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Students & Teachers
Must be enrolled in a Ventura County school or a school located within the boundaries of a Ventura County school district.

Ventura County Academic Decathlon Team Registration Form - NOW OPEN!

2027 Advisor Checklist  Student Roster, Transcripts, or Official Reports Submission Form  Student Roster/GPA Packet

2026-2027 Academic Decathlon | Important Dates & Deadlines

Ventura County Academic Decathlon Team Registration
$60 per student - Invoices will be sent to advisors

 Opens:
September 11, 2026 | 4PM

Closes:
October 30, 2026 | 4PM
Student Roster, Transcripts, or Official Reports Submission Deadline October 30, 2026
Permission Form Deadline
Email to Natalia Zizumbo | nzizumbo@vcoe.org		 October 30, 2026
CAD Virtual Scrimmage Registration Deadline - OPTIONAL
Please notify Candice if your team plans to participate. VCOE will cover registration fees.		 October 30, 2026 | 3PM
CAD School Registration Deadline November 1, 2026
CAD Virtual Scrimmage Testing Window Opens:
November 7, 2026 | 7AM

Closes:
December 12, 2026 | 6PM
Speeches & Interviews | 8AM - 3PM
Knowledge Bowl | 4PM - 6PM		 Cal State University Channel Islands
1 University Drive, Camarillo, CA 93012		 January 23, 2027
Virtual Objectives and Essay
Remote at Team School Sites		 January 30, 2027 | 8AM - 4PM
Academic Decathlon
Awards Ceremony		 Ventura County Office of Education
5100 Adolfo Road, Camarillo, CA 93012		 February 3, 2027 | 6PM - 8PM

⚠️Please Note: No changes or refunds can be made after November 20, 2026, 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.

Interview

During interviews, students participate in a structured, face-to-face conversation with a panel of two to three judges. Students 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 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.