The Academic Decathlon is a ten-event scholastic competition for teams of high school students. The ten events include comprehensive written exams in: Art, Economics, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Social Science and Science. In addition, students deliver both a prepared and impromptu speech, write an essay, and communicate through a conversational interview. Students also participate in the culminating team event, open to the public, known as the Super Quiz.

A particularly unique aspect of the Academic Decathlon format is that it is designed to include students from all academic backgrounds. A team consists of nine full-time students from the ninth through twelfth grades of the same high school. Each nine-member team is comprised of three students whose grade point average falls into the “A” category (Honor students), three students in the “B” category (Scholastic students), and three students in the “C” or below category (Varsity students). All students compete in all ten events. Students in each category compete only against students in that category.