Build bigger robots. Compete for real.
VEX V5 is part of the VEX Robotics Competition, for students in grades 7-12. Teams design, build, and code a metal robot to play a new game each season, then compete at tournaments in Chico and across California.
WHAT STUDENTS DO
Build
Design a robot from metal parts, motors, and sensors, and rebuild it as the season goes.
Code
Program the robot in VEXcode, using blocks, Python, or C++.
Compete
Play matches with a partner team, and run skills rounds where the team plays alone.
Document
Keep an engineering notebook of every idea and test. Judges read it for awards.
How the season works
Build
A new game comes out each spring. Teams design, build, and practice through summer and fall.
Qualifiers
Teams compete at tournaments, including The Autumn Circuit and IRON Cal Classic in Chico.
Region 1 Championship
The 2026-2027 California Region 1 VEX V5 Championship, Saturday, February 27, 2027, at Chico High School. Hosted by IRON Cal.
World Championship
Top teams from the championship earn a spot at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Las Vegas
How to get involved
Start or coach a team
Teachers and parents can start a team. We'll help with equipment and getting set up.
Contact usUpcoming V5 events
Upcoming Events
Explore what’s happening next and join the moments that matter.
Teams register on VEXEvents. Volunteers sign up on our Events page.
See all events
What comes next
High school students who want to go further can join Butte Built Bots, Team 4643, our FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team. FRC robots are full size, and students build them with adult mentors during a winter build season.
Meet the teamQuestions parents ask
No V5 experience is needed. Students coming from our camps or the Butte County Robotics League will find a lot of it familiar.
Costs are per team, not per student. Each team registers with VEX for the season ($200) and pays an entry fee for each tournament ($150 for The IRON Cal Classic). Ask your team's coach what families pay. If cost is a barrier, email us and we'll work with your team.
Each team practices with its own school or club, on its own schedule. Ask the team's coach for times and location.
A one-minute round where a team plays alone, either driving the robot or running it on code only, to score as many points as it can. Our tournaments keep a skills field open most of the day.
Yes. Families are welcome to come watch and cheer. Anyone in the pits or near the fields needs safety glasses.
Find your place on a V5 team
Tell us about your student, and we'll help with the next step.