First Tech Challenge: A Complete Guide

The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a globally recognized robotics competition that emphasizes engineering design, programming, and competitive problem-solving. For students pursuing STEM, engineering, or computer science, FTC develops applied skills and technical maturity aligned with college-level expectations.

FTC’s impact is supported by long-term research. A multi-year longitudinal study conducted with Brandeis University found that 81% of FIRST alumni declared a STEM major by their fourth year of college, with 59% majoring in engineering or computer science. Participants were also twice as likely to show increased STEM interest, which is a key predictor of long-term success in STEM fields.

This guide explains what FTC robotics is, how students advance, and what it takes to win.

• What Is the FIRST Tech Challenge?
• FIRST Tech Challenge Awards and Prizes
• How to Qualify for the FIRST Tech Challenge
• How to Get into the FIRST Tech Challenge
• How to Win the FIRST Tech Challenge
• FIRST Tech Challenge Previous Winners
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Is the FIRST Tech Challenge?

FIRST Tech Challenge is a global robotics program where student teams from grades 7-12 build robots from a standardized kit of parts and compete in a themed engineering challenge each season. Throughout the season, you apply the engineering design process: prototyping mechanisms, testing hardware, writing and refining code, and improving reliability based on practice and competition feedback.

At FTC events, you compete in a series of qualification matches. Each match begins with an autonomous period, where your robot operates entirely on prewritten code using sensors or vision systems to score points without driver input.

This is followed by a driver-controlled period, where you operate the robot in real time, adapt strategy on the field, and coordinate with alliance partners. Your match results determine rankings and alliance selection for playoff rounds.

In addition to match performance, you are evaluated through judged awards, which assess robot design, programming approach, technical documentation, teamwork, and community impact.

Advancement comes from a combination of match results and awards, allowing strong teams to progress through regional events and qualify for the FIRST Tech Challenge Championship. For 2026, the championship will take place April 29–May 2 in Houston, Texas, with 336 teams competing.

FIRST Tech Challenge Awards and Prizes

The FIRST Tech Challenge recognizes your team’s and your individual excellence through a structured set of judged awards aligned with its “More Than Robots®” philosophy. These awards honor robot performance, leadership, engineering process, innovation, outreach, and long-term impact.

Below are the FTC awards and recognitions you can earn:

FTC Judged Team Awards

These awards recognize your team’s excellence in different categories of the competition:

FIRST Tech Challenge Dean’s List Award

The FIRST Dean’s List Award, sponsored by the Kamen family, recognizes outstanding individual student leaders in Grades 10–11 based on leadership, technical contribution, dedication to the team, and commitment to the FIRST mission.

You can be recognized at three levels:

• Semi-finalist. You are nominated by your team (up to two students per team).
• Finalist. You are selected at your State or Regional Championship.
• Winner. You are chosen as one of ten FTC students worldwide at the FIRST Championship.

Earning Dean’s List recognition is one of the most prestigious individual honors in FTC and signals exceptional leadership and impact.

How to Qualify for the FIRST Tech Challenge

You don’t apply to the FIRST Tech Challenge through a single application. Instead, you qualify and advance by registering a team, meeting eligibility requirements, and competing through official FTC events during the season.

Below are the list eligibility requirements to qualify for FTC:

Eligibility

To participate, you must be a student in Grades 7–12. Your team must register every season and be supported by two screened Lead Coaches, who oversee safety, logistics, and compliance with FIRST policies. All youth participants are required to complete FIRST’s official youth registration, which confirms eligibility and consent.

Required documents

Your team must complete registration through the FIRST Dashboard, which serves as the central system for team management. Lead Coaches must pass Youth Protection Screening, and all students must submit registration and consent forms.

If your team plans to compete for judged awards, you will also prepare a Team Portfolio, a concise document (up to 15 pages) that explains your engineering process, outreach, and team structure.

Contest fees

You should plan for several costs. Annual team registration is $325, which provides access to official resources, judged awards eligibility, and the ability to register for events. Most teams also spend approximately $1,500 on robot kits and materials, many of which can be reused in future seasons.

Event registration fees are not included and are set by local FIRST Program Delivery Partners. In practice, FTC event fees typically range from $150 to $300 per event, depending on region and event type. Teams that attend multiple qualifiers or league meets should budget accordingly.

Registration deadlines

Registration deadlines differ by region, but FTC team registration typically opens in late spring or summer, with competitions held throughout fall and winter. Because event slots are limited, registering early gives you more flexibility in choosing competitions and preparing your robot.

For example, for FTC in Texas, teams usually register during the summer, with qualifying events beginning in October and continuing through January, followed by regional championships in late February. Other regions follow a similar timeline, though exact dates are set by local FIRST Program Delivery Partners.

To avoid missing preferred events, it’s best to register as soon as registration opens and monitor your region’s event calendar closely.

How to Get into the FIRST Tech Challenge

Below are the steps that you must take to get into the FIRST Tech Challenge:

Step 1: Form or join a team.

You can join a team through your school or a local community organization, or start a new one if none are available. Most teams have 8–12 students, which makes it easier to divide responsibilities such as building, programming, strategy, outreach, and documentation. You don’t need robotics experience to begin.

Step 2: Register Through FIRST Dashboard.

Once your team is set, you register online. Teams in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico use the FIRST Dashboard, while teams in other countries register through their local FIRST organization. During registration, you’ll confirm team information, register all students, and ensure that two adult Lead Coaches complete required screenings.

Step 3: Get the needed materials.

After registering, your team purchases the required robot parts, including a Driver Kit, Electronics Kit, and Build Kit, along with a laptop or tablet for programming. Many components can be reused year to year, which helps manage costs.

Starting with a simple, reliable robot design is usually more effective than aiming for complex features right away. Early testing helps you catch problems before competitions.

Step 4: Build, program, and compete.

Throughout the season, you design and build your robot, write and test code, and make improvements based on practice. Competing at qualifiers or league meets gives you valuable feedback—you’ll see how your robot performs under pressure and learn where changes are needed.

Step 5: Advance through events.

Teams advance by performing well in matches and earning judged awards. Advancement typically moves from local events to regional or super-qualifier championships, and then to the FIRST Championship.

Because advancement depends on both competition results and judging, teams that combine solid robot performance with clear documentation, teamwork, and outreach have the strongest chance to move forward.

How to Win the FIRST Tech Challenge

The most successful teams approach the season intentionally and optimize every part of the process. Below are tips on how to win the FIRST Tech Challenge:

1. Master the engineering design process and documentation.

To succeed, your engineering process must be clearly documented and easy for judges to understand. For the Think Award, judges evaluate your Team Portfolio for evidence of iteration, lessons learned, trade-offs, and data or math used to guide design decisions.

For the Inspire Award, expectations are broader. You must demonstrate strength across technical design, team attributes, and documentation while showing inclusive teamwork and the ability to clearly explain your experiences to judges.

Teams that organize their portfolio well and can confidently describe how their robot and team evolved throughout the season are the most competitive for top awards and advancement. For best results, we recommend reading the official competition manual.

2. Invest in programming early.

Elite teams prioritize programming from the start. Autonomous performance often separates top-ranked teams, especially at championship events. You should begin coding as soon as basic hardware is functional, focusing on reliability before complexity. You can also check out FTC’s official programming resources.

Winning teams test autonomous routines repeatedly under match-like conditions and use sensors or vision systems to reduce human error.

3. Prioritize judged awards.

Teams that advance consistently understand that judged awards matter as much as match wins. You should plan outreach, documentation, and team structure early in the season instead of treating them as add-ons.

Successful teams assign at least one member to focus on awards strategy—preparing concise explanations, refining the team portfolio, and practicing interviews with judges.

4. Develop strong team roles.

Championship teams divide responsibilities clearly. You should assign leads for mechanical design, programming, drive team strategy, outreach, and documentation, while still encouraging collaboration. Teams that struggle often lack ownership; teams that win know exactly who is responsible for each area and hold regular check-ins to stay aligned.

5. Learn the game strategically.

Winning teams study the game in depth. You should analyze scoring options, ranking points, and endgame mechanics early to decide what actually wins matches. Many top teams design robots to score consistently rather than attempting every possible task.

Reviewing game season and materials and match videos from early events and adjusting strategy based on real scoring trends can significantly improve your performance in playoffs.

FIRST Tech Challenge Previous Winners

Each season, ten FTC students worldwide are selected at the FIRST Championship for exceptional leadership, technical contribution, and long-term impact on their teams and communities. Here are the 2024–2025 FIRST Tech Challenge Dean’s List Award winners:

• Michael Merino (Team 14725, Florida, USA)
• Diya Dhawal (Team 10100, Wisconsin, USA)
• Brady Poggioli (Team 18079, Washington, USA)
• Zarah Guillemet (Team 11770, California, USA)
• Thalis Katsimichas (Team 22043, Greece)
• Basmalah ElGawady (Team 23307, Missouri, USA)
• Zac Keepers (Team 24331, Alabama, USA)
• Serena Gandhi (Team 19819, California, USA)
• Noah Blaut (Team 11093, Texas, USA)
• Olivia Stevens (Team 24864, Delaware, USA)

These winners typically serve as team captains, lead programmers, outreach leaders, or founders of major initiatives, and they represent the strongest examples of FTC student leadership for that season.

Meanwhile, team awards—such as Inspire, Think, Design, Innovate, Control, etc.—are presented at multiple levels, including local qualifying events, regional or super-qualifier championships, and the FIRST Championship.

Here are the Inspire Award winners for the 2025 FIRST World Championship:

• Rebel Robotics — Inspire Award Winner
• Up-A-Creek Robotics — Winning Alliance
• Team Matrix — Winning Alliance
• The Disruptingly Robocephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team — Winning Alliance

Finalist Alliance teams included:

• ViperBots Leviathan
• Eureka
• GreenAms Robotics Team

Meanwhile, the recipient for the Compass Award, Patrick Mulcahy of Team 11206 (Devildogs), is recognized for sustained mentorship and positive influence on student growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST VEX Challenge the same?

Not exactly. FIRST Tech Challenge began in 2005 as the FIRST VEX Challenge (FVC), but it later evolved and was rebranded to reflect a broader focus on engineering design, programming, and judged awards. While FTC still allows VEX components, it is now a distinct competition with its own rules, structure, and advancement system.

2. Is FIRST Tech Challenge prestigious?

Yes. FIRST Tech Challenge is one of the most respected pre-college robotics competitions worldwide, with teams competing across 80+ countries. Advancement to the FIRST Championship is highly selective, and top honors such as the Inspire Award and Dean’s List Award represent the highest levels of achievement in the program.

3. Does FIRST Tech Challenge help with college admissions?

Absolutely—when positioned correctly. Sustained FTC participation shows colleges that you can handle real engineering challenges, long-term projects, leadership roles, and collaborative problem-solving. At AdmissionSight, we view FTC awards and championship advancement as strong indicators of readiness for competitive STEM, engineering, and computer science programs.

4. How competitive is the FTC robotics competition?

Highly competitive—especially at the top. While thousands of teams participate globally, only a small percentage advance through regional championships to the FIRST Championship.

Takeaways

• FIRST Tech Challenge is a rigorous, globally respected robotics program that values engineering depth, teamwork, leadership, and persistence.
• Advancing through FTC events shows long-term commitment and the ability to tackle complex, real-world engineering problems.
• The competition rewards teams that document their design process, iterate through mechanical and software improvements, and present their work clearly in engineering portfolios and judging interviews.
• Judged awards—such as Inspire, Think, Innovate, and Control—highlight excellence across engineering, programming, outreach, and team professionalism, making them key indicators of overall team strength.
• If you want expert guidance on how to strategically position FTC within a competitive college application, our Academic and Extracurricular Profile Evaluation can help fit it into your extracurricular profile.