Quiz: Are You a Good Public Speaker?

Public speaking can come up in many jobs, whether you're presenting to colleagues, pitching to clients, or speaking at a conference. Some people take to it naturally, while others find it more challenging. This quiz will help you identify your current strengths and highlight areas where you might want to improve.

Work through each question and make a note of your answers. At the end, you can add up your points to see where you stand and get some practical suggestions for development.

The Quiz

Question 1: What do you do with your hands while speaking?

• A. Keep them completely still, often gripping the lectern or holding them rigidly at your sides
• B. Fidget, play with a pen, or touch your face and hair
• C. Use large, enthusiastic gestures throughout
• D. Use natural hand movements that complement what you're saying

Question 2: How do you approach eye contact with your audience?

• A. Avoid it almost entirely by looking at your notes, slides, or the back wall
• B. Focus mainly on one or two friendly faces
• C. Scan the room continuously without really settling on anyone
• D. Move your gaze naturally around different parts of the room, briefly connecting with individuals

Question 3: How do you remember what to say during a presentation?

• A. Write out a full script and read from it
• B. Put all the information on your slides and talk through them
• C. Try to memorise everything word for word
• D. Use brief notes or prompt cards with key points

Question 4: How do you manage nerves before and during speaking?

• A. You feel so anxious that it significantly affects your performance
• B. You feel nervous but it tends to ease once you get started
• C. You prefer not to prepare much because you find that makes you more nervous
• D. You feel calm and prepared, with any nervous energy adding to your focus

Question 5: How would you describe your speaking pace?

• A. You tend to rush through to get it over with
• B. You speak at the same pace throughout without much variation
• C. You sometimes lose track of time and either rush at the end or run over
• D. You vary your pace naturally and use pauses for emphasis

Question 6: What happens when something goes wrong during your presentation?

• A. You panic and struggle to recover
• B. You apologise repeatedly and feel flustered for the rest of the talk
• C. You try to pretend nothing happened and push on quickly
• D. You acknowledge it briefly if needed and continue calmly

Question 7: How do you handle questions from the audience?

• A. You dread them and try to avoid taking questions if possible
• B. You answer quickly to move on, sometimes without fully addressing the point
• C. You tend to give very long answers that go off topic
• D. You listen carefully, answer clearly, and admit when you don't know something

Question 8: How do you use visual aids such as slides?

• A. You fill slides with text and read from them
• B. You rarely use slides or visual aids at all
• C. You use lots of images and effects, sometimes more than necessary
• D. You use clear, simple visuals that support your points without dominating

Difficult Conversation Planner

Plan a tricky conversation with someone in your team, from underperformance to conduct or a sensitive issue, so you go in clear, fair and prepared.

Try our Difficult Conversation Planner free, here on this site →

How to Score Your Answers

For each question, give yourself points based on your answer. Higher scores indicate more effective public speaking techniques:

• A answers: 1 point
• B answers: 2 points
• C answers: 2 points
• D answers: 4 points

Add up your total. The maximum score is 32 points.

8 to 14 points: Public speaking may feel quite challenging for you at the moment. This is common, and with practice and the right techniques, most people improve significantly. Consider starting with smaller, lower pressure speaking opportunities to build confidence gradually.

15 to 22 points: You have some solid foundations but there are areas where you could develop further. You might find it useful to focus on one or two specific aspects, such as managing nerves or reducing reliance on notes, rather than trying to change everything at once.

23 to 28 points: You demonstrate effective techniques across several areas. There may still be room to refine your approach, perhaps by seeking feedback from trusted colleagues or recording yourself to review later.

29 to 32 points: You exhibit strong presentation strategies. Maintaining this level will involve continued practice and staying open to feedback. You might also consider mentoring others or taking on more challenging speaking opportunities.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

What Your Answers Reveal

Each question in this quiz relates to a different aspect of effective public speaking. Here's what the questions are getting at and why the D answers generally indicate stronger technique.

Hand gestures: Natural movement helps you appear relaxed and can reinforce your message. Keeping hands rigidly still can make you look tense, while excessive fidgeting is distracting for your audience.

Eye contact: UK guidance on public speaking encourages comprehensive eye contact around the room to engage the entire audience. Staring at notes or slides creates a barrier, while focusing only on certain individuals can make others feel excluded.

Using notes: Brief prompts allow you to speak naturally while staying on track. Reading a full script tends to sound stilted, and memorising everything word for word creates pressure and leaves little room for flexibility. Putting all information on slides often means you end up reading them aloud, which is rarely engaging.

Managing nerves: Some level of nervous energy is normal and can even help sharpen your focus. The key is being able to channel it rather than letting it overwhelm you. Thorough preparation helps most people feel more in control.

Pacing: Varying your speed and using pauses makes your delivery more interesting and gives the audience time to absorb key points. Rushing through suggests anxiety, while a monotone pace can lose people's attention.

Handling problems: Technical glitches, lost trains of thought, and other mishaps happen to everyone. Dealing with them calmly and moving on is far more effective than excessive apologising or visible panic.

Answering questions: Listening properly and giving clear, honest responses builds credibility. It's perfectly acceptable to say you'll find out and follow up later if you don't know the answer to something.

Visual aids: Best practice in UK corporate environments favours simplicity and clarity in visuals. Slides should support what you're saying, not replace it. Too much text invites reading rather than presenting, while too many effects can distract from your message.

Practical Ways to Improve

If your score suggests room for development, there are several practical steps you can take.

Practice regularly: The more you speak in front of others, the more comfortable it becomes. Look for low stakes opportunities such as team meetings, local groups, or presenting to friends and family. This includes remote presentations and online webinars, which have become common in UK workplaces.

Record yourself: Watching or listening back to your own presentations can reveal habits you weren't aware of. Many people are surprised by how often they say "um" or how quickly they speak when nervous.

Get feedback: Ask trusted colleagues or friends for honest observations. Specific feedback on particular aspects is usually more useful than general comments.

Prepare thoroughly: Knowing your material well reduces anxiety and means you can adapt more easily if something unexpected happens. This doesn't mean memorising a script, but being comfortable with your key points and how they connect. Consider tailoring your content to your specific audience, as this is consistently highlighted as important in effective public speaking.

Consider your presentation: First impressions matter in professional UK settings. Your attire and how you carry yourself when you begin speaking can influence how your audience receives your message.

Consider training: Many organisations offer presentation skills courses. Toastmasters International has clubs across the UK where members practise speaking in a supportive environment. Check their website for current locations and meeting formats. Some professional bodies also run workshops for their members.

Start small: If public speaking feels daunting, begin with shorter contributions in familiar settings. You might volunteer to give a brief update at a team meeting before working up to longer presentations.

Public speaking is a skill that can be developed over time. Many people who appear confident and natural in front of an audience have worked at it. Identifying your current habits through a quiz like this is a useful starting point, but the real progress comes from putting suggestions into practice and learning from each experience.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Difficult Conversation Planner lets you plan a tricky conversation with someone in your team, from underperformance to conduct or a sensitive issue, so you go in clear, fair and prepared. Try it now →