DECA cluster exams are...
DECA cluster exams are...
Here's why students in my chapter focus on the exam first, and how I support them through the process.
One final week of reduced price BowtieGOAT-created district role plays
Individual Role Play (Scenario 1, if your event has two scenarios)- $3/event until 30 Sep. Price will increase to $5/event in October. For individual series events, you will get Scenario 1.
Individual Role Play (Scenario 2, if your event has two scenarios)- $3/event until 30 Sep. Price will increase to $5/event in October.
All events (28 role plays, including Scenario 1 for all individual events)- $75 until 30 Sep. Prices will increase to $100 in October.
All Scenario 2 events (14 role plays, just Scenario 2 for the individual events)- $38 until 30 Sep. Prices will increase to $60 in October.
Cluster Exams are Marathons not Sprints
Every year my students try their hardest to WIN in DECA, but like many teenagers, they try the easiest work first. This might include opening a role play sample or two, or just taking one cluster exam. Unfortunately for most students, this approach misses the mark. The cluster exam is the only OBJECTIVELY scored component of a DECA role play competitor’s score. A judge may miss how incredible a role play was presented, but a scanner does not miss the correct answers on a DECA cluster exam. So, even though the cluster exam only makes up 33% of the overall score, I encourage my students to focus on the cluster exam.
Cluster exams are not glamorous; rather working through them is tedious. It’s not generally fun work, but it is work that pays off in the end. In the video below, I walk through how to methodically approach a cluster exam.
Recently I was asked how to decipher the two-letter instructional area codes on the cluster exam. I quickly put together a handy sheet to decode the cluster exam answer key. I think I have all the instructional areas identified.
Cluster Exam Targets
New for the 24-25 competition season, I instituted a qualifying score for cluster exams. I want students in my chapter to score at least a 70% on their cluster exam to compete in DECA. Now, I have caveats to this, but I see a 70% as a good basis for competition. If a student diligently follows the advice in the video above, they should be able to get to a 70% to start. I then suggest the following targets for each level of DECA- and yes, different cluster exams and different years alter these numbers a bit.
To succeed at each level, I suggest a student score a minimum of:
70%-75% at Districts/Regionals
80%-85% at States/Provincials
85%-90% at ICDC
These are audacious for some students, but from my experience these targets are appropriate for DECA success.
Start NOW!
For the past 18 months I have been going out for runs. Many weeks, those runs are tiresome experiences where I feel like nothing gets accomplished. Sometimes I wonder if only about one-quarter of my runs feel worth it. But, I stubbornly persist. This summer I ran a half-marathon! And, my mile splits keep improving. Not every run is glorious, but the persistence pays off.
DECA has seven or eight district-level cluster exams posted for each career cluster. Map out a plan to attack ALL of those exams before your district event. Make a study deck of terms to remember. Focus on the tips in the video linked above. Plan for one exam every two week and practice your terms until you know them all.
If competitors start now, the persistence will pay off! Good luck on your DECA success journey!