VEX IQ Level Up 2026-2027: A guide to preparing for the VEX World Competition.
- Beyond Code Academy
- 11 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The conclusion of each year's VEX World Championship marks one of the most exciting times in the global robotics scene. VEX Robotics "resets" the competition challenges, encouraging children worldwide to design robots from scratch. This year, the newly unveiled game at the VEX Robotics World Championship 2026 in St. Louis is VEX IQ Level Up.
An In-Depth Look at VEX IQ Level Up
Level Up isn't just a game of moving objects; it's a test of wit and strategy on a 6 x 8 foot field, with equipment details and scoring points to remember:
Beanbags: There are a total of 38 beans, consisting of 8 blue, 8 red, and 4 yellow beans already placed on the field. The remaining 16 beans will be added during the game.
Floor Goals: Located in the corners of the field, these are easy and quick goals to score, worth 1 point each.
Pyramid Goals: Available in 3 height levels. The higher you place them, the more points you score: 3, 6, and 12 points respectively.
The Level 4 Pole is the most difficult spot to score, being 24 inches high and only 7 inches wide, designed solely for placing the yellow ball . Each yellow ball is worth up to 16 points.
8-Inch Barriers: These 8-inch high obstacles force a choice between designing a robot to "squeeze through" quickly or choosing a safer, longer route.
The ironclad rule that determines victory or defeat: > Each robot can only carry one beanbag at a time. This rule forces every second on the field to be carefully calculated, whether it's choosing the scoring order or the shortest path.
A competition format that must be conquered.
In actual competitions, skills will be tested through 3 main modes:
Teamwork Challenge: Work together with your alliance team for 60 seconds to achieve the highest score.
Driving Skills Challenge: Manually controlling a robot tests the driver's accuracy and dexterity.
Autonomous Coding Skills Challenge: A 100% coding performance test where a robot performs tasks autonomously according to a pre-written program.
The combined scores from both driven and automatic modes will determine the champion of the Robot Skills Challenge , a prestigious award for those excelling in both piloting skills and programming.
Beyond VEX Mentorship Program
Beyond Code Academy's Mentorship Program is designed to support Young VEX Robotics Engineers throughout the season, covering everything from game analysis, mechanical design, CAD design, engineering notebook creation, real robot assembly, to intensive pre-competition coaching.
Registration is now open for Summer 2026. Spaces are limited to 1-2 teams per branch. Please contact the Samyan, Thonglor, Central Pinklao, Bangna, and The Crystal branches for more information.
Application process:
This course, VEX EP3 Fundamentals (Introduction to VEX EP4), is only available after completing it from Beyond Code Academy.
Join a trial session to test your skills.
Conduct parent interviews to discuss their goals, expectations, and schedules throughout the competition season.
Announcement of team selection results.