Purdue COM 114 Test Out Study Guide
Exam Questions and Actual Answers
2025 Updated.
What percent of a presentation does the Intro make up? - Answer 10%
What percent of a presentation does the Body make up? - Answer 85%
What percent of a presentation does the Conclusion make up? - Answer 5%
What should be included in the Intro? - Answer capture attention of the audience, establish
credibility, relate material to audience, announce topic, preview main points
What should be included in the Body? - Answer supporting evidence and research
What should be included in the Conclusion? - Answer restate thesis and main points, end with
clincher
How do I answer questions I don't know? - Answer be honest- ask if anyone in the audience
knows the answer or say you'll research it and get back to them
How do I answer questions I know? - Answer listen to entire question, be direct and concise,
repeat the question
How can a speaker enhance credibility? - Answer provide experiences, qualifications,
educational background
How can a speaker not enhance credibility? - Answer offending audience while making
credibility statement
What is Ethos? - Answer appeal to credibility
Example of Ethos? - Answer As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment
, Example of Pathos? - Answer You'll make the right decision because you have something that
not many people do: you have heart.
What is Logos? - Answer appeal to logic
Example of Logos? - Answer You should not do drugs, they harm your health.
What is an Informative Presentation? - Answer Presentation with a goal to inform the
audience that an issue exists
What is an Explanative Presentation? - Answer Presentation that deepens the understanding
someone has of a topic
Why are visual aids important? - Answer Increases clarity and retention, increases
effectiveness in both the speaker and the presentation
Why are visual aids used? - Answer They increase audience understanding of information
what are the four types of visual aids? - Answer Pie chart, bar chart, and line chart
Pie Chart - Answer used when comparing parts of a whole or percentages of the total
Bar chart - Answer Used when making comparisons among different types of items to allow
for easy visual ranking across items in a category
Line chart - Answer Used for comparing charges over time in a set of data to examine trends
What are fallacies? - Answer errors in logic
Straw person - Answer when you ignore or misrepresent a person's position
EX: A biology teacher says that all things evolve, a student then says that humans could not
have evolved from bugs
Exam Questions and Actual Answers
2025 Updated.
What percent of a presentation does the Intro make up? - Answer 10%
What percent of a presentation does the Body make up? - Answer 85%
What percent of a presentation does the Conclusion make up? - Answer 5%
What should be included in the Intro? - Answer capture attention of the audience, establish
credibility, relate material to audience, announce topic, preview main points
What should be included in the Body? - Answer supporting evidence and research
What should be included in the Conclusion? - Answer restate thesis and main points, end with
clincher
How do I answer questions I don't know? - Answer be honest- ask if anyone in the audience
knows the answer or say you'll research it and get back to them
How do I answer questions I know? - Answer listen to entire question, be direct and concise,
repeat the question
How can a speaker enhance credibility? - Answer provide experiences, qualifications,
educational background
How can a speaker not enhance credibility? - Answer offending audience while making
credibility statement
What is Ethos? - Answer appeal to credibility
Example of Ethos? - Answer As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment
, Example of Pathos? - Answer You'll make the right decision because you have something that
not many people do: you have heart.
What is Logos? - Answer appeal to logic
Example of Logos? - Answer You should not do drugs, they harm your health.
What is an Informative Presentation? - Answer Presentation with a goal to inform the
audience that an issue exists
What is an Explanative Presentation? - Answer Presentation that deepens the understanding
someone has of a topic
Why are visual aids important? - Answer Increases clarity and retention, increases
effectiveness in both the speaker and the presentation
Why are visual aids used? - Answer They increase audience understanding of information
what are the four types of visual aids? - Answer Pie chart, bar chart, and line chart
Pie Chart - Answer used when comparing parts of a whole or percentages of the total
Bar chart - Answer Used when making comparisons among different types of items to allow
for easy visual ranking across items in a category
Line chart - Answer Used for comparing charges over time in a set of data to examine trends
What are fallacies? - Answer errors in logic
Straw person - Answer when you ignore or misrepresent a person's position
EX: A biology teacher says that all things evolve, a student then says that humans could not
have evolved from bugs
