Students & Teachers

Ventura County Academic Decathlon Team Registration - NOW OPEN!

2027 Advisor Checklist (Coming Soon) Student Roster/GPA Packet Team Roster/Transcripts/Reports Form

---

2027 Academic Decathlon | Timeline & Deadlines

Ventura County Academic Decathlon Team Registration	Opens: September 11, 2026 | 4PM  Closes: October 30, 2026 | 4PM
Team Roster/Transcript/Report Submission Deadline	October 30, 2026
Permission Form Deadline - Email to nzizumbo@vcoe.org	October 30, 2026
CAD Virtual Scrimmage Registration Deadline - OPTIONAL	October 30, 2026 by 3PM
CAD School Registration Deadline - REQUIRED	November 1, 2026
CAD Virtual Scrimmage Testing Window	November 9, 2026 - December 12, 2026
Speech/Interview | 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM  Super Quiz | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM	January 23, 2027
	Location:  Cal State Channel Islands University  1 University Dr • Camarillo, CA 93012
Virtual Objectives and Essay (Remote at Team School Sites)	Janaury 30, 2027
	8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Academic Decathlon Awards at VCOE | 5100 Adolfo Rd. Camarillo	February 3, 2027
	6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

*There is a $60 fee per student - Invoices will be sent to advisors.
Please note that no changes or refunds can be made after November 20, as this causes delays to the process for all participants.

---

Competition Events

The Academic Decathlon features ten individual events and a Team Super Quiz that challenge students' knowledge, communication skills, and teamwork.

---

Speech

Each decathlete will deliver both a prepared speech and an impromptu speech before a panel of two to three speech judges. For the prepared speech, students will give a 3½ to 4 minute presentation on a topic of their choice, assessing delivery, content, structure, and stance. The impromptu speech follows, during which students are given an unannounced prompt and must quickly organize their ideas into a 1½ to 2 minute presentation on the given topic.

Interview

During interviews, students participate in a structured, face-to-face conversation with a panel of two to three judges. Students will have seven minutes to answer questions about their background, interests, and future goals.

Essay

The Essay event challenges students to showcase their critical thinking, research, and writing skills. Given a choice of prompts related to the annual competition theme, competitors analyze complex ideas, develop a clear argument, and compose a persuasive response within a timed window.

The Seven Objective Exams

The core curriculum of the Academic Decathlon curriculum consists of seven multiple-choice examinations: Art, Music, Social Science, Science, Economics, Literature, and Mathematics. These exams are carefully constructed to assess a student’s in-depth understanding and retention of the annual theme.

Super Quiz

During this fast-paced, team-based event, teammates take turns solving tough multiple-choice questions live in front of an audience. Designed in the spirit of fun and sportsmanship, the Super Quiz tests multidisciplinary knowledge without impacting overall team scores.

Resources

2027 Advisor Checklist → Permission Form - English → Permission Form - Spanish →