Reserve time for questions and a buffer, then distribute the remaining time across your talk. Relative weights let you give complex sections more room.
Instructions
- Enter Total session (minutes), Questions (minutes) and Buffer (minutes).
- Set Opening (% of speaking time) and Closing (% of speaking time).
- Enter Main sections and optional weights, one per line, then select Create time budget.
- Review the cumulative end times and use Download budget or Print budget.
Understanding your results
A section with weight 2 gets twice the time of a section with weight 1. Questions and buffer are removed before allocating speaking time. The cumulative timings are useful rehearsal checkpoints, but they cannot ensure that an explanation will fit without practising it aloud.
What to do if the budget cannot be created
Check questions and buffer leave some speaking time. Opening and closing must leave room for the main sections. Use a positive weight in the Name | weight format, or omit weights for equal shares. Keep to twelve sections or fewer.
Using this tool in your browser
This tool handles your entries in your browser with JavaScript enabled and does not save them automatically. Use the download or print controls described in the instructions to keep a copy before closing or reloading the page. On a phone, your browser controls where downloads go and which print options are available.
Summary
Give complex sections time to breathe and protect enough room for the closing message.
More tips for your practice
- Enter the full session length, including the question period.
- Keep a buffer for introductions, transitions, or a late start.
- Use weights to reflect complexity rather than giving every section equal time.
- The cumulative end times show when to move on during rehearsal.
- If you run behind, shorten examples before cutting the closing message.