What DECA events does CompeteAI cover?

CompeteAI covers all 28 DECA events across Principles, Individual Series, Cluster Exams, Marketing Management, and Written Events.

What does Pro include?

Pro ($19.99/mo) gives you unlimited AI-generated DECA practice tests with full cluster analytics, AI coaching, roleplay grading, test history, and priority support. All difficulty levels included: Regional, State, and ICDC.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. The free plan includes 3 total practice tests across every DECA event and difficulty tier, with up to 100 questions per test. When you're ready for unlimited tests, upgrade to Pro ($19.99/mo).

Do you offer refunds?

No. All sales are final. You can cancel future billing at any time from your dashboard, but past charges are non-refundable. We disclose this clearly at checkout.

How do I manage my subscription?

Manage or cancel from your dashboard settings. You keep full access until the end of your current billing period. All sales are final.

How is CompeteAI different from Prilo?

Prilo focuses primarily on World Scholars Cup content (82% of their traffic). CompeteAI covers all 28 DECA events with PI-specific scoring, judge feedback, and roleplay grading. CompeteAI offers deeper DECA-specific preparation with calibrated difficulty tiers (Regional, State, ICDC) that Prilo does not provide.

What is the Above and Beyond strategy in DECA?

Above and Beyond is a DECA roleplay scoring strategy where competitors demonstrate knowledge beyond the basic performance indicators. It includes bringing real-world examples, industry data, and creative solutions that exceed judge expectations. CompeteAI trains you to identify Above and Beyond opportunities in every roleplay scenario.

What are the four DECA written events?

The four DECA written events are Business Growth Plan (BGP), Innovation Plan (IP), Integrated Marketing Campaign (IMCE), and Start-Up Business Plan (SUP). Each requires a multi-page written document and a presentation to judges.

How long are the written event documents?

Each event has specific page limits. BGP and SUP typically allow up to 11 pages, while IP and IMCE may allow up to 10 pages. Exceeding the page limit results in automatic point deductions.

How are written events scored?

Judges use a rubric with multiple categories (executive summary, business model, financials, marketing, etc.). Each category has specific criteria worth a set number of points. Presentation delivery and Q&A handling are scored separately.

What are the most common mistakes in DECA written events?

The most common mistakes include: weak financial projections with no supporting calculations, executive summaries that summarize rather than sell, missing contingency plans, and exceeding page limits. Each event guide on CompeteAI lists the top mistakes with specific fixes.

Can I use CompeteAI to practice written events?

Yes. Each written event guide includes practice prompts at three difficulty levels (standard, challenging, competition), detailed section breakdowns, the full scoring rubric with point allocations, and the most common mistakes to avoid.

4 Written Events -- complete guides

DECA written event prep that judges actually score high.

Complete preparation guides for every DECA written event. Section breakdowns, scoring rubrics, practice prompts at three difficulty levels, and the common mistakes that cost competitors 10-20 points.

BGP, IP, IMCE, SUP Section-by-section guides Scoring rubrics included

Four written events, complete coverage

Each guide covers the full document structure, scoring rubric with point allocations, practice prompts at standard/challenging/competition difficulty, and the mistakes that experienced judges see most often.

BGP11 pages max | 15 min presentation

Business Growth Plan

Participants develop a comprehensive plan for growing an existing business. The written document is prepared in advance, then presented and defended before a panel of judges. The plan must demonstrate strategic thinking, financial literacy, and reali...

Document Sections (7)

Executive Summarymax 1 page

A one-page overview that captures the essence of the entire growth plan. This is the first thing judges read and often d...

Business Overviewmax 2 pages

A detailed description of the existing business including its history, products/services, current revenue and profitabil...

SWOT Analysismax 1 page

A thorough Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis that grounds the growth strategy in reality. Each ...

Growth Strategymax 3 pages

The core of the plan. Detail the specific growth approach: organic expansion, franchising, acquisition, new markets, new...

Marketing Planmax 2 pages

How the business will attract and retain customers during and after the growth phase. Cover positioning, target market s...

Financial Projectionsmax 2 pages

Three-year pro forma financial statements including income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. Must inclu...

Implementation Timelinemax 1 page

A phased timeline with specific milestones, responsible parties, and measurable deliverables. Typically a Gantt chart or...

Scoring Rubric (30 total points)

Executive Summary4 criteria

3 pts

Business Overview and Situation Analysis5 criteria

5 pts

Growth Strategy6 criteria

7 pts

Marketing Plan5 criteria

5 pts

Financial Projections5 criteria

5 pts

Implementation and Presentation5 criteria

5 pts

Practice Prompts (5)

Expand a Bakery Chainstandard

Sweet Rise Bakery has operated a single location in downtown Portland for 5 years, generating $850K in annual revenue with a 22% net profit margin. They have a loyal customer base ...

Grow an E-Commerce Brandchallenging

ThreadLine is a 3-year-old direct-to-consumer sustainable clothing brand generating $1.4M in annual online revenue. Their average order value is $78 and they have 12,000 repeat cus...

Franchise a Fitness Studiocompetition

PulseCore Fitness operates 3 company-owned boutique fitness studios in Austin, TX with combined annual revenue of $2.1M. Each location averages 400 active members paying $129/month...

Scale a SaaS Productchallenging

TaskFlow is a 2-year-old project management SaaS tool with $600K in annual recurring revenue (ARR), 150 paying business customers, and a monthly churn rate of 4%. The product has s...

Grow a Local Service Businesscompetition

CleanPro Solutions is a 7-year-old commercial cleaning company serving 85 office buildings in the Charlotte, NC metro area. Annual revenue is $1.8M with a 15% net profit margin and...

Common Mistakes to Avoid (10)

Writing the executive summary first instead of last

Fix: Complete every other section first, then write the executive summary as a true summary of the finished document....

Using vague growth targets like 'increase revenue significantly'

Fix: State every goal with a specific number, timeframe, and baseline: 'Grow revenue from $850K to $2.4M within 36 months.'...

Presenting financial projections without stating the underlying assumptions

Fix: List every assumption explicitly: growth rate, margin expectations, customer acquisition rate, pricing changes, cost increases. Cite industry benchmar...

+7 more common mistakes covered

Start practicing

IP11 pages max | 15 min presentation

Innovation Plan

Participants propose an innovative business idea, product, service, or process improvement. The plan emphasizes creativity, feasibility, market validation, and a clear implementation strategy. Judges evaluate the originality of the innovation, the ri...

Document Sections (7)

Executive Summarymax 1 page

A concise, compelling one-page overview of the innovation. Must communicate the problem being solved, the innovative sol...

Proposal Descriptionmax 2 pages

A detailed explanation of the innovation -- what it is, how it works, why it is different from existing solutions, and w...

Market Analysismax 2 pages

Research-backed analysis of the target market, customer needs, industry trends, and competitive landscape. Must demonstr...

Proposed Innovationmax 2 pages

Deep dive into the innovation itself including the design thinking process, prototype development, testing methodology, ...

Feasibilitymax 1 page

An honest assessment of technical, operational, and financial feasibility. Judges reward plans that acknowledge challeng...

Implementationmax 1 page

A detailed go-to-market plan and development roadmap with phases, milestones, resource requirements, and key partnership...

Financial Projectionsmax 2 pages

Three-year financial forecasts including revenue projections, cost structure, pro forma statements, break-even analysis,...

Scoring Rubric (30 total points)

Executive Summary4 criteria

3 pts

Innovation Description and Originality5 criteria

5 pts

Market Analysis5 criteria

5 pts

Innovation Development Process5 criteria

5 pts

Business Model and Financial Projections6 criteria

7 pts

Implementation and Presentation5 criteria

5 pts

Practice Prompts (5)

Smart Retail Experiencecompetition

Develop an Innovation Plan for 'ShopSense,' a smart in-store retail experience that uses computer vision and machine learning to provide personalized product recommendations, virtu...

Sustainable Packaging Innovationchallenging

Create an Innovation Plan for 'WrapCycle,' a biodegradable, seaweed-based packaging material that replaces single-use plastic packaging for e-commerce shipments. The material is wa...

Smart Campus Platformstandard

Develop an Innovation Plan for 'CampusIQ,' a mobile-first smart campus platform for universities that integrates class scheduling, indoor navigation, real-time facility availabilit...

Healthcare Accessibility Appchallenging

Create an Innovation Plan for 'MedBridge,' a mobile application that connects patients in underserved rural communities with licensed healthcare providers via asynchronous telemedi...

Food Waste Reduction Systemcompetition

Develop an Innovation Plan for 'FreshTrack,' an IoT-enabled inventory management system for grocery stores that uses smart shelf sensors and predictive analytics to reduce food was...

Common Mistakes to Avoid (10)

The innovation is not actually innovative -- it already exists

Fix: Conduct thorough patent and market searches before committing. If similar products exist, clearly articulate what is DIFFERENT about yours -- a new te...

Heavy on concept, light on feasibility

Fix: Include technical specifications, manufacturing process descriptions, and ideally a prototype or proof of concept. Even a 3D-printed model or function...

Market size estimates pulled from thin air

Fix: Build market size bottom-up: number of target customers x willingness to pay x purchase frequency. Cross-reference with top-down industry data. Show t...

+7 more common mistakes covered

Start practicing

IMCE11 pages max | 15 min presentation

Integrated Marketing Campaign

Participants develop a comprehensive integrated marketing campaign for a real or hypothetical product, service, or brand. The campaign must demonstrate mastery of the promotional mix, media planning, creative strategy, budget allocation, and campaign...

Document Sections (7)

Executive Summarymax 1 page

A one-page overview of the entire campaign including the client, objectives, target audience, campaign theme, key channe...

Company Overviewmax 2 pages

Background on the client or brand, including its history, market position, current marketing efforts, brand identity, an...

Target Marketmax 1 page

A detailed profile of the campaign's target audience including demographics, psychographics, media consumption habits, p...

Campaign Thememax 2 pages

The creative big idea that ties the entire campaign together. Includes the campaign name/tagline, creative concept, visu...

Media Planmax 2 pages

Detailed media strategy including channel selection rationale, media calendar, reach and frequency goals, and how channe...

Budgetmax 1 page

A detailed campaign budget with line items for each channel, creative production, research, agency fees, contingency, an...

Evaluation Planmax 2 pages

How campaign success will be measured. Includes KPIs, tracking methodology, analytics tools, reporting cadence, and post...

Scoring Rubric (30 total points)

Executive Summary and Campaign Overview4 criteria

3 pts

Target Audience Analysis4 criteria

4 pts

Creative Strategy and Campaign Theme5 criteria

5 pts

Integrated Media Plan6 criteria

7 pts

Budget and Financial Planning5 criteria

5 pts

Evaluation and Presentation6 criteria

6 pts

Practice Prompts (5)

Product Launch Campaignstandard

AquaPure has developed a new at-home water filtration system that removes 99.9% of contaminants and costs $149 (competitors average $250). The product launches in 3 months. Develop...

Rebrand Campaignchallenging

Heritage Hardware is a 60-year-old hardware store chain with 45 locations across the Midwest. The brand has lost 25% market share to big-box retailers and online sellers over the p...

Holiday Campaignchallenging

GlowBox is a subscription beauty box company ($35/month) with 80,000 active subscribers. They want to capitalize on the holiday season by launching a limited-edition 'Gift of Glow'...

Cause Marketing Campaigncompetition

FreshStride, a mid-market athletic shoe brand ($80-$120 price point), wants to launch a cause marketing campaign tied to youth fitness. For every pair sold during the campaign, $5 ...

Gen Z Engagement Campaigncompetition

NovaTech is a consumer electronics brand known for affordable laptops and tablets ($300-$600 range). Their customer base skews 35-55 and they are nearly invisible to Gen Z consumer...

Common Mistakes to Avoid (10)

The campaign is a collection of individual tactics, not an integrated strategy

Fix: Start with a single campaign theme that translates across every channel. Show how each tactic drives people to the next touchpoint. Map the customer j...

No creative mockups or visual examples

Fix: Create actual mockups for key tactics: social media posts, digital ads, email templates, landing pages. Use Canva, Figma, or similar tools....

SMART objectives that are not actually measurable

Fix: Every objective needs a number and a method: 'Increase unaided brand awareness among 18-24 year olds from 12% to 25% within 6 months, measured by pre/...

+7 more common mistakes covered

Start practicing

SUP11 pages max | 15 min presentation

Start-Up Business Plan

Participants develop a comprehensive business plan for launching a new venture. The plan covers everything from concept to financials, demonstrating entrepreneurial thinking, market research skills, financial literacy, and operational planning. The w...

Document Sections (7)

Executive Summarymax 1 page

A one-page investor-ready overview of the startup including the concept, problem being solved, target market, revenue mo...

Business Descriptionmax 2 pages

A detailed description of the business concept, legal structure, location, mission and vision, and value proposition. Mu...

Market Analysismax 2 pages

A thorough analysis of the industry, target market, customer needs, and market size. Must demonstrate that a real, acces...

Marketing Planmax 2 pages

How the startup will attract its first customers and build a sustainable customer acquisition engine. Covers positioning...

Operations Planmax 2 pages

How the business operates day-to-day including processes, suppliers, technology, facilities, equipment, and staffing....

Financial Planmax 2 pages

The most heavily weighted section. Includes startup costs, revenue model, three-year pro forma financial statements, bre...

Funding Requestmax 1 page

A clear statement of how much capital is needed, what type of funding is sought, how the funds will be used, and the exp...

Scoring Rubric (30 total points)

Executive Summary4 criteria

3 pts

Business Concept and Market Analysis5 criteria

5 pts

Competitive Analysis and Positioning4 criteria

4 pts

Marketing and Sales Strategy5 criteria

5 pts

Operations and Management4 criteria

4 pts

Financial Plan and Presentation9 criteria

9 pts

Practice Prompts (5)

Meal Prep Delivery Servicestandard

Develop a startup business plan for 'FuelBox,' a weekly meal prep delivery service targeting busy professionals aged 25-40 in the Austin, TX metro area. FuelBox offers customizable...

Online Tutoring Platformchallenging

Create a startup plan for 'BrightPath,' an online tutoring platform that matches K-12 students with qualified tutors for one-on-one virtual sessions. The platform uses an automated...

Eco-Friendly Products Storestandard

Develop a business plan for 'GreenShift,' a direct-to-consumer brand selling eco-friendly household essentials: concentrated cleaning products, reusable kitchen supplies, and susta...

Pet Services Businesschallenging

Create a startup plan for 'PawPlace,' a premium pet care facility offering dog daycare ($45/day), overnight boarding ($65/night), grooming ($50-$90), and dog training classes ($200...

Mobile Car Wash and Detailingcompetition

Develop a business plan for 'SparkMobile,' a mobile car wash and detailing service that comes to customers at their home, office, or gym parking lot. Services range from a basic wa...

Common Mistakes to Avoid (10)

Starting with the solution instead of the problem

Fix: Open every section, especially the executive summary and presentation, with the customer pain point. Use data to show the problem's scale....

Overestimating revenue and underestimating expenses in Year 1

Fix: Research actual ramp-up timelines for similar businesses. Include a 3-6 month working capital reserve. Show the realistic J-curve of early losses befo...

Financial projections built top-down from market share instead of bottom-up

Fix: Build revenue bottom-up: number of customers x average transaction x frequency. Derive each number from research and comparable businesses....

+7 more common mistakes covered

Start practicing

Written event quick reference

Event	Code	Pages	Presentation	Sections	Practice Prompts
Business Growth Plan	BGP	11	15 min	7	5
Innovation Plan	IP	11	15 min	7	5
Integrated Marketing Campaign	IMCE	11	15 min	7	5
Start-Up Business Plan	SUP	11	15 min	7	5

Written events FAQ

What are the four DECA written events?: The four DECA written events are Business Growth Plan (BGP), Innovation Plan (IP), Integrated Marketing Campaign (IMCE), and Start-Up Business Plan (SUP). Each requires a multi-page written document and a presentation to judges.
How long are the written event documents?: Each event has specific page limits. BGP and SUP typically allow up to 11 pages, while IP and IMCE may allow up to 10 pages. Exceeding the page limit results in automatic point deductions.
How are written events scored?: Judges use a rubric with multiple categories (executive summary, business model, financials, marketing, etc.). Each category has specific criteria worth a set number of points. Presentation delivery and Q&A handling are scored separately.
What are the most common mistakes in DECA written events?: The most common mistakes include: weak financial projections with no supporting calculations, executive summaries that summarize rather than sell, missing contingency plans, and exceeding page limits. Each event guide on CompeteAI lists the top mistakes with specific fixes.
Can I use CompeteAI to practice written events?: Yes. Each written event guide includes practice prompts at three difficulty levels (standard, challenging, competition), detailed section breakdowns, the full scoring rubric with point allocations, and the most common mistakes to avoid.

Start your written event prep tonight.

Free trial included. Full access to all written event guides, practice prompts, and rubric breakdowns.

DECA written event prep that judges actually score high.

Four written events, complete coverage

Business Growth Plan

Document Sections (7)

Scoring Rubric (30 total points)

Practice Prompts (5)

Common Mistakes to Avoid (10)

Innovation Plan

Document Sections (7)

Scoring Rubric (30 total points)

Practice Prompts (5)

Common Mistakes to Avoid (10)

Integrated Marketing Campaign

Document Sections (7)

Scoring Rubric (30 total points)

Practice Prompts (5)

Common Mistakes to Avoid (10)

Start-Up Business Plan

Document Sections (7)

Scoring Rubric (30 total points)

Practice Prompts (5)

Common Mistakes to Avoid (10)

Written event quick reference

Written events FAQ

More DECA prep resources

All 28 DECA Practice Tests

Roleplay Grading

Marketing Cluster Exam

Start your written event prep tonight.