What is on each DECA exam.
DECA has 7 exams. Your event decides which one you take, and each exam draws its questions from a fixed set of instructional areas. Here is each exam, the events that take it, and how much of it every area is.
MarketingHospitality + TourismBusiness Administration CoreFinanceBusiness Management + AdministrationEntrepreneurshipPersonal Financial LiteracyNo exam
Marketing exam
Taken in: Apparel and Accessories Marketing Series (AAM), Automotive Services Marketing Series (ASM), Business Services Marketing Series (BSM), Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making (BTDM), Food Marketing Series (FMS), Integrated Marketing Campaign-Event (IMCE), Integrated Marketing Campaign-Product (IMCP), Integrated Marketing Campaign-Service (IMCS), Marketing Communications Series (MCS), Marketing Management Team Decision Making (MTDM), Professional Selling (PSE), Retail Merchandising Series (RMS), Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series (SEM), Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making (STDM)
Hospitality + Tourism exam
Taken in: Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling (HTPS), Hospitality Services Team Decision Making (HTDM), Hotel and Lodging Management Series (HLM), Quick Serve Restaurant Management Series (QSRM), Restaurant and Food Service Management Series (RFSM), Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making (TTDM)
Business Administration Core exam
Taken in: Principles of Business Management and Administration (PBM), Principles of Entrepreneurship (PEN), Principles of Finance (PFN), Principles of Hospitality and Tourism (PHT), Principles of Marketing (PMK)
Finance exam
Taken in: Accounting Applications Series (ACT), Business Finance Series (BFS), Financial Consulting (FCE), Financial Services Team Decision Making (FTDM)
Business Management + Administration exam
Taken in: Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making (BLTDM), Human Resources Management Series (HRM)
Entrepreneurship exam
Taken in: Entrepreneurship Series (ENT), Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making (ETDM)
Events with no exam
These 26 events are judged on a written entry, a project or an online challenge instead of an exam.
Business Operations Research: Business Services Operations Research (BOR), Buying and Merchandising Operations Research (BMOR), Finance Operations Research (FOR), Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research (HTOR), Sports and Entertainment Marketing Operations Research (SEOR)
Project Management: Business Solutions Project (PMBS), Career Development Project (PMCD), Community Awareness Project (PMCA), Community Giving Project (PMCG), Financial Literacy Project (PMFL), Sales Project (PMSP)
Entrepreneurship: Business Growth Plan (EBG), Franchise Business Plan (EFB), Independent Business Plan (EIB), Innovation Plan (EIP), International Business Plan (IBP), Start-Up Business Plan (ESB)
Online Events: Stock Market Game (SMG), Virtual Business Challenge-Accounting (VBCAC), Virtual Business Challenge-Entrepreneurship (VBCEN), Virtual Business Challenge-Fashion (VBCFA), Virtual Business Challenge-Hotel Management (VBCHM), Virtual Business Challenge-Personal Finance (VBCPF), Virtual Business Challenge-Restaurant (VBCRS), Virtual Business Challenge-Retail (VBCRT), Virtual Business Challenge-Sports (VBCSP)
The shares are the international conference column of DECA's 2026-27 exam blueprints. District and association exams split their questions slightly differently. The exams are written by MBA Research from each cluster's performance indicators. DECA does not publish an exam time limit, so this page gives none.
Next: How DECA role plays are scored. Or see every DECA event.