LAUSD Academic Decathlon Awards Ceremony 2026

Academic Decathlon

Welcome Academic Competitors!

Our competition theme for 2025-2026 is Journeys of Transformation: Travel and Transportation!!!

We are already meeting for our Fall/Winter Competition Season! All are welcome to join our Friday and Monday after-school meetings (we will have snacks!) and bring a friend with you!

Our 2026-27 Academic Decathlon team is hoping to carry on the tradition of excellence in Academic Decathlon competition that Lincoln has experienced in the past!

For more info on joining our premier academic team, email the coaches:

Ms. Kwan at [email protected] or Ms. Crabtree at [email protected] .

NOTE: We are still looking to add team members for our current competition year. Please let us know if you are interested! You can stop by Rooms B3 or 555 OR send us an email.

We are looking for curious, bright students at all grade levels and GPAs--you do NOT have to have a 4.0 to compete in Academic Decathlon! Stop by or message us for more information--this is your chance to be a part of an intense, fun, and fascinating academic competition!

Helpful Websites:

US Academic Decathlon-for more information on this international competition

DemiDec--for tons of quizzes, tests, and study tools!

CA Academic Decathlon--more info on the state competition

LAUSD Academic Decathlon--more info on our regional competition

Quizlet--(NOTE: to join our Decathlon group on Quizlet, email Ms. Crabtree so she can invite you to join)

Our former decathletes have been admitted to and attended the following prestigious universities: UCLA, UC Berkeley (Cal), UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, Stanford, USC, Cal State Universities, Harvard, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, and many more!

Click the arrow for more info about Academic Decathlon...

An annual high school academic competition organized by the non-profit United States Academic Decathlon Association. The competition consists of seven multiple choice tests, two performance events, and an essay. Each team member competes in all ten events against other students in his or her division, and team scores are calculated using the top two overall individual scores from each team in all three divisions. The ten events require knowledge in many academic disciplines. Students must take seven multiple choice tests in art, economics, language and literature, math, music, science and social science.

This year, we are offering Academic Decathlon as a class. ANYONE can be in this class and you do earn elective credit for taking it! Talk to Ms. Kwan and Ms. Crabtree for more info.

The California Academic Decathlon (Acadeca) competition consists of 10 events covering a wide range of topics. The events are designed to challenge students in various areas of academic excellence, including:

Art - This event tests students' knowledge of art history and requires them to analyze and deeply familiarize themselves with 10-12 art pieces based on a specific theme.

Music - Students must demonstrate their knowledge of music theory, history, and composers, as well as be able to identify and analyze 14 thematically-connected musical pieces through listening and the application of music theory.

Literature - This event tests students' understanding of works of literature, including poetry, drama, and prose. Students read a complete novel along with several shorter selections that they analyze for purpose and impact and study the autobiographical and thematic contexts.

Science - Students are tested on a wide range of scientific topics, including biology, chemistry, and physics.

Mathematics - This event tests students' knowledge of math concepts and requires them to solve complex problems.

Economics - Students must demonstrate their understanding of economic principles and issues, including microeconomics, macroeconomics, and international trade.

Social Science - This event tests students' knowledge of history, geography, and political science. There are also theme-specific sections where students learn about the year's theme through a social-science-based lens.

Essay - Students must write an on-demand essay on a specific topic, demonstrating their ability to synthesize and articulate complex ideas. Usually the on-demand prompts for the essay are pre-selected, and will often include Literature, Social Science, and Science.

Speech - Students must deliver both a prepared speech and an impromptu speech, demonstrating their ability to communicate effectively. Prepared speeches are written and memorized by the students.

Interview - Students are interviewed by a panel of judges, who ask questions related to the student's own experiences and passions as well as their overall academic knowledge and achievements.