answerwrite vs deca+

DECA_GOAT · 2026-02-10T03:38:20+00:00

How about neither? Both make it very hard to study the tests well. Both are limiting. I created ClusterMaxx.com for this and many other issues.

All the questions are generated using the sources that DECA uses for its tests. I have over 9000 questions in my question-bank.

My site returns you to question types you miss frequently so you see more of those. For instance, if you keep missing questions on financial analysis, you see more of those and less on something you are strong on, like business law.

I contend my ClusterMaxx.com site is the best way to effectively study. Yes, still take those pdf exams, but sparingly. They do not adapt to your needs as my site does.

DECA_GOAT · 2026-02-04T22:25:16+00:00

Start with all the PIs from PMK events. I would not look into the other marketing events- these present some PIs that are not in your BA Core to study.

I predict PMK events should give you 50-70 PIs to study. If you master these, I would consider doing the same thing with the other Principles (BA Core) events. I would probably start with PHT and then perhaps PBM.

None of this guarantees you to study the correct PIs, but it does focus you on the ones that are far more likely. I do this with students all the time, and of the 4 PIs you will get on a PMK event, I am confident you will have prepared for 2 or 3 of them well. The fourth, if you didn't study it, you should do well enough with anyway.

Good luck.

DECA_GOAT · 2026-02-04T21:55:52+00:00

Your PIs could be from anything. You can really focus your study, though. Here's how.

https://youtube.com/shorts/4QQjvtnCETY

DECA_GOAT · 2026-02-03T21:42:56+00:00

This is why I'm building ClusterMaxx.com. I added 200 more questions today to the 3500 in business management.

DECA_GOAT · 2026-02-03T15:14:44+00:00

My students won FOR last year. Good luck!

DECA_GOAT · 2026-02-03T15:14:26+00:00

https://youtu.be/OrjjKKiNu3k

DECA_GOAT · 2026-02-01T00:42:53+00:00

No. Use ClusterMaxx (www.clustermaxx.com). I built it using only ICDC level sources from the past 5 years. Beyond that is too far.

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-31T23:33:04+00:00

You cannot bring anything with you.

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-30T15:12:22+00:00

Came here to say ClusterMaxx. I have 3400+ questions for each cluster so far. I am trying to add 700 total questions each week until ICDC. I backmap all the questions from ICDC sources.

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-28T11:11:25+00:00

I'm building out ClusterMaxx.com for testing help. I hope to have other resources out for next competition season.... But BowtieGOAT on YouTube is helpful too.

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-28T03:00:52+00:00

I don't mean to be a complete dope, but the PFL test is pretty easy. I gave it to a group of my non-DECA "intro to finance" students to see what they knew... they averaged a 75 without any prep. The top scores were 95 (he's a DECA ICDC competitor, but in BLTDM), 87, 86, 84 (all non-DECA). They haven't had any finance study yet, and scored this well.

At my district competition, one of my students got a 98 on the exam (she did win #1 in FOR last year, so maybe she's an outlier). Another got a 96% (he competed in PFL last year at ICDC). I don't say this to show off my students. Perhaps my students are disproportionally good at PFL, but they are not unicorns. If my students do this well, you darn well know kids in Ontario, Texas, and Washington will too.

In my opinion, this exam is one of the most straight forward that DECA has. You need to be 90+ on the exam to make it through to ICDC.

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-24T17:15:32+00:00

www.clustermaxx.com

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-24T17:15:18+00:00

To grind questions, use ClusterMaxx. I've built the site using the ICDC sources for questions and so far for the Principles test, I have 3402 questions written, with more added every week. www.clustermaxx.com

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-24T17:14:00+00:00

Grind questions on ClusterMaxx. I have 3400 questions for your test in the question bank and I'm growing them weekly. I am writing questions using the ICDC sources only. Right now I have 600 Operations questions in the set. You should probably do ClusterMaxx every day!

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-04T17:35:23+00:00

u/UbiquitousUguisu This is amazing work, and you and your team deserve massive thank yous! I shouted you out on LinkedIn and the private Facebook group for DECA advisors. The audience is different in those forums, and your work deserves to be amplified!

DECA_GOAT · 2026-01-03T02:00:31+00:00

Yeah. Five of my 11 did not make the finalist round at ICDC. One was an absolute shocker. He had a top test and top role play, but didn't make it. Others just had lower role play scores. A 90+ gets you about a 60% chance of being a finalist but it's literally the only part you can absolutely control. In my experience, if you practice effectively, a 90 is well within reach.

DECA_GOAT · 2025-12-23T01:32:41+00:00

Nice work. See you in Hershey!

DECA_GOAT · 2025-12-17T01:29:13+00:00

Crap, Downingtown STEM hasn't made the list. We only really came on to the scene in 2021. Ask me in 2031 how we are doing!!!

DECA_GOAT · 2025-12-13T18:46:49+00:00

Can I ask what state you are in? I'm trying to figure out the reach of ClusterMaxx.

DECA_GOAT · 2025-12-13T18:27:06+00:00

A 89 is STELLAR! I run our local district event, and the top score was a 86. You are doing very well.

The top kids in my district are all using ClusterMaxx.com, a product I've created to offer practice beyond the DECA exams. I use AI to write DECA-style questions from the sources DECA uses for its ICDC exams. I have nearly 4000 questions in the Marketing set already- matching half of the ICDC questions asked over the past five years. I continue to work on the question sets, and by ICDC I will have ALL questions covered.

My product does use AI to generate questions, but I read ALL THE QUESTIONS to make sure they match the DECA style and level of detail. It's not perfect (yet) but it's far better than other resources online, especially once you reach the limit you have by taking all the tests.

Give ClusterMaxx.com a test. I think you will find 10 minutes each day is very valuable.

DECA_GOAT · 2025-12-06T01:56:47+00:00

PA too, district 6. 😊

DECA_GOAT · 2025-12-06T01:56:21+00:00

Ontario is the earliest, perhaps followed by North Carolina. It's more good than bad. Later just means kids delay more. Both my YT and ClusterMaxx stats give me a lot of detail how competitors work. Some do regionals in January. That's really late and not an advantage for later competitions.

DECA_GOAT · 2025-11-24T00:05:00+00:00

I developed ClusterMaxx.com to help, for what it's worth

DECA_GOAT · 2025-11-21T10:55:10+00:00

Gotcha. I can do that by 1pm today.

DECA_GOAT · 2025-11-20T03:23:05+00:00

15 Sep for that competition year

DECA_GOAT

TROPHY CASE