Contributed by Robert Moore, Virginia DECA
DECA competitions are coming up fast!
How will you #OwnYourFuture and advance further in each competition? One factor that is often overlooked in DECA competitive event performance is the exam!
Why is the exam important?
Many DECA competitors take the exam for granted, as it can be easy to just strive for a passing score so you can advance to districts. However, the exam counts for one-third of your overall score, which may not seem like too much, but it could be the determining factor between going to #DECAICDC or sitting at home.
How can I prepare for the exam?
Study, study, study! There is nothing more important than studying and practicing. The best way to improve your exam score is by practicing; repetition is key. Practice by taking old exams, which you can find on DECA.org under your competition event. For each wrong answer, make sure you go back and read over the explanation and ensure that you understand why you got it wrong.
Knowledge of vocabulary is also extremely helpful for some of the questions so that you can fully understand what the question may be asking. Even though you don’t need to know business terms for all of the questions, studying the business vocab words will serve you well on the test and definitely in your role-play. Impressing your judge with accurate information is important because it shows that you really know what you are talking about.
Don’t overthink it!
There are many questions on the test that don’t require substantial prior business knowledge to be able to answer. You just need to have a little common sense to identify the clear choice. Just use a lil’ logic – you’re a DECA superstar, you got this!
With these tips you will #OwnYourFuture and achieve an epic exam score. See you at #DECAICDC
