Frequently Asked Questions

Check out this beginner's PDF tutorial here. There are also many more resources on the internet to help you learn how to solve the cube faster.

Anyone can compete at any age! Competitors range in age from 4-84 years, however most competitors are aged 10-20 years old. If you are considering coming to a competition – JUST DO IT! Competitions are a great experience regardless of age.

To compete you only need to know how to solve the cube! Most competitions have a 5 minute time limit for the 3x3x3 cube event. Each competition lists the time limits and cut-offs for each event. So if you can solve the puzzle in that time YOU CAN COMPETE!

First, you need to make sure you have created a WCA account. You can do this by going to the sign-up page and creating an account. Once you have created the account and confirmed your email address, go to the Register page of the competition and follow the instructions carefully. You will not be added to the competitor list until you have paid so make sure to do so! Registrations usually fill very quickly, so make sure to register early. If a competition has filled up we will add your name to the waiting list.

There are currently 17 official WCA events. Not every competition will have every event, so make sure to look at the event tab to see what events are being held at your competition. Events will often have time limits. If you think you can solve in less than that time then you can compete.

All competitors compete on the same level and all ages are welcome. WCA competitions are incredibly supportive environments and there is always a range of ages and abilities.

Yes! We allow as many guests as you'd like at nearly all of our local competitions, but double check the guests policy on the WCA page of the competition before you go. Remember all competitors under-16 need to be accompanied by an adult.

Yes! We encourage and welcome spectators. It is often a good idea to come to a competition to see what it is all about. There's no need to book - you can just show up on the day and spend as long as you'd like with us! We have a very friendly and welcoming community and we're sure you'll feel right at home. You are also welcome to have a go on our competition timers during lunchtimes.

The delegates will tell you all you need to know at the competition. Watch this video to see what to expect at a competition.

Make sure to bring some sort of ID so we can confirm your date of birth and nationality (i.e a passport). If you do not have suitable ID don't worry you can still compete, we will just double-check your nationality and date of birth on the day. Make sure to also bring your own puzzles for all events you are competing in. There are 1000s of puzzles at these events so make sure you keep yours with you at all times.

Of course! Throughout the day we will need judges and runners so please see our delegates and organisers to ask how you can best assist.

After your first competition you will receive a WCA ID, that will be the year you first competed, the first 4 letters of your surname and a numeric identifier eg 2012BEAH01. For your first competition you only need a WCA account not a WCA ID.

Competitor times will be uploaded throughout the competition onto WCA Live. Please allow up to an hour from finishing your solves to them being uploaded. After the competition has finished and all results are verified, they are added to the WCA results database.

Speedcubing Ireland is not affiliated with any clubs, however there are often meetups organised by individuals within the community. If you are interested in connecting with local cubers, we highly recommend joining the Speedcubing Ireland Community Facebook Group or the Speedcubing Ireland Discord server.