Academic Decathlon

Organized by the U.S Academic Decathlon, the Academic Decathlon is an annual high school academic competition, which consists of seven objective multiple choice tests, two subjective performance events, and an essay.

Interested in the competition?

Competition Overview

High school students in grades 9-12

Eligibility

Varies depending on regions and organizations

Team Registration Fee

April 23-25, 2026

National Competition

📌 Note: Aralia is not the organizer of this competition. For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer directly to the competition organizer. Aralia provides listings and information about competitions for student reference. Aralia is an online education platform offering competition preparation classes to students worldwide.

Competition Details

1. Competition Introduction

2025-2026 Theme: The Roaring Twenties.

Students will explore 10 subjects connected to that theme: Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Language & Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, and Speech.

Levels of Competition: Competitions occur at local, state, and national levels, culminating in national finals.

Deadline: Regional deadlines vary by state and local organizers, but a general timeline includes regional competitions in late fall/winter and state finals in winter/spring.

2. Eligibility

A team consists of 9 full-time high school students. Each team is made up of three Honor students, three Scholastic students, and three Varsity students in accordance with the following grade point average definitions:

Honor: 3.80 – 4.00 GPA
Scholastic: 3.20 – 3.799 GPA
Varsity: 0.00 – 3.199 GPA

Contestants may compete in a higher division than their own grade point average category, but not in a lower division.

3. Event Details

Students will participate in five different types of events.

Super Quiz™: A team-based multiple-choice challenge in front of an audience. Teams collaborate to answer questions, requiring strategy, quick thinking, and teamwork.
Speech: Includes a prepared speech (up to 4 minutes on a topic of your choice) and an impromptu speech (up to 2 minutes on an unseen topic).
Interview: A 7-minute personal interview focusing on you, your interests, background, and goals. Emphasizes communication, listening, and presentation skills.
Essay: A 50-minute essay on these academic subjects (Art, Economics, Literature, Math, Music, Science, Social Science)
Tests of Knowledge: 7 multiple-choice exams in Art, Music, Social Science, Science, Economics, Literature, and Math. Rewards well-rounded knowledge, critical thinking, and test-taking ability.