Both VEX IQ and VEX V5 Robotics Competition programs require students to complete designated training courses before joining competition teams. These courses provide a solid foundation in independent design, building, coding, and strategic planning throughout the competition season.
(G4-8) VEX IQ Competition Team Requirements (4 weeks summer camp or equivalent):
VEX IQ is for students in 4th through 8th grade, with 4th–5th graders typically on an Elementary School team and 6th–8th graders on a Middle School team.
1. VEX IQ Foundation 1 & 2
Mandatory training courses offered during the semester (after-school programs), school break weeks (February, March, April), or summer camps. These courses build core skills in robot construction, basic coding, and teamwork fundamentals required for competition readiness.
2. VEX IQ Advanced
An advanced course offered exclusively during summer camp. This course focuses on in-depth mechanical engineering through ambitious, hands-on projects covering from gearboxes, drivetrains, intake systems, to lifting systems, and pneumatic subsystems. Students develop the core technical skills needed to handle complex robot builds during the competition season.
3. VEX IQ Competition Introduction
A mandatory course and a dedicated summer camp week that prepares students for the upcoming competition season by covering from game rules, building a hero robot, to game strategy analysis, robot background research, and robot design planning. By the end of this week, students are prepared to join a competition team and begin their competitive robotics journey with confidence.
(G8-12) VEX V5 Competition Team Requirements (4 weeks summer camp or equivalent):
VEX V5 is for students in 8th through 12th grade, with 8th–9th graders typically on an Middle School team and 9th–12th graders on a High School team.
1. VEX V5 Foundation (with C++)
This is an introductory course in a 1-week summer camp format that transitions students from VEX IQ to VEX V5 metal robots through clawbot building and coding with inertial, distance, optical and bumper sensors, allowing students to build and program robots with increasing levels of complexity using either blocks or C++ languages.
2. VEX V5 Advanced Building
This is an advanced building course in a 1-week summer camp format that emphasizes in-depth mechanical engineering of V5 robot subsystems, from drivetrains, intake systems, to lifting systems, and pneumatics. Students develop the core building skills needed to handle complex robots during the competition season.
3. OnShape CAD Robot Design
This is a CAD introductory course designed for middle or high school robotics students in a 1-week summer camp format and best paired with V5 Foundation to provide students with a foundation in 3D modeling using Onshape, an introductory CAD software. Same CAD software can be used to make custom parts in varies V5 activities. Students are encouraged to design individual robot parts, create assemblies, and produce simple competition-ready robot concepts from drivetrain basics, to simple intakes or lift arm components.
4. V5 Advanced Programming
This is a core programming course designed for coders that demonstrates the power of PID control, odometry, and C++ libraries for advanced autonomous coding. Basic C++ programming skills are required.
5. VEX V5 Competition Pre-Season
This is a dedicated summer camp week that prepares students for the upcoming competition season by covering from game rules, building a hero robot, to game strategy analysis, robot background research, and robot design planning. By the end of this week, students are prepared to join a competition team and begin their competitive robotics journey with confidence.
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