Competition Classes
The F1 in Schools STEM Challenge in the US and Canada currently is divided into two competition classes - Developmental and Professional.
Younger teams that are just starting out (suggested 5th-8th grade students) are encouraged to join the Developmental class, which features reduced technical regulations for their CNC manufactured or 3D Printed cars, shorter portfolios and verbal presentations for the teams to develop, and allows the teams to focus on building the basics. The Development class often allows teams to start up programs easier and gain experience with the challenge and can serve as a stepping stone for teams that plan to compete for multiple years. Development Class teams can compete up to the National level for the title of National Champions.
The Professional Class (suggested 8th-12th grade students) is recommended to older teams who have experience with CNC/CAM or would like to challenge themselves with the new learning experience. Teams also have to develop detailed engineering, enterprise, and project management portfolios to defend their engineering designs and logistics management. Professional Class teams compete at the Regional and National Level to earn the right to represent our countries at the World Finals for the title of World Champions!
However, both classes are open to both teams - feel free to join whichever suits your team best! It’s not a requirement to start out in the Development class if you’re ready for the ultimate F1 in Schools Challenge.
Looking to get elementary students engaged in STEM and F1? Check out our Primary STEM Project!
A comparision of the three levels of F1 in Schools Challenge offered in the US and Canada is shown below:
*Some levels of competition may require qualifying at previous level (i.e. only top three professional teams are eligible to compete at the World Finals)
**Students aged 9-19 may compete in either the Development or Professional class - recommended grade level is based on the common age of participants but is not a requirement