The Academic Pentathlon is a student competition in which 6th through 8th-grade students compete as individuals and as team members in a series of five academic tests and demonstrations. Students take five 30-minute, multiple choice tests in the subjects of fine arts, literature, mathematics, science, and social science. Students will also have 50 minutes to write an essay on one of three given prompts. In addition to the online tests and essay, teams will compete in a public Super Quiz event testing their knowledge and ability to work as a team.

 

 

California counties hold local Academic Pentathlon competitions for the schools in their county/region. The winning team from each county is then eligible to compete in the California State Finals.

 

 

A team consists of nine full-time students in 6th through 8th grades from the same school. The nine-member team is comprised of three Varsity, three Scholastic, and three Honor students as indicated by the following categories:

 

 

A student may compete in a higher division than their own GPA, but not in a lower division; i.e., a Scholastic student may compete as an Honor student, but not as a Varsity student.

 

 

Only participating teams may attend the test-taking portion of the Academic Pentathlon. The Super Quiz competition and Awards Ceremony are open to the public.

 

 

The United States Academic Pentathlon (USAP) State Finals will be held May 14-16, 2026 in Nashville, TN. Visit the USAP website for a schedule.