What the IO Plan Is
The IO plan is a condensed, symbol-annotated timing sheet built during the 10-minute prep period that structures your 10-minute delivery around global-issue links and key quotes.
During the Individual Oral, you get exactly 10 minutes of preparation time before you deliver a 10-minute unassessed talk. In that window you cannot write a full script—there isn't time, and reading from one would hurt your fluency and eye contact anyway. What you need instead is a plan: a tightly compressed outline that combines three things into one document—a timing sheet, a cue-card symbol system, and your selected quotes.
Think of the plan as a flight instrument panel, not a novel. You glance at it for seconds at a time while speaking, so it must communicate instantly. That means minimal text—just keywords, quote snippets, and issue annotations—organised with clear time stamps and symbols so your eye can find the next cue without breaking your delivery.
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Time stamps (e.g., 0:00–0:30) | Pace yourself across the full 10 minutes so no section is rushed or bloated |
| ★ symbol | Marks a global issue (GI) reminder—prompts you to explicitly state the GI link |
| ▶ symbol | Marks a transition—signals movement between texts, points, or sections |
| Minimal text only | Forces recall rather than reading; keeps your eyes up and delivery natural |
Model plan structure:
0:00–0:30 ▶ Intro: Text A (★GI), Text B (★GI), thesis
0:30–3:00 ★E1: Technique + quote + GI link
3:00–3:15 ▶ Transition
3:15–6:15 ★E2: Technique + quote + comparative GI insight
6:15–8:00 ▶ Extension: context or evaluation
8:00–10:00 ▶ Conclusion: recap points + GI relevance
A plan is not the same as a script. A script is near-verbatim wording written out in full sentences; a plan is a skeleton of timings, symbols, and quote fragments. Examiners reward fluent, spontaneous-sounding delivery (Criterion C), so the plan exists to support that fluency, not replace it.
During the 10-minute prep time, build your plan in this order: (1) confirm your global issue and write it at the top, (2) select 2–3 extracts or moments per text with a short quote for each, (3) assign time stamps working backwards from the 10-minute limit, (4) drop in ★ and ▶ symbols wherever you need a GI reminder or a transition cue.
- The IO plan = timing sheet + cue-card symbols + selected quotes, built in the 10-minute prep period
- Use time stamps (e.g., 0:00–0:30) to pace all 10 minutes of delivery evenly
- ★ marks a global issue reminder; ▶ marks a transition between texts or points
- Keep text minimal—keywords and quote snippets only, never full sentences
- A plan supports fluent, natural delivery; a script (verbatim wording) is a separate tool
Time-Stamping IO Plan Segments
Divide the 10-minute IO into time-stamped segments so extract analysis, comparison, and conclusion are proportionally and confidently delivered without running over or under time.
Criterion C rewards a focused, organised response that sustains analysis across both extracts and stays anchored to your global issue throughout. The single biggest threat to this is poor time management: students who spend six minutes on Extract 1 and then rush Extract 2 in ninety seconds, or who forget to conclude at all. A time-stamped plan solves this before you ever stand up to speak.
The plan is not your script — it's a skeleton timeline that combines three things: when each segment should start and end, symbols that cue you to hit key moves (★ for global issue reminders, ▶ for transitions), and minimal text (keywords and quote snippets only, never full sentences). Because you only get 10 minutes of prep time before delivery, a plan you can scan in seconds is far more useful than a dense script you won't have time to reread.
| Time stamp | Segment | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:30 | Intro | Name Text A, Text B, state global issue (★GI), give thesis |
| 0:30–3:00 | Extract 1 analysis | ★E1: technique + quote + GI link |
| 3:00–3:15 | Transition | ▶ Signal shift to Extract 2 |
| 3:15–6:15 | Extract 2 analysis | ★E2: technique + quote + comparative GI insight |
| 6:15–8:00 | Extension | ▶ Context or evaluative comment |
| 8:00–10:00 | Conclusion | ▶ Recap points, restate GI relevance |
Notice the plan allocates roughly equal time to both extracts (2:30 each) plus a dedicated extension segment for evaluation or context — this directly serves Criterion C's demand for a structured, balanced comparison rather than a lopsided one.
- During prep time, sketch six time-stamped rows on your plan sheet, mirroring the model above.
- Assign each row a symbol: ★ wherever you must explicitly name or link back to the global issue; ▶ wherever you move between texts or sections.
- Fill each row with only keywords and a short quote snippet — never full sentences.
- Practise delivering to a timer at home so your internal sense of pacing matches the stamps (e.g., you instinctively know when 3 minutes have passed).
- In the actual IO, glance at the plan between segments (not while speaking) to check you are on pace, and adjust the extension segment length if you are running early or late.
A rehearsed sense of timing beats constant clock-watching. If you have practised with a timer enough times, you will naturally sense when 30 seconds, 3 minutes, or 6 minutes have elapsed — freeing your attention for content rather than the clock.
Do not write your time-stamped plan as a substitute script with full sentences — if it's too dense to scan in a two-second glance, it defeats its purpose and you'll end up reading rather than speaking, which hurts Criterion C's demand for fluent, organised delivery.
- Total IO delivery time is 10 minutes; split it into 6 time-stamped segments, not one continuous block.
- Allocate near-equal time to both extracts (roughly 2:30–3:00 each) to keep the comparison balanced.
- Use ★ to mark global issue reminders and ▶ to mark transitions — symbols only, not sentences.
- Keep the plan to keywords and quote snippets so it can be scanned in seconds, not read.
- Rehearse with a timer beforehand so pacing becomes instinctive rather than something you must check constantly.