The world of 3D is rapidly expanding, and career opportunities exist in a wide range of fields, including architecture, games, product and industrial design, civil engineering, and film and television animation. This competition allows students to step into a real-world 3D production environment where creative output must be accomplished within specific timeframes, resources, and design constraints. This is a two-person team event and includes a written exam. Competitors must produce high quality images and an animated short subject using computer-generated 3D images. Students are evaluated on their technical knowledge, production skills, and creative abilities, including visual development and storyboarding. Competitors can also interface with and get feedback from judges with successful careers in 3D visualization and animation.

This competition tests technical skills and creative aptitude as though competitors worked for an advertising agency. In addition to a written test, competitors will recreate a provided advertisement on a computer. Competitors are judged on their accuracy, proficiency with industry software, and ability to meet a deadline. The competition also includes a creative portion. The creative portion involves the application of creative thinking and a design challenge. Layout, drawing, and illustration skills are used, as well as the ability to create vibrant, effective designs using a computer.

Competitors demonstrate knowledge of computer programming, describe how programs and programming languages work, and describe the purposes and practices of structured programming. The competition may include a computer programming problem consisting of background information and program specifications. An appropriate (successfully executable) computer program from design notes and instructions will be developed.

The competition is open to active SkillsUSA members enrolled in programs with Cyber Security, Information Security, or Systems and Networking Security Architecture as occupational objectives. Students will be tested on the elements of the NIST Publication 800-181 Cybersecurity Workforce Framework categories including Securely Provision, Operate and Maintain, and Protect and Defend. This competition's skill performance stations are created to be part of a "scouting combine" where teams will demonstrate a wide range of skillsets needed in Cyber Security industry. This scouting combine will assess a team's knowledge and skills in a series of individual stations that will be totaled to determine the team's overall score.

This competition consists of the following segments: preparing a job and printing it with a digital printing device, creating and preflighting a print-ready file using Adobe software, performing exercises with offset press simulator software, solving production planning challenges, and taking a graphic arts knowledge test.

The competition is a two-person team event that tests technical knowledge and production skills, including critical thinking, creative problem solving, teamwork, interpersonal and visual communication, artistic design, and technical programming. Teams must produce an original prototype or sample of an interactive application or video game with at least one level and ten (10) minutes of interactive content. It must be created during the school year immediately preceding the competition deadline.

The competition tests each competitor’s preparation for employment and recognizes outstanding students for excellence and professionalism in the field of home technology integration. The competitors will complete both a written test and hands on demonstration of the installation of “smart home” residential products including bulbs; thermostats; locks; alarms; sensors; cameras; speakers; home theater systems; computer networking; and video security equipment. Construction of the various interconnecting cables such as cat 6/networking cables, coax cables and low and high voltage residential wiring will also be necessary. The competition will challenge competitors to configure and secure networks, update firmware/software and configure operating system settings. Troubleshooting skills will also be tested. Finally, the competition requires a demonstration of all hardware software set up, completed in an easy-to-understand manner fit for the typical customer.

The competition tests the networking knowledge and hands-on ability of the competitors. The online written portion tests the student’s complete knowledge of internetworking concepts. The hands-on component demonstrates the abilities of the competitor to make cables, troubleshoot network systems, configure routers, switches and servers, and to deliver customer service in a technical assistant center environment. The competitors will find errors in WAN and LAN networks; do a full network configuration using routers, switches, and servers; talk a technician through an error they are having on their network; and take an online certification-type test. The national competition is based on the most current CCNA certification. In today’s job market system administration skills are needed, therefore server skills that will be scored include, but are not limited to DNS, Active Directory, and DHCP.

(Team of 2) The competition includes activities that simulate situations encountered by robotic programmers and support professionals. Teams are given a task to solve using a mobile robotic system that is built ahead of time and brought to the competition. Teams will have two scored chances to solve the mobile robotic challenge and will be given a design and programming interview. Once a team has performed the required task or set of tasks, a design change may be introduced. Competitors are required to adhere to industry safety standards using the hardware and software they have selected.

(Team of 2) Teams are required to build a robot and arm mechanism prior to the competition. The robot must be capable of locating, grabbing and moving simulated ordnances on the challenge course. This competition assesses proficiencies such as remotely operating the robot via camera, navigation, manipulating the arm mechanism to collect simulated ordnances, traversing various types of terrain, and communication between driver and spotter.

In this competition, two-person teams will showcase their skills in designing and implementing an automated robotic work cell. Each team will be presented with a simulated task and accompanying wiring schematics. Using industry-standard best practices, participants must integrate a 6-axis industrial robot with a range of peripherals, including Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), motorized components, sensors, and machine vision systems. Teams are required to document their approach, configure and program the work cell, and present their solution to a panel of judges. Performance is evaluated based on technical accuracy, operational efficiency, speed, and collaboration.

Competitors will demonstrate installation, configuration and use of Windows, Mac OSX and Linux Professional Operating Systems and one or more integrated office suite packages including email, word processing, spreadsheet applications, database applications, web page development, money management applications, presentations applications, internet browser applications, etc. The use of open-source software such as OpenOffice is preferable. Microsoft Office and other integrated office suites can be used. The utilization of instant messaging, collaboration and social networking software will be required during the contest. Competitors are expected to perform in teams while demonstrating individual technical skills. The competition includes an oral presentation demonstrating the student’s ability to communicate with others, a hands-on skills demonstration and a written examination.

This competition is intended for students interested in voice and data network cabling and installation. Industry indicates that 80% of the problems in networking, security systems installations and other installations are caused by cabling and connectivity issues, not the computers, servers, switches, etc. This competition tests students' knowledge of worldwide industry standards related to cabling and connectorization for data and voice connections, physical and logical networks and signal transmission. Competitors demonstrate skills in fiber and copper cable termination, pulling and mounting cabling, patch panel installation and termination, installing jacks, cable and fiber optic testing and troubleshooting, and providing customer service. The competition stresses safety in all activities.

(Team of 2) Teams complete a series of challenges focusing on creating a website for a client and a specific target audience. Judging will focus on meeting the client’s needs, usability and accessibility, and industry-standard best practices. Teams will also be evaluated on the process they use to meet the challenges and how well they work as a team. Teams will need Internet access as all competition materials (including the coding environment) will only be available online.