Overview      
The National FFA Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through their supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs), have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers.

Students can compete for awards in almost 50 areas covering everything from agricultural communications to wildlife management. There are four types of proficiency awards:

Placement proficiency awards are given to those whose SAEs are related to employment, apprenticeships, or internships at an agribusiness or agriculture-related organization.

Entrepreneurship proficiency awards are given to those whose SAEs are related to ownership of an agribusiness or agriculture-related enterprise.

Combined some proficiency award areas are not split into entrepreneurship and placement, applicants can combine both placement and entrepreneurship records if both are included in the SAE.

Agriscience Research proficiency awards involve planning and conducting an agriculturally based scientific experiment based on hypothesis and the use of the scientific methods of investigation on the hypothesis.

Proficiency awards are recognized at the local, state and national levels. Local chapter winners compete to win their state. The state winner from each state competes nationally.

State Awards
Participants in the Virginia FFA Agricultural Proficiency Awards program will be ranked among other applicants in their area and the state. Each state winner receives $250 cash award and a plaque.

National Awards
Participants in the National FFA Agricultural Proficiency Awards program will receive a rating of National Finalist, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Participant or Disqualified.

Four “National Finalists” are selected for each of the award areas and will go on to compete for a national proficiency award. Proficiency award winners are announced onstage during the National FFA Convention & Expo.

Each national finalist receives $500 cash award and a plaque. National winners receive an additional $500 award and a plaque.