2024-25 Competitive Events Guidelines

Computer Applications (High School)

Computer Applications provides members with the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge around
competencies in different applications in computing. It aims to inspire members to learn about
the effective application of the computer to facilitate handling of business information. This
competitive event consists of an objective test and production test.

Event Overview
Division: High School
Event Type: Individual
Event Category: Production
Event Elements: Objective Test, 100-multiple choice questions (breakdown of question by
competencies below) and Production Test
Objective Test Time: 50 minutes
Production Test Time: 2 hours
NACE Connections: Career & Self-Development

Objective Test Competencies

• Basic Computer Terminology and Concepts
• Presentation, Publishing, and
Multimedia Applications Objective Test Composition
• Spreadsheet and Database 35
Applications 30
• Basic Application Knowledge 25
20
and Word Processing 15
• E-mail, Integrated, and 10
5
Collaboration Applications 0
• Netiquette and Legal Issues
• Security
• Formatting, Grammar,
Punctuation, Spelling, and
Proofreading

Production Test Competencies

• Create, Search, and Query
Databases
• Spreadsheet Functions and
Production Test Composition
Formulas
• Creating and Formatting with 25
Word Processing 20
• Developing Slides & 15
Presentations 10
• Integrating Databases and 5
Word Processing 0
• Integrating Spreadsheets and
Word Processing
• Integrating Presentations and
Spreadsheets
• Integrating Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and Databases

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Computer Applications (High School)

District/Region/Section
Check with your District/Region/Section leadership for District/Region/Section-specific
competition information.

State
Check with your State Leader for state-specific competition information.

National

Required Competition Items

Items Competitor Must Provide Items FBLA Provides
Objective Test • Sharpened pencil • One piece of scratch
• Fully powered device for online paper per competitor
testing • Internet access
• Conference-provided nametag • Test login information
• Photo identification (link & password)
• Attire that meets the FBLA Dress
Code
Production Test • Fully powered device for • Production test tasks
production test • Internet access for
• Conference-provided nametag submission
• Photo identification
• Attire that meets the FBLA Dress
Code

Important FBLA Documents

• Competitors should be familiar with the Competitive Events Policy & Procedures
Manual, Honor Code, Code of Conduct, and Dress Code.

Eligibility
• FBLA membership dues are paid by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on March 1 of the current
program year.
• Members may compete in an event at the National Leadership Conference (NLC) more
than once if they have not previously placed in the top 10 of that event at the NLC. If a
member places in the top 10 of an event at the NLC, they are no longer eligible to
compete in that event.
• Members must be registered for the NLC and pay the national conference registration
fee to participate in competitive events.
• Members must stay in an official FBLA hotel block to compete.
• Each state may submit four entries per event.
• Each member can only compete in one individual/team event and one chapter event
(American Enterprise Project, Community Service Project, Local Chapter Annual
Business Report, Partnership with Business Project).
• Each competitor must compete in all parts of an event for award eligibility.

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• Picture identification (physical or digital: driver’s license, passport, state-issued
identification, or school-issued identification) matching the conference nametag is
required when checking in for competitive events.
• If competitors are late for their assigned production and/or objective test time, they
will be allowed to compete with a five-point penalty until such time that results are
finalized, or the accommodation would impact the fairness and integrity of the event.
• Some competitive events start in the morning before the Opening Session of NLC. The
schedules for competitive events are displayed in the local time of the NLC location.
Competitive event schedules cannot be changed.

Recognition
• The number of competitors will determine the number of winners. The maximum
number of winners for each competitive event is 10.

Event Administration
• This event has two parts: Objective Test and Production Test
• Objective Test
o The objective test is administered online at the NLC.
o No reference or study materials may be brought to the testing site.
o No calculators may be brought into the testing site; online calculators will be
provided through the testing software.
o Competitors may flag questions within the online testing platform for the
Competitive Events Committee to review before finalizing results at the NLC.
• Production Test
o The production test is administered online at the NLC.
o The production test is a set of tasks based on the competencies for the
competitor to complete.
o Calculators cannot be used on the production test.
o The Production Test Reference Guide (formerly known as the Format Guide),
found on the Competitive Events website (www.fbla.org) can be used for the
production test.

Scoring
• Production Test is 85% of the total score. If there is more than one section of
competitors, the production test scores will be normalized (using standard deviation)
and the normalized score is 85% of the total score.
• Objective Test is 15% of the total score.
• The Production Test score will be used to break a tie.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• FBLA meets the criteria specified in the Americans with Disabilities Act for all
competitors with accommodations submitted through the conference registration
system by the registration deadline.

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Penalty Points
• Competitors may be disqualified if they violate the Code of Conduct or the Honor
Code.
• Five points are deducted if competitors do not follow the Dress Code or are late to the
testing site.

Electronic Devices
• Unless a pre-approved accommodation is in place, all cell phones, smart watches, and
headphones must be turned off and put away before competition begins. Any visibility
of these devices will be considered a violation of the Honor Code.

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Computer Applications (High School)
Study Guide: Competencies and Tasks
A. Basic Computer Terminology and Concepts
1. Use and understand basic computer terminology.
2. Explain the purpose, operation, and care of hardware components.
3. Install, configure, optimize, and upgrade operating software and application
software on computers and other portable devices.
4. Identify tools, diagnostic procedures, and troubleshooting techniques for
components and operating systems for personal computers, laptops, and portable
devices.
5. Apply basic commands and navigate the operating system including such things as
creating backups and determining memory and disk space.
6. Input data and commands using peripherals (keyboard, light pen, mouse, scanner,
and voice recognition).
7. Manage file storage through the use of file management techniques such as copy,
move, store, rename, retrieve, save, delete, compress, decompress, and
create/manipulate folders and directories.
8. Use a browser to search and navigate hypertext documents and to download files.
9. Use Internet search engines and understand their advantages and disadvantages.
10. Evaluate the accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness of information retrieved
from the Web.
11. Identify the different parts of a browser window (pull-down menus, toolbar,
address box, status bar, scroll bar, close button, maximize and minimize buttons,
and title bar).
12. Analyze emerging technologies used by business and industry.
13. Identify the fundamental principles and basic concepts of installing, configuring,
optimizing, and upgrading printers and scanners.
14. Identify tools and diagnostic procedures to troubleshoot printers and scanners
and perform basic printer functions (load paper, change cartridge, repair paper
jam, etc.).
15. Identify and use appropriate resources to obtain assistance (Help menu, manuals,
Web site).
16. Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of various processing, storage, retrieval,
and transmission technologies.
17. Identify the fundamental principles and basic concepts of networks including
installing, configuring, optimizing, and upgrading.
18. Identify network devices including network connectivity hardware and describe
their functions.
B. Presentation, Publishing, and Multimedia Applications
1. Identify components of a presentation program (layout views, slide, toolbars, and
dialog box).
2. Use presentation software to create a presentation with multiple types of slides
incorporating effective use of text, graphics, fonts, builds, preset animation, and
transitions.
3. Use presentation software to include diagrams, color and graphic modifications,
animation schemes, custom backgrounds, action buttons, hyperlinks, sound, video,
and speaker notes.
4. Deliver presentation with supporting materials.

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5. Apply desktop publishing principles to create, design, edit, and produce
documents using text and graphics.
6. Create visual communications involving text and graphic data (brochures,
pamphlets, fliers, and newsletters).
7. Utilize graphic manipulation techniques (wrap text, Word Art) to insert visual aids
into document.
8. Create visual communications involving artwork (freehand drawing applications,
clip art, digitized images).
9. Save cropped or modified images in different file formats.
10. Demonstrate input of data and graphics from various sources (Web, scanner,
digital camera).
11. Design, create, edit, and format web pages incorporating various types of media
(text, image, video, and audio).
12. Apply multimedia software to create multimedia projects.
C. Spreadsheet and Database Applications
1. Define spreadsheet terminology (cell, row, column, range, label, value, formula,
function, worksheet, relative, absolute, and legend).
2. Create, edit, save, and print worksheets using spreadsheet commands, functions,
and formulas.
3. Design and enhance worksheets by inserting, deleting, moving, and copying
columns and rows.
4. Use electronic spreadsheet to create, save, print, modify, and obtain graphs and
appropriate charts with titles and legends.
5. Rename, rearrange, and manipulate multiple worksheets in a workbook.
6. Use an electronic spreadsheet program to enhance the appearance of a
spreadsheet by changing fonts, foreground and background colors, and centering
text across columns.
7. Define database terminology (query, DBMS, field, record, file, and data type).
8. Plan and create a database.
9. Enter data and edit fields and records for a particular situation.
10. Query, sort, prioritize, merge, and retrieve data from databases.
11. Use a database management program to create, format, maintain, and print
reports and tables from a simple relational database.
D. Basic Application Knowledge and Word Processing
1. Use help features and reference materials to learn software and solve problems.
2. Create, save, and retrieve word processing files.
3. Use word processing software to create, format, and edit business documents
such as letters, memoranda, reports, tables, and resumes in mailable form.
4. Demonstrate the use of character formatting features (bold, underline, italics, font
styles and sizes, superscript, and subscript).
5. Demonstrate the use of paragraph formatting features (tabs, indentations, line
spacing, and enumerated items).
6. Demonstrate the use of page formatting features (margins, justification, vertical
placement, orientation, page breaks, headers, and footers).
7. Demonstrate document editing skills using spell/grammar check, thesaurus,
search/replace, and other document properties.
8. Create documents using mail merge features.
9. Create and use macros and templates.

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E. E-mail, Integrated, and Collaboration Applications
1. Produce documents integrating word processing, spreadsheet, and related charts,
database files, reports, and presentation files.
2. Use an electronic mail program to send and receive electronic mail including an
attachment.
3. Manage personal schedule and contact information to include distribution lists.
4. Research privacy issues related to e-mail accounts and dangers of receiving e-
mails from unknown sources.
5. Identify inappropriate actions related to forwarding and mass e-mailings.
6. Demonstrate skills using word processing, spreadsheet, database, and
presentation software to complete workgroup collaboration to include inserting
and reviewing comments.
7. Use collaborative/groupware applications to manage shared schedule, contact
information, shared files, online information, instant messaging, or virtual
meetings.
F. Netiquette and Legal
1. Explain concepts related to copyright rules and regulations and public domain
(images, music, video, and software).
2. Demonstrate a basic understanding of issues regarding software copyright,
software licensing, and software copying.
3. Discriminate between ethical and unethical uses of computers and information.
4. Identify potential abuse and explain the consequences of illegal and unethical use
of information technologies (piracy, illegal downloading, licensing infringement,
and inappropriate use of software, hardware, and mobile devices).
5. Apply netiquette skills to create, send, receive, and reply to electronic
communications, including e-mail and telephone.
G. Security
1. Identify security issues related to computer hardware, software, and data use.
2. Explain concepts of security, integrity, courtesy, and confidentiality related to
information and communication systems.
3. Adhere to privacy, safety and security policies and legislation (acceptable use
policy, Web page policies, computer crime, fraud, and abuse).
4. Demonstrate an awareness of computer viruses and basic understanding of ways to
protect a computer from viruses.
5. Diagnose and troubleshoot hardware, software, and data security issues.
6. Perform preventative maintenance techniques for computer security.
H. Formatting, Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, and Proofreading
1. Apply basic formatting procedures and manipulate data in letters, reports, simple
tables, spreadsheets, graphics, graphs and charts, and databases.
2. Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation when producing documents.
3. Utilize appropriate functions and references for spelling, grammar, and
proofreading.
4. Use appropriate capitalization, punctuation, number expression rule, and
editing/proofreading skills to produce mailable documents.

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Computer Applications Rating Sheet High School
Not Below Meets Exceeds Points
Expectation Item
Demonstrated Expectations Expectations Expectations Earned
Databases:
Table created correctly 0 points 1-6 points 7-8 points 9-10 points
Data entered accurately

Databases:
Report properly created 0 points 1-6 points 7-8 points 9-10 points
Report formatted per instructions
Spreadsheets:
Data entered correctly 0 points 1-6 points 7-8 points 9-10 points
Data formatted properly
Spreadsheets:
0 points 1-3 points 4-5 points 6 points
Advanced features created correctly
Spreadsheets:
Proper formulas and functions with 0 points 1 point 2-3 points 4 points
correct output

Word Processing:
0 points 1-6 points 7-8 points 9-10 points
Correct formatting

Word Processing:
0 points 1-3 points 4-5 points 6 points
Advanced features created correctly

Word Processing:
0 points 1 point 2-3 points 4 points
Copy entered correctly

Presentation:
0 points 1-6 points 7-8 points 9-10 points
Slides formatted properly

Presentation:
0 points 1-3 points 4-5 points 6 points
Advanced features created correctly

Presentation:
0 points 1 point 2-3 points 4 points
Slides created correctly

Integration:
0 points 1-2 points 3-4 points 5 points
Databases & Word Processing

Integration:
0 points 1-2 points 3-4 points 5 points
Spreadsheets & Word Processing

Integration:
0 points 1-2 points 3-4 points 5 points
Presentations & Spreadsheets

Integration:
Word Processing, Spreadsheets, 0 points 1-2 points 3-4 points 5 points
Presentations, & Databases
Total (100 points)
Name(s):
School:
Judge Signature: Date:
Comments:

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