About this event
Each member takes a written exam on farm and agribusiness management worth 280 points. It mixes multiple choice, short answer and fill in the blank, and some questions need calculations. Members get up to three hours for it (the scoring table prints 90 to 180 minutes), and the handbook prints no question count. Each member also does a practicum of 30 to 90 minutes, worth 20 points; for 2027 it is Financial Statements, where students fill in a balance sheet or similar statement from an interview or summary and then analyze it. Last, the team has 90 minutes to solve a management problem together, worth 300 points. Teams may hand in a written report or give an oral presentation, as the orientation packet says. Teams have four members, and all four scores count. Each absent member costs 20% of the team activity points earned. The event is open to grades 7 to 12. FFA Official Dress is highly recommended. Pencils and a basic 4 or 5 function calculator are provided, students may not bring their own calculator, and teams may need to bring a laptop. State winners move on to the national event held with the 100th National FFA Convention and Expo, October 27 to 30, 2027, in Indianapolis.
FormatExam + Case Study
DurationWritten exam up to 180 min (table says 90 to 180, text says three hours), practicum 30 to 90 min, team activity 90 min
Solo or teamTeam of 4
CategoryAgribusiness Systems
Your plan
How to study
Built from the official handbook. Take the check and read every lesson here with no account; a free account keeps your progress and opens flashcards, practice and full exams.
Find your weakest area
Take the 8-question check below: one question from each of the 8 biggest areas. It tells you where to start.
Start the checkLearn every area
Every area of the official handbook is below. Each has a short lesson, flashcards and practice, plus free reading.
See the areasPractice until every bar is full
Practice gives you one question at a time and leans toward the areas you miss. Your readiness meter fills as you get them right in every area.
PracticeTake a full exam on the real clock
50 questions in up to 180 minutes, a practice count on the official time limit. Your readiness meter counts your last 3 full exams from the past 30 days, and 90% fills each one.
Take a practice exam
The areas of the exam
Financial Statements
Budgeting
Marketing
Income Tax
Investment Analysis
Risk Management
Business Organization and Land Measurement
Analyzing the Agricultural Business
Family Living
Economic Principles
Start here
Find your weakest area
8 questions, one from each of the 8 biggest areas of the Farm and Agribusiness Management exam. Each one is graded the moment you answer, with the reason, and the last screen tells you which area to study first. No account needed.
Exam day
What to expect
The written exam
Official format: Written exam up to 180 min (table says 90 to 180, text says three hours), practicum 30 to 90 min, team activity 90 min.
Written from the handbook
The exam covers the areas the event's handbook lists, from the references it names. Practice questions here are drawn from the same areas.
How you advance
How many advance from districts to states and on to the National FFA Convention & Expo (National Convention) depends on your association's rules. Study the official handbook: it lists every part of the event and how each is scored.
Exam format
- Time limitup to 180 minutes
- TeamTeam of 4
Competition levels: District Career Development Events, then State Career Development Events, then National FFA Convention & Expo
Official reference books
Listed in the official FFA handbook. Your school or public library may have them.
- Farm and Ranch Business Management, 8th edition, John Deere Publishing (Deere and Company), 2010
- Farm Management (Kay, Edwards and Duffy), most current edition, McGraw-Hill Book Co. (paid book)
- Farmers Tax Guide, Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service
- Farm Finance Scorecard, Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota
- Financial Guidelines for Agriculture Producers, Farm Financial Standards Council, 1998
Guidelines and resources
Bookmark to saveCurated by ChapterPrep. Free unless noted. External links open in a new tab.