Academic Decathlon 

Coach: John McMurray
Email John McMurray 

What is the Academic Decathlon program?

 The Academic Decathlon is a North High School class and club in which ninth through twelfth 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 & 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 7-minute interview.

Who may compete in the Academic Decathlon?

 Arizona schools hold local Academic Decathlon competitions for the high schools in their region. The winning team from each region is then eligible to compete in the State Finals. A total of 40 teams will participate in the State Finals.

What comprises a team?

 A team consists of nine full-time students in ninth through twelfth 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 competitions?

 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.