Academic Decathlon
United States Academic Decathlon
Ten events on one annual theme, with teams that must include students across the full range of grade point averages.
Run by United States Academic Decathlon
Key facts
- Eligible grades
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High school students.
USAD does not publish a numbered grade range. Placement is by cumulative unweighted GPA rather than grade. Home-schooled students can participate subject to conditions in the eligibility guidelines.Source, checked 2026-09-02
- Official divisions
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Team members are placed into Honor, Scholastic and Varsity categories by cumulative unweighted GPA, not by grade, and every member competes in all ten events.
Based on the organiser's own divisions.
- Eligible ages
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Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.USAD publishes no age limits.
- Individual or team
- Team · A nine-member team: three Honor, three Scholastic and three Varsity students, placed by cumulative unweighted GPA. Every team member competes in all ten events. A school may enter with fewer than nine and still be eligible for team awards provided it has at least two students in each category, because the team score counts only the top two scores in each category. A student may compete up a category but not down.
- Where it runs
- In person · United States, International affiliates
- Entry cost
- School registration plus curriculum materialsSet by state organisations plus USAD curriculum material costs; not published as a single figure on the pages checked.
- Registration deadline
- Set locally, not published as a single national date Set by each state organisation, not nationally.
- Competition dates
- Regional competitions in winter, state competitions in late winter and spring, national finals in spring.
- Difficulty
- CompetitiveSerious preparation over a season. Advancing past the first round separates prepared students from unprepared ones.
- Prizes
- Medals, scholarships and national titlesMedals and scholarships vary by state and at nationals; not confirmed on the pages checked.
What Academic Decathlon is
Academic Decathlon has an unusual and deliberate design: teams of nine must include three students with high grade point averages, three with mid-range averages and three with lower averages, competing in separate divisions but scoring for the same team. Every year a single interdisciplinary theme runs through ten events covering art, economics, literature, mathematics, music, science, social science, essay, speech and interview, plus a team Super Quiz.
How the competition works
A theme-based ten-event team competition: art, economics, essay, interview, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, social science and speech. The 2026-27 theme is Journeys of Transformation: An Exploration of Travel and Transportation. For 2026-27 multiple-choice questions move from five answer options to four.
Eligibility notes
The nine-student team must be divided across three grade point average divisions, three students in each. This structure is central to the competition.
How to register
- Ask whether your school has a team. If not, a teacher can start one and register through the state organisation.
- Understand the grade point average divisions. Students with lower averages are not filling seats; they compete against their own division and their medals count identically.
- Buy the official curriculum resource materials, which define the year's theme content precisely.
- Prepare across all ten events, including the speech and interview, which students often neglect until too late.
What skills you need
- Interdisciplinary study
- Multiple-choice test technique
- Timed essay writing
- Prepared and impromptu speaking
- Interview performance
- Team relay under audience pressure
Recommended resources
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United States Academic Decathlon official site
The annual theme, curriculum materials, state organisation directory and competition rules.
Past problems and materials
Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.
- Past themes and practice materials
USAD sells official practice tests and past materials through its store.
Frequently asked questions
Why are grade point averages part of the team structure?
By design. Teams must field three students from each of three grade point average bands, and each student competes against others in their own band. It means a student with a modest academic record can win the same medals and contribute the same points as the top student in the school.
How much material is there?
A great deal. Ten events on one interdisciplinary theme, with official curriculum materials for each subject. Teams typically begin studying in the summer or early autumn for a winter regional competition.
Reviews, tips and resources from other students
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Something out of date?
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