Sometime during the tournament, a pair of judges will come to your pit (or invite your team to an interview area) to hear about your robot, your notebook, and your season. This is not a test. It's your chance to show off — and judges genuinely love hearing about your work.
The most important rule
You do the talking — not your coach, not your parents. Judges want to hear from the students who built, programmed, and drove the robot. That's true at every VEX event in the world. Your coach will be proudly (and quietly) nearby.
What judges ask
Simple, friendly questions like:
- "Tell us about your robot — what does it do?"
- "What was the hardest problem you solved this season?"
- "What would you change if you had more time?"
- "Show us your favorite part of your notebook."
There are no trick questions. Honest answers about real problems — including the stuff that didn't work — are exactly what judges hope to hear. The journey matters more than a shiny robot.
An easy way to prepare
Before the event, practice once as a team: everyone picks one thing they worked on and says two sentences about it. That's it. Make sure everyone gets a turn to talk in the real interview too — judges notice when one teammate does everything.
Second interviews
If judges come back later for another conversation — celebrate quietly. Teams under consideration for judged awards often get a second look. And don't ask judges how it went or who's winning; deliberations are secret until the awards ceremony. Half the fun is finding out with everyone else.