2 Questions Flunk as Academic Decathlon Wraps Up

While Southern California high school students on Saturday night celebrated the end of the grueling two-day Academic Decathlon, officials were embarrassed that two written questions in the contest had to be invalidated.

Two multiple-choice questions on the social studies portion of the intellectual contest had incorrect answers, angering many students and coaches.

“They were poor questions,” acknowledged Judy Combs, executive director of the California Academic Decathlon. “They were confusing. They should not have been on the test.”

The controversy over the disqualified questions did not, however, dampen spirits at Saturday’s Super Quiz, the only portion of the contest open to the public.

The nine-member decathlon teams divided into three groups of students who had seven seconds to answer questions about biophysics, neurotransmitters, hormones, cognitive behavior and rat research.

The questions were based on this year’s decathlon theme: the brain.

Alemany High School of Mission Hills placed first, followed by El Camino Real of Woodland Hills--defending national champions--and Los Angeles High was third, according to preliminary results.

Other top finishers in the oral Super Quiz were: Marshall and Garfield high schools, tied for fourth; Laguna Hills, fifth; Belmont and Moorpark high schools, sixth; Palisades Charter, seventh, and St. Francis, eighth.

The College Bowl-style Super Quiz is the most popular decathlon event and accounts for one-tenth of the team’s total score.

Official winners of the Super Quiz, as well as the entire decathlon, will be announced today. In all, 50 teams made up of 439 students competed in the 20th annual decathlon.

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Hours before the Super Quiz on Saturday, the hot topic among coaches and students was the invalidated questions.

Coaches said that the same two questions were invalidated two weeks ago during the Texas state decathlon competition and that officials should have corrected them for the California contest.

Combs said the invalidated questions will not affect overall scores.

The overall winning team will represent California in the national decathlon finals at Cal State Fullerton next month.

Students and coaches said one invalidated question asked what form of government was practiced in ancient Egypt. Of the choices available, the “correct” answer was dynasty. Decathlon officials conceded on Saturday that a dynasty is not a form of government.

The social studies exam also had a question with the “correct” answer listed as Memphis. It was, in fact, Thebes.