How to guide on DECA Written Events for California DECA competitive events. Resource created by California DECA Team 63 www.californiadeca.org

1. Introduction to:
Written Events

2. WHAT IS IT?
• INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM EVENT
• EXAM (FOR SOME EVENTS)
• CREATE A WRITTEN DOCUMENT (BUSINESS
PLAN, SALES PITCH, REPORT OF ACTIVITIES)
• PRESENTATION WITH JUDGES

3. INDIVIDUAL OR
TEAM EVENT
INDIVIDUAL
• SOME EVENTS
DONE INDEPENDENTLY
TEAM
• SOME EVENTS
HAVE TEAMS OF 1-3
• CHAPTER TEAM EVENTS
REQUIRE LOCAL CHAPTER
MEMBERS’ INVOLVEMENT
IN ACTIVITIES

4. CLUSTER EXAM
• 100 QUESTION MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM
• 90 MINUTES
• CONTENT BASED ON THE EVENT YOU ARE
COMPETING IN
I.E. ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN COMPETITORS
WOULD TAKE A MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM

5. CLUSTER EXAM
SOURCE: DECA.ORG
• ONLY SOME EVENTS HAVE CLUSTER EXAMS!
• CHECK DECA.ORG/COMPETITIONS/HIGHSCHOOL
TO SEE IF YOUR EVENT REQUIRES AN EXAM
• SAMPLE QUESTIONS

6. EVENT OF YOUR
CHOOSING
• YOU WILL RECEIVE A PROMPT FROM YOUR
CATEGORY, SO CHOOSE AN EVENT THAT
INTERESTS YOU!
• 24 EVENTS TO CHOOSE FROM!
WWW.DECA.ORG/COMPETITIONS/HIGHSCHOOL

7. WRITTEN REPORT
( R E Q U I R E D I N A L L E V E N T S E X C E P T
P R O F E S S I O N A L S E L L I N G )
• DO YOUR RESEARCH, PLAN YOUR ACTIVITIES, AND
GATHER YOUR IDEAS WELL AHEAD OF TIME
• CREATE A POLISHED, ACCURATE, AND VISUALLY APPEALING
WRITTEN REPORT
• MAXIMUM REPORT LENGTHS RANGE FROM 5 TO 11 TO 30
PAGES BASED ON EVENT

8. WRITTEN REPORT:
THE BASICS
• FOLLOW THE FORMAT GIVEN IN THE EVENT GUIDELINES BY
CLICKING ON YOUR EVENT NAME AT
DECA.ORG/COMPETITIONS/HIGHSCHOOL
• MAKE SURE TO READ ALL THE EVENT GUIDELINES THOROUGHLY
SO YOU DON’T LOSE ANY PENALTY POINTS

9. SAMPLE WRITTEN EVENT
EVENT
SPORTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT
PROMOTION PLAN
(MARKETING
REPRESENTATIVE
EVENT)
PART OF PAGE 3
SOURCE: DECA.ORG

10. PRESENT TO A JUDGE
• EITHER 15 OR 20 MINUTES MAX, DEPENDING ON THE
EVENT
• PITCH YOUR PLAN, PRODUCT, OR PRESENT YOUR
RESEARCH OR PROJECTS
• USE VISUAL AIDS (I.E. POWERPOINT, POSTER) TO
ENHANCE YOUR VERBAL PRESENTATION
• ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS FROM THE JUDGE(S) AT THE
END

11. SOURCE: DECADIRECT.ORG
PRACTICE,
PRACTICE,
PRACTICE,
AND
MAKE IT COUNT!

12. FOR MORE
INFORMATION…
• PLEASE VISIT THE CALIFORNIA DECA RESOURCES
PAGE AT
CALIFORNIADECA.ORG/RESOURCES.PHP FOR
ADDITIONAL ROLE-PLAY RESOURCES
• CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER
OFFICERS/ADVISORS OR YOUR STATE OFFICERS
(CALIFORNIADECA.ORG/OFFICERS.PHP)
• SEND US A TWEET (@CALIFORNIADECA) OR
FACEBOOK MESSAGE
(FACEBOOK.COM/CALIFORNIADECA)