice uses the most concrete language?

Accepted Answer

a rusty red 1998 pickup truck

Answer

a vehicle used for getting around

Answer

a form of personal transportation

Answer

a common mode of travel

Question 24

'Ever since the new mayor took office, the city's crime rate has fallen, so the mayor must have caused the decline.' This reasoning commits which fallacy?

Accepted Answer

False cause (post hoc)

Answer

Bandwagon appeal

Answer

Either-or fallacy

Answer

Red herring

Question 25

'The classroom was a beehive of activity.' This sentence uses which figure of speech?

Accepted Answer

Metaphor

Answer

Simile

Answer

Alliteration

Answer

Antithesis

Free DSST Principles of Public Speaking Practice Test (2026)

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