VEX IQ or VEX V5? Four questions for Hong Kong schools
Both are VEX, but IQ and V5 assume different pupils, lesson lengths and budgets. Four practical questions to decide which comes first.
Updated 7/29/2026
Every term we get the same question: the school wants to start robotics, so should it buy VEX IQ or VEX V5? Both are official VEX platforms and both lead to international competition, but they assume very different pupils. Answer the four questions below and the choice usually settles itself.
1. What year group? Grades 4–8 points to VEX IQ. Snap-together plastic needs no tools, and a forty-minute period is enough to finish a stage. Grade 9 and above, especially where structural loading and control theory are part of the course, points to V5: screws and metal buy competition-grade rigidity.
2. How long is a lesson? Short periods are the most underestimated constraint. V5 is assembled with tools, so handing out, building and packing away all take longer than IQ. With one period a week and a room to clear, IQ delivers far more actual teaching time.
3. What is the teacher's background? Both platforms ship official lesson plans, but V5 has a wider debugging surface — mechanism, wiring and control parameters can all be the fault. With no robotics-experienced staff, starting on IQ and moving to V5 after a year or two is the safer path.
4. Are you competing? IQ maps to VIQRC and V5 to VRC, with different age divisions and rules. Decide the division first, then the hardware, and you avoid buying an entire wrong set.
If it is still unclear, the practical move is one IQ kit for a classroom course, then decide about V5 once you have seen how pupils respond and what it costs staff. The programming concepts and the VEXcode environment carry straight over, so starting on IQ is never wasted.
For quantity estimates against your class count and timetable, or to arrange a demonstration, contact STEAM.HK on +852 2612 5666. For courses and teacher training, contact CAMEL STEAM on +852 2612 5555.
