The VEX Robotics Competition (now called the VEX V5 Robotics Competition, or V5RC) is one of the biggest student robotics programs in the world, with tens of thousands of teams across more than 50 countries. Each year, teams build and program a robot for a brand-new game. The 2025-2026 game is Push Back. Here’s how strong teams approach it.
Eligibility
To compete, you need to be part of a registered V5RC team for the current season. It’s open to middle and high school students (grades 6 to 12). You can start a team with friends or join an existing one at your school, and each team gets one entry. Check the official VEX and REC Foundation sites for registration and the current rules.
Why It’s Competitive
With that many teams worldwide, the competition is genuinely tough. To stand out, you need a reliable robot, a smart strategy, and a team that works well together. Studying past seasons helps a lot: looking at how top teams solved previous games shows you what good design and strategy actually look like.
❝VEX Robotics is educational robotics for everyone. VEX solutions span all levels of both formal and informal education with accessible, scalable, and affordable solutions. Beyond science and engineering principles, VEX encourages creativity, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving among groups. It allows educators of all types to engage and inspire the STEM problem solvers of tomorrow!❞
Winning Tips
- Start early: begin planning and building as soon as the game is revealed.
- Know the rules: read the game manual closely so you understand scoring, penalties, and design limits.
- Keep it simple: complex robots break more often. A robust, reliable design beats an intricate one.
- Score efficiently: design your robot to quickly collect and score the game’s objects, whether that means an intake system, a launcher, or a clever arm.
- Think strategically: decide whether to chase high-value scoring or prioritize speed and consistency, and build a strong autonomous routine.
- Learn from past winners: study their designs and strategies.
- Test thoroughly: make sure your robot can do the key tasks consistently, not just once.
Designs change every year, but strong VEX robots usually share a few things:
- An effective intake mechanism.
- Precise scoring for different heights.
- A strong drivetrain for maneuverability.
- Durable construction that holds up under match conditions.
Beyond the Robot
- Engineering notebook: document your design process, the problems you hit, and how you solved them. Judges value your thought process as much as the final robot, and a well-kept notebook wins awards.
- Sportsmanship: VEX runs on “gracious professionalism.” Be a good winner and a supportive competitor.
- Practice: spend real time on driver training, and run practice matches with other teams to simulate competition conditions.
VEX is about more than winning. It’s teamwork, problem-solving, and a genuine intro to engineering. Put these into practice, and you’ll be in good shape for the season.
Resources to Get You Started
If you want to work toward competitions like this, Rishab offers science fair and research coaching, where he shares his winning strategies for STEM competitions.
About Afreen Hossain:
I’m a web developer, amateur astronomer, and aspiring computer scientist, interested in using technology to make healthcare, transportation, and space more accessible. Learn more about me on LinkedIn.
Leave a Reply