Academic Competition for Excellence (often shortened to ACE) is a format of high school quizbowl played in the mid-Atlantic, especially in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Most quizbowl formats feature teams of three to five players from each school, competing on questions that span the realm on human knowledge.
Informal limits, based on what students might reasonably be taught, or have learned in outside reading, do exist, and some competitions will restrict the amount of popular culture in each match.
The wide variety of students (a school needs at least 16 players to compete) that can play in the ACE format makes it popular with administrators.
Usually, fine arts, philosophy, religion, and current events questions are included in the All-Around competition, but popular culture and sports are specifically excluded.