Computer Applications is one of several academic events sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League Computer Applications is designed to test students' abilities to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications software, including integration of applications. It is not the same as the Computer Science contest, which tests programming abilities. It is not just a contest, it is also a subject in the ICSE curricullum.
Computer Applications began during the 1994-95 scholastic year, replacing the Keyboarding contest previously held by UIL. The contest is set to end in the 2023-24 school year, with no announced replacement.
Eligibility Students in Grade 9 through Grade 12 are eligible to enter the event.
Each school may send up to three students.
Computer Applications is an individual contest only. There is no team competition in this event.
Rules and Scoring The test consists of two parts.
The first part is a five-minute tie-breaker question, which as its name suggests is only used in the event of a tie on the main test. No intermediate time signal is given during the tie-breaker; at the end of the five minutes the students must immediately stop typing, at which point they are instructed to print out their answer.
The second part is the main test. It consists of two questions, which must be completed in 30 minutes. A three-minute preview period is allotted before the test begins. Intermediate time signals are given when 10 minutes and two minutes remain. At the end of 30 minutes the students must immediately stop processing; if they have initiated the print command prior to the end of the test they are allowed to finish printing.
The time periods stated above do not include time for setting up and removing computer equipment.
Any commercially available laptop or notebook computer can be used during the contest, along with printer, external keyboard/keypad, and mouse. However, only the Microsoft Office applications software package can be used.
Scoring will vary from test to test; the answer key for the questions will be accompanied by a score sheet indicating the value of each item to be scored.
Determining the Winner
The top three individuals will advance to the next round.
The tiebreaker is the score of the five-minute tiebreaker question. In the event a tie remains, all remaining individuals will advance.
For district meet academic championship and district meet sweepstakes awards, points are awarded to the school as follows: Individual places: 1st—15, 2nd—12, 3rd—10, 4th—8, 5th—6, and 6th—4. There is no cap on the number of points a school can earn in Computer Applications.
List of prior winners NOTE: For privacy reasons, only the winning school is shown.UIL: Academics – Archives
NOTE: UIL reclassification happened in 2015, adding the 6A classification.
NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 2020 state contest was cancelled.
School Year Class A Class AA Class AAA Class AAAA Class AAAAAClass AAAAAA1995 Menard Van Alstyne Cameron Yoe Wichita Falls WeslacoN/A1996 Era Coahoma Colorado City Livingston DuncanvilleN/A1997 Sulphur Bluff Marion Colorado City Snyder DuncanvilleN/A1998 Westbrook Edgewood Perryton San Angelo Lake View Flower Mound MarcusN/A1999 Graford Lindsay Hamshire-Fannett Brownwood WeslacoN/A2000 Garden City Keene Giddings Friendswood College Station A&M ConsolidatedN/A2001 Granger Edgewood Midland Greenwood Friendswood College Station A&M ConsolidatedN/A2002 Lazbuddie Edgewood Giddings Friendswood Pasadena DobieN/A2003 Rocksprings Rosebud-Lott Pearsall Harlingen South San Antonio ClarkN/A2004 Lazbuddie Wall Hamshire-Fannett Friendswood KleinN/A2005 Loop Mount Pleasant Chapel Hill Llano Sherman College Station A&M ConsolidatedN/A2006 Wellington Centerville Hamshire-Fannett Brownwood Abilene CooperN/A2007 Springlake-Earth Crawford Princeton Friendswood College Station A&M ConsolidatedN/A2008 Springlake-Earth Grandview Hamshire-Fannett Sherman Mission SharylandN/A2009 Garden City Shelbyville Lubbock-Cooper Friendswood Humble KingwoodN/A2010JunctionSonoraOrangefieldFriendswoodCypress WoodsN/A2011YantisJunctionOrangefieldFriendswoodCypress WoodsN/A2012ChirenoMount Pleasant Chapel HillHamshire-FannetRomaClear LakeN/A2013ChirenoWallHamshire-FannetLivingstonKleinN/A2014ChirenoSunnyvaleNeedvilleLivingstonCypress WoodsN/A2015SlidellGoldthwaiteMount Pleasant Chapel HillArgyleLivingstonNorth Shore2016Sterling CitySabine PassBlancoAubreyLivingstonNorth Shore2017HappyGoldthwaiteMount Pleasant Chapel HillLiberty HillLindaleNorth Shore2018SlidellWintersMount Pleasant Chapel HillMelissaHallsvilleNorth Shore2019Springlake-EarthVegaMount Pleasant Chapel HillMelissaWallerCypress Woods2021HappySanford-FritchElysian FieldsAndrewsFriendswoodFlower Mound2022HappyVegaMount Pleasant Chapel HillMelissaSharyland PioneerCypress Woods2023RockspringsWintersFairfieldLindaleMelissaFlower Mound
References
Official UIL Rules for Computer Applications—High School NOTE: This file contains rules for other competitions; Section 926 covers Computer Applications.