Tulare County Academic Decathlon
Academic Decathlon Website Banner
Mission Statement

The Tulare County Academic Decathlon acknowledges, encourages, and rewards academic excellence by preparing and motivating high school students to achieve through scholastic competition.
 
What is the Academic Decathlon program?
 
The Academic Decathlon is a student competition in which 9th- through 12th-grade high school students compete as individuals and as team members in a series of 10 academic tests and demonstrations. Students take seven 30-minute, multiple choice tests in the subjects of art, economics, music, language and literature, mathematics, science, and social science. Students will also have 50 minutes to write an essay on one of three given prompts. In addition to the tests and essay, each student will give two speeches and participate in a seven-minute interview. "The Academic Decathlon embodies a partnership of business, foundations, and individuals in cooperation with the education community and county offices of education." (California Academic Decathlon)
 
Who may compete in the Academic Decathlon?
 
California counties hold local Academic Decathlon competitions for the high schools in their county/region. The winning team from each county is then eligible to compete in the California State Finals, along with "invited teams" with the next highest scores in the state. A total of 60 teams participate in the State Finals.
 
What comprises a team?
 
A team consists of nine full-time students in 9th through 12th grades from the same school. The nine-member team is comprised of three Varsity, three Scholastic, and three Honor students as indicated by the following categories:
 
Category GPA 
Honor 3.80 & above 
Scholastic 3.20 - 3.799 
Varsity 3.199 & below 
 
A student may compete in a higher division than their own GPA, but not in a lower division; i.e., a Scholastic student may compete as an Honor student, but not as a Varsity student.
 
Who may attend Academic Decathlon?
 
Only high school teams may attend the test-taking portion of the Academic Decathlon. The Super Quiz competition and Awards Ceremony are open to the public.
 
When will the State Finals be held?
 
The California Academic Decathlon (CAD) State Finals will be held in Santa Clara, March 22-24, 2024. Visit the CAD website for a schedule.
Event Details

Coaches' Meeting

September 26, 2023

Online Scrimmage

November 15, 2023

Day 1 – Online Essays
January 25, 2024
 
Day 2 – Speech & Interview Competition
January 27, 2024

Day 3 – Online Objective Testing
January 30, 2024

Day 4 –SuperQuiz & Awards
February 3, 2024
 
Registration

Due October 6, 2023

Due October 18, 2023

Due December 15, 2023

Media Release


Event Contacts:
 
Paula Terrill
Student Event Coordinator
(559) 651-0565