DSST Principles of Public Speaking Question

[mcquacks2]

Hey all!

I am sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. I have read many of the threads on here regarding the DSST Principles of Public Speaking exam, but I have a specific question that I didn't see answered. Is the outline portion done with paper and pencil, or are you allowed to open a word file? I am ten times faster at typing than writing, which is why I am asking. I am scheduled to take the exam on Wednesday and have not practiced at all with writing the points out as opposed to typing them. I know the exam is now computer-based, as well as the speech portion.

Thanks for any help!!

[BGSU_Alum_86]

If you are taking your exam at a test center that has this exam on the computer, you should be offered the option to either use the text box on the computer to type any notes/outlines or to use a piece of scratch paper. You cannot adjust the size of the text box (which is very small), so I find that every candidate uses the scratch paper instead.

You are never allowed to open any other application on the computer!

[mcquacks2]

Thank you very much! I am taking the computerized exam. I would never open anything with out asking the proctor first, was just trying to get a head's up before I get to the test. Thanks again!

[mcquacks2]

Passed the questions portion, but have to go back and take speech portion again because of a technical problem with the mic. Was the best speech I have done so far, including practicing. Ah well, guess it was meant to be for some reason. Topic was not difficult, was able to come up with a lot of points. Hopefully it's a similar topic again. Questions part was easy, if you study through DSST, you will be fine. I also used the McGraw study questions guide online. Very helpful.

[BGSU_Alum_86]

Um, congratulations? I am not sure how you know already that you passed the multiple-choice section of the exam as it is not immediately scored. Maybe you just mean that you were successful in getting through it and feel very confident that you passed.

I am so sorry that you have to retake the speech portion. That is always the toughest part! The system is supposedly set up so that you will not be provided with the same topic. I don't know how you can rate the topics as "similar", but I believe they are all topics that can easily be debated and you need to take a position and defend/justify it.

[doogie]

I "Failed" this test. As other mentioned, the multiple choice is straightforward. Now on to the speech portion.

First go, the system locked up halfway through my test and I had to come back and retake it.

Second go, while I may not be the best public speaker, I delivered what I would consider a more than adequate speech that hit all the points and came in on time. I recieved s fail score with feedback that the speech delivered wasn't credible. I paid the $30 to get it re-evaluated as that just didnt make any sense since it was a pursuasive speech and it was based in my opinion on a fairly mundane subject. After weeks of waiting, I got a response of "The speaker presented an informative rather than a persuasive speech." At this point I questioned whether they got my speech mixed up with another as the two separate scorings were totally different on the same speech.

So I call and ask if they could repeat to me the speech subject. They said they didn't have that information and coud not. I then asked if they could playback a portion of my speech so I coud confirm they had the right speech. They said they couldn't.

They asked me to send a letter to the appeals committee which I did. They claimed they would give it one more Eval by a third professor in 2 weeks. Well three weeks later, I called and an hour after I called, I received a fail email with NO FEEDBACK.

My advice is to steer clear of this exam. Very unprofessional how they handled my test and if they truly have no way of recalling the topics or speeches then you are left to the mercy of their unprofessional Speech scoring system.