Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many students do I need to have on a team?
A: VEX IQ only requires two students in order to compete, and a team with two dedicated students can be very competitive! In practice, a team of three to four students is probably ideal, in order to spread the workload out and be competitive in all areas. Individual teams larger than five or six students run the risk of having students with idle hands and losing interest.

You only need one student to start a VEX VRC team, but that is asking a lot of that one person! In practice, a team of four to six students is probably ideal, in order to spread the workload out and be competitive. A team that is focused only on the robot will have a hard time keeping more than about six people involved and busy. Eight people can be a workable number for one team that competes in all areas and/or where some of the students cannot commit as much time. With more than eight students, you should look at splitting into multiple teams.

Q: What does the mentor do? 
A: The mentor’s primary jobs are to help the students get organized, provide guidance to the team as needed, help locate/provide a place to work, and help the students manage the team registrations and budget. The mentor does NOT have to be technically minded; they don’t need to be an engineer or computer programmer. They just need to have a true interest in helping the students grow and learn.

Q: How much does it cost to start and run a VEX IQ (elemenatary/middle school) team?
A: A team can spend almost as little to as much as they want. VEX IQ kits start at $250, team registration is $100-$150 per year, and events cost about $75 each to compete.  However, to be competitive and to create the best possible experience, teams should budget approximately $750 for the first year, not including travel. Annual costs after that can be as little as $350 per year.

RVA Robotics is working hard to have more State Championship qualifying VEX IQ events in central Virginia and has hosted multiple VEX IQ events each year in the greater Richmond area in recent years.  As the season progresses, please check our events page for updated and detailed information on events hosted by RVA Robotics.

This is the 2019-2020 VEX IQ game “Squared Away”…

Q: How much does it cost to start and run a VEX VRC (middle/high school) team?
A: Considering the versatility and breadth of learning opportunities it offers, a VEX VRC team is surprisingly affordable. A team can really get started for about $1,800 in their first year and around $600 each future year, not including travel. Of course, a team can spend a lot more than that if it wants to!

RVA Robotics is working hard to have more State Championship qualifying VEX VRC events in central Virginia and has hosted multiple qualifying VEX VRC events each year in central Virginia in recent years. As the season progresses, please check our events page for updated and detailed information on events hosted by RVA Robotics.

This is the 2019-2020 VEX VRC game “Tower Takeover”…

Q: How many events can we go to?
A: A team can almost go to as many or as few events as it wants to. There are basically three levels of competition in VEX (either VIQC or VRC): local/regional events, the State Championship, and the World Championship. A team can go to as many local/regional events as it wants to, but must qualify for the State Championship and World Championship. At the height of the VEX season in Virginia (late December through February), one can find an event in Virginia almost every weekend, with the exception of the schools’ winter break.

Q: How do I get more information?
A: You can email us and we’ll be glad to discuss things with you in more detail. You can also find more information on starting a team under the “Team Resources” links on the VEX website at the following locations:

VEX VIQ competition team information

VEX VRC competition team information

And, you can check out our Resources page for more detailed information on the VEX curriculum, competition resources, and other topics of interest.