42nd Pennsylvania Academic Decathlon State Championship

MARCH 13-14, 2026
HERSHEY HIGH SCHOOL
HERSHEY, PA

Congratulations on qualifying for the PAAD State Championship! We are excited to have over 200 decathletes, coaches, and judges in Hershey for what will be a wonderful competition. Below please find information about registering your teams for the competition. Only teams and individuals that have qualified in Pennsylvania at a Round 2 regional competition may register for this tournament.

Links will be activated once documents have been finalized.

State Director: Phil Cerami (phil@pa-ad.org) 

Registration Information

STEP 1: Read the PAAD State Championship Information Memo.

STEP 2 (Due February 19): Complete the State Championship Team Registration Form.
IMPORTANT: The listed divisions MUST match the GPAs calculated in the USAD GPA Calculation forms completed earlier in the season.

STEP 3 (Due February 26): Submit the non-refundable $500.00 State Championship Fee to the PAAD Offices with a copy of the invoice. Individual competitors' fee: $60.00.

If you're paying by school and need a W9 form, contact Phil Cerami at phil@pa-ad.org. Teams may have this fee reduced by up to $100 ($400 total) if they bring up to 4 volunteers for judging. Individual students may have this fee reduced to $50.00 if they bring a volunteer as a judge.

Invoice
Judges Volunteer Link

(If you need one, sign and submit the Fee Waiver Form).

STEP 4: (Due January 2025): Submit the following for all students competing:

• USAD GPA Computation Forms 

• Official Transcripts (with school seal and administrative signature OR emailed directly from guidance departments)

• Permission Slips

In most cases, these documents have already been collected and reviewed for the regional competition and sent to the state office on your behalf. Consult with your respective regional director if you believe they may need to be sent again.

STEP 5: If you have a student that requires a special accommodation, fill out the Special Accommodations Form as soon as you are aware that you have a student the will require an accommodation to the listed rules and guidelines for testing, essay, speech, and / or interview. If you have previously filled out this form for a prior competition and there are no changes to be made, you do not have to fill it out again.

Competition Information

Competition Schedule
Guidelines and Rules
Code of Conduct
Scoring Explanation
Interview Procedures
Competition Program
Speech and Interview Schedule
Random Drawing of Team Numbers
Resume Samples
Interview Rubric
Speech Procedures
Speech Rubric
Essay Instructions
Essay Final Version Sheet
Essay Scoring Rubric
Super Quiz Relay Procedures
Super Quiz Relay Team Answer Sheet
ZipGrade ScanTron Rubric Sheet

Documents and Forms

PAAD State Championship Information Memo
State Championship Fee Invoice (due Feb 26)
Registration Form
USAD GPA Computation Forms and Guidelines
Permission Slips
Special Accommodations Form
Regional Scores of State Qualifying Teams