VEX Robotics for Schools: GO, IQ, V5
VEX IQ 2nd-gen is the main middle-school competition robotics platform. VEX GO covers elementary. VEX V5 covers high school. Here is the honest 2026 guide.
VEX Robotics makes three families of education-and-competition kits. VEX GO for grades 3-5. VEX IQ 2nd gen for grades 4-8. VEX V5 for grades 9-12. Each maps to its own competition league, and the parts do not cross platforms.
If you are deciding between LEGO Spike Prime and VEX IQ for middle school, the real differentiator is the metal parts and the competition culture. VEX IQ is a plastic snap-together system (not metal - that is V5), but the build vocabulary, the competition structure, and the community lean more technical than LEGO. For some kids, this is exactly the level-up they want. For others, it is overkill.
Short version
Elementary: VEX GO Education Kit, supports 2 students, for grades 3-5.
Middle school default: VEX IQ Education Kit 2nd gen (228-8899), main competition platform for grades 4-8.
Competition-ready: VEX IQ Competition bundle with field elements for current VIQRC season.
High school: VEX V5 for metal-build, aluminum-frame robotics, grades 9-12.
Skip: First-gen VEX IQ for competition use, knockoff "metal robotics" kits with no VEXcode compatibility.
VEX IQ 2nd gen is the current competition platform
VEX IQ has been through a generational update. Second-generation IQ is the current VIQRC competition platform. First-gen IQ still exists in thousands of classrooms and is a fine teaching kit - just not the one you buy new for competition teams.
The 2nd-gen IQ Brain, announced and rolled out starting 2021-2022, is a more capable controller with better sensors, USB-C charging, and a cleaner connection to VEXcode. The plastic construction parts are largely compatible between 1st gen and 2nd gen - the break point is the electronics. A classroom with 1st-gen kits can step up by buying the IQ Education to Competition Upgrade Kit, which swaps the old brain and sensors for the 2nd-gen parts.
If you are buying fresh in 2026, buy 2nd gen. If you already own 1st-gen and the teams are not competing, keep using them. If the teams are competing, budget the upgrade.
VEX GO Education Kit
The VEX GO kit is VEX's elementary platform, introduced 2021. Grades 3-5. One education kit supports 2 students. Simpler snap-together plastic parts, one motor, one Code Base, a few basic sensors. Pairs with VEXcode GO (free on iPad, Chromebook, Windows, Mac).
VEX GO competes directly with LEGO Spike Essential. The honest comparison: Spike Essential has a stronger curriculum library for K-5 and a better app experience; VEX GO has a simpler parts vocabulary and a clearer progression to VEX IQ in middle school. If your middle school runs VEX IQ, buy VEX GO for elementary so the progression is consistent.
VEX IQ Education Kit, 2nd Generation (228-8899)
The VEX IQ Education Kit 2nd gen (228-8899) is the core middle-school kit. Supports 2-4 students per kit. Includes the IQ Brain (controller), six Smart Motors, distance sensor, color sensor, touch LED, bumper switches, the classic VEX plastic structural parts, and the IQ Controller (a two-stick radio remote for drive competitions).
Programs in VEXcode IQ - Blocks for beginners, Python for advanced. The progression from VEX GO to VEX IQ to VEX V5 is notably smoother than the LEGO Essential-to-Prime jump because the programming environment is the same family across all three ages.
VEX IQ Classroom Bundles
VEX publishes classroom bundles in three sizes: Small (5 education kits), Standard (10 kits), and Large (15 kits). Small serves a small class or a single competition team; Standard and Large equip a full middle-school STEM lab.
For a competition team, you will also need the current VIQRC season's field elements (mat, game pieces, and scoring markers) - these are released each summer for the fall-spring season and ordered separately. Field element bundles typically run $300-600 per season.
VEX V5
VEX V5 is the aluminum-frame, metal-parts, high-school-and-college competition platform. It is genuinely in a different league - aircraft-grade aluminum C-channels, high-torque motors, a V5 Brain with a touchscreen and a much bigger processor. This is what VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) high school teams use.
V5 is out of scope for most K-8 STEM Studios, but worth knowing about as the ceiling of the VEX progression. A middle schooler on VEX IQ who wants to keep competing has a natural path into V5 in high school.
What to pair with VEX IQ
The kit is just the start. These are the pieces that turn it into a program.
VEXcode (free)
VEXcode IQ runs on iPad, Android tablet, Chromebook, Windows, and Mac. Starts in Blocks, graduates to Python. There is also a Scratch-style fork for the youngest grades. Free download from VEX.
Competition field & game elements
The VIQRC season releases a new game each year with a 4x8 foot foam mat, game pieces, and scoring elements. Ordered per team per season. Plan ~$300-600 annually for field updates. Reuse perimeters and borders across seasons where possible.
Charging station for brains and batteries
VEX IQ 2nd gen uses USB-C on the Brain and swappable batteries on the motors. A labeled caddy with a 10-port USB-C charger and a dedicated motor-battery bank saves enormous hassle. Plan for this day one.
Storage and parts organization
VEX IQ parts are numerous and small. Official VEX storage bins with labeled dividers are worth the money. Akro-Mils hardware organizers are a cheaper alternative. Either way, plan one organizer per kit plus a shared "weird parts" box.
VEX education curriculum (free)
VEX's education.vex.com portal has free, standards-aligned curriculum for GO, IQ, and V5 including lesson plans, videos, and student handouts. Do not pay third-party vendors for content VEX gives away.
Team registration (REC Foundation)
Competition teams register through the REC Foundation, which runs VIQRC, VRC, and VEX U. Registration fees are separate from equipment costs - verify current rates on the REC Foundation site each year.
What to skip
Common expensive mistakes when buying VEX.
First-gen VEX IQ for new competition teams
The 1st-gen IQ is a fine teaching kit if you already own it. But the VIQRC competition has moved to 2nd-gen hardware. A new team starting in 2026 with 1st-gen kits will fight software-compatibility issues and miss out on 2nd-gen-only features. Buy 2nd gen new; use the Upgrade Kit if you have 1st-gen already.
Agree to Disagree ›Knockoff "metal robotics kits" with no VEXcode compatibility
Amazon lists several Chinese-manufacturer kits that copy the VEX metal-and-plastic aesthetic but do not talk to VEXcode and cannot compete in any sanctioned league. The build experience is similar; the curriculum and competition ecosystem are missing. Buy real VEX from an authorized distributor.
Agree to Disagree ›Buying VEX V5 for middle school
V5 is a high-school competition platform. It is overkill for middle school both in complexity and in cost. A 6th grader on V5 is usually having a worse time than a 6th grader on IQ. Save V5 for the grade range it was designed for.
Agree to Disagree ›Mixing VEX and LEGO in the same classroom
Both platforms work. Either platform works. Running both simultaneously in the same classroom doubles the parts-management burden, doubles the software licenses, and splits the teacher's expertise. Pick one and commit for at least three years before you consider a platform migration.
Agree to Disagree ›All the links
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