DECA BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION CORE
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 2026
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND REVIEW NOTES
| GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales Included
,Describe methods used to protect intellectual property 1. A trademark is a word, phrase, or design that identifies your good or service.
2. A patent is a technical invention such as a pharmaceutical drug, complex
machinery, or machine design.
3. A copyright is an artistic, literary, or intellectually created work like a book or
song that is original and exists in a physical or digital format.
Describe legal issues affecting businesses 1. Corporate level risks such as fraud or unethical business practices.
2. Risk to assets like buildings or intellectual property that aren't protected
through trademark or data security software.
3. Not properly reviewing a contract and being locked into unfavorable terms.
4. Legal disputes over employee misconduct, accidents, product liability, etc.
5. Company's license to operate being suspended due to non-compliance with
government regulations that apply to a specific company.
Identify the basic torts relating to business enterprises 1. Property torts: you damage someone else's property.
2. Liability torts: your product or service hurts someone.
3. Dignitary torts: something you do or say harms a third party's reputation.
4. Infringement torts: you use another firm's trademark/intellectual product.
5. Negligence: you fail to meet professional standards when delivering a service,
causing harm to your customer.
Describe the nature of legally binding contracts For a contract to be legally binding something must be offered by one party
which the other party accepts, have mutual intention of each party to be bound
by and fulfill their side of the contract, obey all laws, (federal, state, and local) and
be legally signed by each involved party.
Describe the nature of legal procedure Legal procedure is how legal situations are handled through different processes.
Procedural law encompasses the different laws that guide how courts conduct
themselves to best administrate justice while protecting the individual rights of
those involved.
Discuss the nature of debtor-creditor relationships The creditor party is owed something by the debtor party. When a debtor is
unable to repay the creditor, the creditor may garnish property, wages, or bank
accounts to meet the agreed amount.
Explain the nature of agency relationships In an agency relationship a principal gives legal permission to an agent to act on
their behalf. These relationships are fiduciary which means that one person has the
rights to make decisions for another person for the person's benefit. An example
of an agency relationship is a real estate agent helping somebody find a home.
Discuss the nature of environmental law Environmental law encapsulates laws that help to maintain and protect the
environment. An example of an environmental law is the Clean Air Act which
established a national standard for air quality and required states to enforce plans
to meet the standard.
Discuss the role of administrative law The role of administrative law is to govern the creation, administration, and
regulation of government agencies at a federal, state, and local level. It protects
the legal rights of citizens, corporations, and other entities when altered by
government agencies.
, Explain types of business ownership 1. Sole Proprietorship: Owned by one person, who takes on all profits and losses
of the business.
2. General Partnership: Owned by two or more people, who form an agreement to
decide how the profits and losses of the business will be divided among them.
3. Limited Partnership: Similar to a general partnership, but the limited partner's
risk is reduced depending on how much they contribute to the business.
4. Limited Liability Partnership: Similar to other partnerships, but partners are not
liable for the acts of other partners.
5. Corporation: Separate legal entity from its owners (shareholders). Corporations
can buy/sell property, sue/be sued, and protect its owners from liability.
6. Limited Liability Company: Limited liability and separate legal entity like a
corporation, but directly owned by two or more of its members like a partnership.
Explain the nature of import/export law Import/export control laws exist for the purpose of national security, public safety,
and agricultural protection. Regulations are often applied to situations involving
the transport large amounts of money, scientific samples, technology, artifacts,
and research data.
Describe the nature of customs regulations The purpose of customs regulations is to protect a nation's security, economy, and
environment. They serve the purpose of the prevention of illegal items entering,
the collection of taxes/duties, and adherence to documentation.
Identify sources that provide relevant, valid written When distinguishing if a source will provide relevant, valid written material,
material identify the relevance, expertise of the author, view point of the author, intended
audience, evidence, and how recently it was published. Some examples of good
sources are government reports, academic books, or reputable news
organizations.
Extract relevant information from written materials To find relevant information in a written material you can:
- Check a table of contents, index, or glossary.
- Skim the text for key words related to the subject.
- Cross reference extracted information with other reputable sources to confirm
its accuracy.
Apply written directions to achieve tasks 1. Read the directions thoroughly from beginning to end.
2. Make sure you understand what the instructions are saying and the end
objective.
3. If you're confused about a step ask for clarification or consult a different source
like a search engine.
4. Perform each step correctly and in order, and consult the writing if you need a
refresh on what to do.
Analyze company resources to ascertain policies and To set the right rules, first list your company's tools, money, and people. Create
procedures clear policies that stop personal use and cut down on waste. This ensures all your
resources are used only to reach company goals and make a profit.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 2026
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND REVIEW NOTES
| GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales Included
,Describe methods used to protect intellectual property 1. A trademark is a word, phrase, or design that identifies your good or service.
2. A patent is a technical invention such as a pharmaceutical drug, complex
machinery, or machine design.
3. A copyright is an artistic, literary, or intellectually created work like a book or
song that is original and exists in a physical or digital format.
Describe legal issues affecting businesses 1. Corporate level risks such as fraud or unethical business practices.
2. Risk to assets like buildings or intellectual property that aren't protected
through trademark or data security software.
3. Not properly reviewing a contract and being locked into unfavorable terms.
4. Legal disputes over employee misconduct, accidents, product liability, etc.
5. Company's license to operate being suspended due to non-compliance with
government regulations that apply to a specific company.
Identify the basic torts relating to business enterprises 1. Property torts: you damage someone else's property.
2. Liability torts: your product or service hurts someone.
3. Dignitary torts: something you do or say harms a third party's reputation.
4. Infringement torts: you use another firm's trademark/intellectual product.
5. Negligence: you fail to meet professional standards when delivering a service,
causing harm to your customer.
Describe the nature of legally binding contracts For a contract to be legally binding something must be offered by one party
which the other party accepts, have mutual intention of each party to be bound
by and fulfill their side of the contract, obey all laws, (federal, state, and local) and
be legally signed by each involved party.
Describe the nature of legal procedure Legal procedure is how legal situations are handled through different processes.
Procedural law encompasses the different laws that guide how courts conduct
themselves to best administrate justice while protecting the individual rights of
those involved.
Discuss the nature of debtor-creditor relationships The creditor party is owed something by the debtor party. When a debtor is
unable to repay the creditor, the creditor may garnish property, wages, or bank
accounts to meet the agreed amount.
Explain the nature of agency relationships In an agency relationship a principal gives legal permission to an agent to act on
their behalf. These relationships are fiduciary which means that one person has the
rights to make decisions for another person for the person's benefit. An example
of an agency relationship is a real estate agent helping somebody find a home.
Discuss the nature of environmental law Environmental law encapsulates laws that help to maintain and protect the
environment. An example of an environmental law is the Clean Air Act which
established a national standard for air quality and required states to enforce plans
to meet the standard.
Discuss the role of administrative law The role of administrative law is to govern the creation, administration, and
regulation of government agencies at a federal, state, and local level. It protects
the legal rights of citizens, corporations, and other entities when altered by
government agencies.
, Explain types of business ownership 1. Sole Proprietorship: Owned by one person, who takes on all profits and losses
of the business.
2. General Partnership: Owned by two or more people, who form an agreement to
decide how the profits and losses of the business will be divided among them.
3. Limited Partnership: Similar to a general partnership, but the limited partner's
risk is reduced depending on how much they contribute to the business.
4. Limited Liability Partnership: Similar to other partnerships, but partners are not
liable for the acts of other partners.
5. Corporation: Separate legal entity from its owners (shareholders). Corporations
can buy/sell property, sue/be sued, and protect its owners from liability.
6. Limited Liability Company: Limited liability and separate legal entity like a
corporation, but directly owned by two or more of its members like a partnership.
Explain the nature of import/export law Import/export control laws exist for the purpose of national security, public safety,
and agricultural protection. Regulations are often applied to situations involving
the transport large amounts of money, scientific samples, technology, artifacts,
and research data.
Describe the nature of customs regulations The purpose of customs regulations is to protect a nation's security, economy, and
environment. They serve the purpose of the prevention of illegal items entering,
the collection of taxes/duties, and adherence to documentation.
Identify sources that provide relevant, valid written When distinguishing if a source will provide relevant, valid written material,
material identify the relevance, expertise of the author, view point of the author, intended
audience, evidence, and how recently it was published. Some examples of good
sources are government reports, academic books, or reputable news
organizations.
Extract relevant information from written materials To find relevant information in a written material you can:
- Check a table of contents, index, or glossary.
- Skim the text for key words related to the subject.
- Cross reference extracted information with other reputable sources to confirm
its accuracy.
Apply written directions to achieve tasks 1. Read the directions thoroughly from beginning to end.
2. Make sure you understand what the instructions are saying and the end
objective.
3. If you're confused about a step ask for clarification or consult a different source
like a search engine.
4. Perform each step correctly and in order, and consult the writing if you need a
refresh on what to do.
Analyze company resources to ascertain policies and To set the right rules, first list your company's tools, money, and people. Create
procedures clear policies that stop personal use and cut down on waste. This ensures all your
resources are used only to reach company goals and make a profit.
