Extempore Practice
Extempore practice for MBA interviews
A topic you have not seen. A minute to think. Two minutes to speak.
Practise the round the way it really runs, then get a full report: your score, what to fix first, your answer marked up and a model answer for the side you argued.
- Your first extempore is free
- No card needed
- Built for the IIMA PGPX round
The round
What is an extempore?
Some MBA interview panels, IIMA PGPX among them, ask you to speak on a topic you have not seen. It is usually a current-affairs, business or policy statement. You get a minute or so to think, then you take a side and argue it while the panel listens, and often pushes back.
Panels look for a clear position, two well-backed points, real examples and a firm close. That comes with practice, not with reading.
A practice run
Exactly as it runs in the app
These are the real screens. Press a step to see it.
Your topic is sealed
Open it when you are ready. Opening it uses one of your extempores; the 60 seconds start as soon as you take the topic.
Open my topicYour topic · Climate and Health
COP summits have become trade fairs. Developing countries should stop attending.
You may swap once. The next topic is final.
Thinking time
COP summits have become trade fairs. Developing countries should stop attending.
Time to think
1:00Plan a stance, two points and a close. Speaking starts by itself when this ends.
- Stance your answer in one line
- Point 1 with a fact or example
- Point 2 or the other side
- Close back to your answer
Speaking
COP summits have become trade fairs. Developing countries should stop attending.
Time left
2:00State your view early, build two points and close on your answer.
- Stance your answer in one line
- Point 1 with a fact or example
- Point 2 or the other side
- Close back to your answer
The topic bank
Over 200 topics, in 9 themes
From current affairs to business and ethics. Draw a surprise topic, work on one theme at a time, or rehearse one exact topic.
- Economy & JobsThe RBI has raised interest rates to fight inflation driven by costly oil. The right call, or punishing borrowers for a war India did not start?
- Business & WorkReturn-to-office mandates are about control, not productivity.
- Technology & AIShould India build a sovereign large language model with public money?
- Sports & CultureShould para-sport get the same funding and prize money as other sport?
A few practice topics. In a run, you see your topic only when you draw it.
After every run
Your report, in about a minute
A made-up answer on a practice topic, shown exactly as the app shows it.
Extempore assessment
Extempore Assessment
- Topic
- The RBI has raised interest rates to fight inflation driven by costly oil. The right call, or punishing borrowers for a war India did not start?
- Category
- Economy and Jobs
- Date
- 22nd Oct 2026, 09:40
- Spoken
- 1:52 of 2:00
Overall score
6.4/10
SolidWhere you stand
Your score Target 7.5 Pragmatly average
Your progress: 10 extempores since 8th Oct 2026, up 1.7 since your first.
Solid, not yet panel-ready
What worked
- Your stance came in the first ten seconds.
- You tied the rate rise to the West Asia conflict and festive prices.
- You named the other side before answering it.
Fix first
- Close on your stance: end with one sentence that answers the question, not a trailing example.
- Back your second point with one number or one real case: "loans got costlier" needs a figure or a name.
- Pause instead of "you know" and "basically".
Your numbers
- Time spoken
- 1:52
- Words a minute
- 144
- Fillers a minute
- 5.4
- Long pauses
- 1
- First word after
- 2s
Scores in detail
Ten things an IIMA PGPX panel listens for, in three groups.
Your score Target 7.5 Pragmatly average
Content and thinking
Group average 6.3/10·Solid- Substance & command6/10Solid
Knew why rates rise with oil; little detail beyond that.
- Reasoning & argument7/10Solid
"Inflation hurts the poorest first" carried the argument well.
- Balance & perspective5/10Developing
Borrowers were mentioned once, then dropped.
- Independent thought6/10Solid
Sensible, but close to the usual textbook line.
- Awareness & real-world7/10Solid
Tied it to the West Asia conflict and festive prices.
Organisation
Group average 6.0/10·Solid- Structure & organisation6/10Solid
Stance and two points; no close.
- Clarity & concision6/10Solid
The middle repeated the first point in other words.
Delivery
Group average 6.7/10·Solid- Persuasiveness & conviction7/10Solid
"The RBI was right, and here is why" was decisive.
- Fluency & control6/10Solid
5 fillers a minute and one long pause.
- Language & expression7/10Solid
Clear, professional English throughout.
Watch out
Your coaching
How a stronger line might have gone
You said
“because that also brings down prices”
Stronger
"So yes, the hike was the right call, and the cost to borrowers is the price of keeping prices in check."
The shape of your answer
- Stancefound
- Point 1found
- Point 2found
- Other sidefound
- Closemissing
Your answer, as heard
The RBI was right, and here is why. When oil crosses a hundred dollars, every truck, every factory and every kitchen pays more, and inflation hurts the poorest first. So um raising the rate by twenty five basis points is a small price to protect the value of the rupee in people's pockets. Now, borrowers will say they are being punished for a war India did not start. That is true, loans got costlier,2 you know and home buyers feel it.2 4s pause But basically if prices keep rising, everyone loses more than a few hundred rupees of EMI. We saw this with festive season vegetable prices, onions and tomatoes doubled, and families cut back on everything else. So the RBI has to act early, even if growth slows a little. And um I think the government should also help, maybe by cutting fuel taxes for some time, because that also brings down prices1
grey filler word · 3s pause a long silence · marked words a fix below refers to · A misheard word is the transcript’s, not yours.
What to fix
1 End on your answer
“because that also brings down prices”
Your time ran out on a new idea, so the last thing the panel heard was not your view.
Try: Keep 10 seconds for one line: "So yes, the hike was the right call, and the cost to borrowers is the price of keeping prices in check."
2 Give the second point a number
“That is true, loans got costlier”
Without a figure, "costlier" sounds like an assumption.
Try: "On a ₹50 lakh home loan, a quarter-point hike adds roughly ₹800 to the monthly EMI."
3 Pause instead of "you know" and "basically"
Fillers make a clear argument sound less sure.
Try: When you need a moment, stop for a second and say nothing.
Facts and reasoning
A fact to get right
You said: “raising the rate by twenty five basis points protects the value of the rupee”
A rate rise mainly targets inflation; its effect on the exchange rate is indirect. Say "keeps inflation in check" instead.
A gap in the argument
The fuel-tax idea arrived in the last seconds with no support and no link back to the RBI.
A model answer for the side you argued
The RBI was right, because unchecked inflation hurts the poorest first.
I believe the RBI made the right call. First, inflation is a tax on everyone, and it falls hardest on households with no savings. Second, acting early keeps expectations anchored, so the RBI has to do less later. Yes, borrowers pay more for a while, but if prices keep rising, everyone loses more than a few hundred rupees of EMI. So the RBI was right.
Facts worth knowing on this topic
- A quarter-point rate rise adds a few hundred rupees a month to a typical home loan EMI.
- Fuel and food carry a large weight in the consumer price index, so oil shocks show up fast.
Your next three extempores
Next extempore
End on your answer
Keep 10 seconds for one line: "So yes, the hike was the right call, and the cost to borrowers is the price of keeping prices in check."
The one after
Give the second point a number
"On a ₹50 lakh home loan, a quarter-point hike adds roughly ₹800 to the monthly EMI."
Then
Pause instead of "you know" and "basically"
When you need a moment, stop for a second and say nothing.
Analytics
Your Progress
Every extempore you have done, added up.
Where you stand
Your overall score
Your score Target 7.5 Pragmatly average 5.9
Closing in on the target
Your habits
How often your answers had each part of a strong extempore.
- Stated a stance in the first 20 seconds80%Habit
- Built two developed points60%Often
- Answered the other side40%Rarely
- Closed on their answer30%Rarely
Watch out
Start free, practise as much as you need
All prices include GST. One payment, no renewal.
Free
Your first extempore
₹0no card needed
- 1 extempore, with the full report
- Topics from five themes
- A model answer for your side
Your report arrives in about a minute.
For your preparation
Extempore Practice Pass
₹2,499for 90 days
- 40 extempores, 2 a day
- Every topic, in all 9 themes
- A full report every time
- Practise your weakest area on purpose
You buy the pass inside Extempore Practice.
With a Pragmatly Expert
Ultra Seat
₹7,299per seat
- 2 full IIMA PGPX mocks, live on Google Meet
- Each one: an extempore, cross-questioning on it and a fit interview
- You choose both slots
You book your seat inside Extempore Practice.
Already a Pragmatly student for IIMA PGPX? Extempore Practice is included: open it from your dashboard.
Free · No card needed
Try your first extempore, free.
Your topic is a minute away. Here is what a run looks like:
In a run you draw a sealed topic, get 60 seconds to think, speak for up to 2 minutes, and get a full report about a minute later.
- 1Your details
- 2Sign-in code
- 3Practise
- A full report on your answer
- No password: the code comes to your email
- Upgrade any time from inside
Already have a login? Sign in and practise.
Questions about Extempore Practice
Is the first extempore really free?
Yes. Sign up with your WhatsApp number and email and you get 1 free extempore with the full report. There is nothing to pay and no card is needed. The Extempore Practice Pass (₹2,499 including GST, one payment, 90 days) gives you 40 extempores, 2 a day, from every topic.
How is my answer scored?
Every answer gets a score out of 10, built from ten things a panel looks for in three groups: content and thinking, organisation, and delivery. The score is worked out automatically, so you can see how you improve from run to run. It is for practice and does not predict an admission result.
What do I need?
A microphone and a quiet room. It runs in your browser with nothing to install. A laptop with Chrome works best; a phone works too.
What happens to my recording?
Your audio is kept privately for 6 months so you can play it back, then deleted. You cannot delete it yourself: to have it deleted sooner, write to support@pragmatly.com from the email linked to your account. Your video, if you turn the camera on, never leaves your device.
Can I choose my topic?
A practice run starts with a sealed topic you have not seen, as in the real round. You may swap it once; the second topic is final. With the pass you can also pick any topic from the full list, or practise your weakest area.
What if my answer cannot be marked?
If we cannot mark an answer, for example because almost nothing was heard, that extempore is given back to you.
Is this connected to IIM Ahmedabad?
No. Pragmatly is not affiliated with or endorsed by IIM Ahmedabad or any other school. This is practice in the same format, so always follow your school’s own instructions.
Can I practise with a real person?
Yes. An Ultra Seat (₹7,299 including GST) gives you two full IIMA PGPX mocks with Pragmatly Experts on Google Meet: an extempore, cross-questioning on it, and a fit interview. For other interviews, see Dual-Edge.
Questions? WhatsApp +91 87965 58777 or write to sales@pragmatly.com. Pragmatly is not affiliated with or endorsed by IIM Ahmedabad or any other school.