Practice Test Booklet
2020-2021
THE COLD WAR
United States Academic Decathlon®
PO Box 4351, Mankato, MN 56002
866-511-USAD
Email:
[email protected] /
... [Show More] Web site: www.usad.org
Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.
Clear Creek High School - League City, TX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Art 4
Music 13
Mathematics 22
Economics 30
Literature 39
Science 48
Social Science 57
Super Quiz™ 65
Essay 73
Speech 75
Interview 76
Test Answer Keys 77
United States Academic Decathlon®
All Rights Reserved
Clear Creek High School - League City, TX
3
FOREWORD
The United States Academic Decathlon® is a ten-event scholastic competition for teams of ninth- through twelfth-grade students
from high schools throughout the United States. Each team is composed of nine members: 3 Honor (A) students, 3 Scholastic
(B) students, and 3 Varsity (C) students. All nine students compete in all ten events with the overall top two Honor scores, top
two Scholastic scores, and top two Varsity scores counting toward the overall team ranking. In many states, first-round
scrimmages include larger teams.
The topics for the ten competitive events are published in the form of subject area outlines in the Study Guide, which is released
in May for the following academic year. The academic decathlon competition tests will be written in accordance with the topics
and percentages noted in the subject area outlines.
The United States Academic Decathlon® competition is comprised of ten events. There are seven multiple-choice exams—one in
each of the following subject areas: Art, Economics, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Social Science, and Science. The
culmination of the competition is the Super Quiz™. The Super Quiz™ includes questions (in multiple-choice format) from the
following seven subject areas: Art, Economics, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, and Social Science. Students will also
take an Essay exam and will be judged in a Speech event as well as an Interview event.
The multiple-choice exams in Art, Economics, Literature, Music, Science, and Social Science each have 50 questions. The Art
Tests will include an accompanying PowerPoint slideshow for question 1-10 that are based upon the artwork images. The Music
Tests will include accompanying listening files for question 1-12 based on the USAD Music CD. The Mathematics exam has 35
questions. Coaches can contact their State Director to find out which question format will be used for the Super Quiz™.
The Literature test items will largely be derived from the selected works of literature, though some test items may also be based
on information provided in the Literature Resource Guide. Furthermore, Literature tests will include a critical reading passage
with accompanying test items. The Literature test will also expect students to be able to analyze the selected works of literature as
well as the critical reading passage and will expect students to be familiar with literary terms and devices.
The United States Academic Decathlon® offers Resource Guides and Student Exercise Books in Art, Economics, Literature,
Music, Science, and Social Science. The Resource Guides and the Student Exercise Books are written by individual writers under
contract with the Academic Decathlon®. The Resource Guides and Student Exercise Books will assist students in their study of
the topics listed in the subject area outlines. All Academic Decathlon® competition test items will be derived from the
information and concepts presented in the Resource Guides, as well as the selected literature, artworks, and musical works.
Students will be given 30 minutes to complete each of the written multiple-choice exams. Students will have 50 minutes to
complete the Essay exam.
The competition tests are developed each year by individual writers under contract with the United States Academic Decathlon®.
The United States Academic Decathlon® contracts with test writers and reviewers who are subject matter experts. Test writers
have been instructed to write the competition tests in accordance with the topics and percentages noted in the subject area outlines.
Test writers have been instructed to construct tests such that at least 10–20% of the questions on each test will require the use of
higher order thinking skills. For more information on higher order thinking skills, please refer to the United States Academic [Show Less]