United States Academic Decathlon United States Academic Decathlon The Academic Decathlon (also called AcaDec, AcaDeca or AcDec) is the only annual high school academic competition organized by the non-profit United States Academic Decathlon Association (USAD). The competition consists of seven multiple choice tests, two performance events, and an essay. Academic Decathlon was created by Robert Peterson in 1968 for local schools in Orange County, California and expanded nationwide in 1981 by Robert Peterson, William Patton, first President of the new USAD Board and Phillip Bardos, Chairman of the new USAD Board. That year, 17 states and the District of Columbia participated, a number that
Decathlon scoring tables Decathlon scoring tables The scoring tables for the decathlon have undergone continual evolution since their inception about a century ago, with several changes to both the character of the equations and the indices on which the equations are based. All of the earliest attempts at formalizing decathlon scoring, from the first formal submission (prepared by the U.S. in 1884) until 1915, involved linear scoring equations. The American model was based on world records, but models concurrently used by several Nordic countries were based on their respective national records. The decathlon was first included in the Olympic Games in 1912, requiring