This is the student resource section; here student decathletes and parents can find everything you need to help prepare for this year’s Arizona Academic Decathlon competitions.

The Academic Decathlon, like its ancient Greek counterpart, consists of ten events. However, unlike the Greek Decathlon, this is an academic, rather than an athletic competition. It’s also a team competition, as well as an individual competition.

Success in the Arizona Academic Decathlon isn’t about being the best in one subject, it’s about mastering the ten different disciplines. In a typical day-long Decathlon, high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors are tested in seven areas: economics, art, language and literature, mathematics, music, social science, and science. In addition, students amass points in three communication events: the prepared and impromptu speech event, the oral interview event, and the essay writing event. The Decathlon concludes with the public Super Quiz Relay.

Every Academic Decathlon competition, whether it’s a regional, state or national final follows the same format.

Why Participate?

The Academic Decathlon has three main objectives:

1. to foster intellectual competitiveness;
2. to broaden academic horizons;
3. to promote the ability to communicate effectively.

Individual winners in each event are recognized, however the largest monetary awards and the highest recognition go to the overall Decathlon winners, the generalists whose combined scores for all 10 events bring them to the topmost ranks of the champions. It gives to scholars similar public recognition and status that has traditionally been afforded outstanding athletes.

Your Resources

In this section you’ll find links to our scholarship information. Did you know that the Arizona Academic Decathlon Association often grants cash prizes? Also, that state universities provide scholarships for top-scoring decathletes and members of winning teams?

We’re proud that the Arizona State Champion team consistently places in the top five at the United States Academic Decathlon competition nearly every year.

We thank you for your interest in maintaining our proud tradition, and we wish you good luck in the competitions!