Academic Quadrathlon

The Academic Quadrathlon is a competition held at the local, regional and national levels. Teams of four are made up of university undergraduate students. Winning teams move up to the next level of competition. The national winning team is determined at the American Society of Animal Science national meeting in July.
 

How Competition Works

Teams participate in four events: Laboratory Practicum, Written Exam, Oral Presentation, and Quiz Bowl.

In the Laboratory Practicum, the team demonstrates its ability to perform physical skills. Work at each station lasts 15 to 20 minutes and involves the entire team. The work at each station usually involves a species such as beef or swine or a disciplinary area such as nutrition or meats.

The Written Exam has a 60 minute time limit. The questions may involve any area related to animal production and products. Each team works on one exam, dividing the questions as they wish.

In the Oral Presentation, the students may choose from a list of topics related to animal agriculture. They have 60 minutes to prepare the presentation. They will be provided with transparency sheets and markers. During the presentation, they may use an overhead projector to share information. This is an exercise in cooperative problem solving.

In the Quiz Bowl, questions may be on any topic that relates to animal agriculture and that are answerable in a short period of time. Each round is made up of "toss up" questions. After a series of "toss up" questions, teams can earn the chance to get extra points on a "bonus" question. Toss up questions must be answered individually. For bonus question, individuals may confer with their team. Quiz games will be organized as double elimination tournament.