Academic Decathlon is the premier scholastic competition for high school students in the United States. Its purpose is to develop and provide academic competitions, curriculum, and assessment to promote learning and academic excellence through teamwork among students of all achievement levels.

This program is unique because it requires successful teams to have three honors (“A” grade level), three scholastic (“B” grade level), and three varsity (“C” grade level) students per team. Thus, students who do not earn “A” grades in school can still be recognized for their abilities through this program.

Academic Decathlon consists of seven content areas including art, economics, literature, mathematics, music, science, and social science. Students take a written exam covering these subjects. In addition at the state competition, students write an essay, perform a prepared and an impromptu speech, and participate in an interview. They also participate in a 13-question oral super quiz round in front of their peers.