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DECA role-play practice with an AI judge
Get a new role-play for your event, prepare on the clock, present to a judge who plays the part, then see your score row by row on a sheet laid out like DECA’s 2026-27 evaluation form.
How does a DECA role-play practice round work?
- Pick your event. Any DECA principles, Individual Series, Team Decision Making or Personal Financial Literacy event.
- Read the participant sheet. The event, career cluster, instructional area, the Solution and Career Competency lists, and performance indicators taken word for word from DECA’s 2026-27 lists.
- Prepare on the clock. 10 minutes, or 30 for Team Decision Making, with a reminder of the rules: notes you make during prep are allowed, outside materials aren’t.
- Present. Type, or talk to the face-to-face judge. It listens without interrupting, then asks two follow-up questions. The round stops at the time limit, like in competition.
- See your score. Every performance indicator, Solution and Career Competency row with its points and level, notes on what you said next to what a top scorer would say, and a model answer.
Does it follow DECA’s 2026-27 format?
Real timing
Principles and Individual Series: 10 minutes to prepare and up to 10 minutes with the judge, questions included. Team Decision Making: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to present.
Official performance indicators
4 for principles events, 5 for Individual Series and Team Decision Making, 3 for Personal Financial Literacy, the same counts DECA uses this season.
The new rubric
Performance indicators, a Solution section (unique, practical, effective), Career Competencies and Overall Impression, each scored Novice, Developing, Proficient or Exemplary.
Two follow-up questions
DECA’s guidelines say judges’ questions push you past the performance indicators. The AI judge asks about carrying out your plan, measuring it or defending it.
Want the details? Read how DECA role-plays are scored and how to ace a DECA role-play.
What practice modes are there?
- Study mode shows the judge’s questions before the round, so you can plan your answers.
- Relaxed mode has no hard stop, for your first few rounds.
- Face-to-face judge: answer out loud and get your pace, filler words and eye contact back with the score.
- Team practice for Team Decision Making, with exactly two partners.
Which DECA events have role-plays?
Prepared events have their own presentation practice. See every DECA event.
Questions
Is this an official DECA role-play?
No. CompPrep AI isn’t affiliated with DECA. Every scenario is original, written to the structure of DECA’s 2026-27 role-plays, and the performance indicators come word for word from DECA’s published lists. DECA’s own sample role-plays are on deca.org.
Does the AI judge interrupt?
No. DECA judges let you present without interrupting, so the AI judge does too. It asks its two follow-up questions after you say you’re finished, then thanks you, the way the judge sheets in DECA’s 2026 samples are written.
Can I practice out loud?
Yes. The face-to-face judge listens through your microphone in the browser, asks its questions out loud and hands back your score sheet. You can also type your answers.
Can my Team Decision Making partner practice with me?
Yes. Team practice takes exactly two names, like DECA’s teams, and the judge directs its questions to each partner so you both answer at least one.
How close is the score to a real judge’s?
It’s a practice estimate. It uses the rows and point ranges of the 2026-27 form, and it shows the line from your answer behind each row, but real judges differ. Use it to find the rows where you lose the most points.
Is it free?
Yes. The free plan includes one AI judge session a day. Pro gives you five a day, and a chapter plan gives every member Pro.