Do You Need a Qualifying Time or to Be a Certain Speed to Enter a Competition?
Almost always no, you don’t need a qualifying time or to be a certain speed to enter a competition. We’re really welcoming of anyone able to solve regardless of the time.
There are some exceptions to this:
- National, Continental and World Championships tend to have qualification times for events. (see question: Are their National and International Competitions?)
- A small number of events sometimes have qualifying times or competitor limits at some competitions e.g. fewest moves challenge1 and certain blindfolded2 events. This is due to scheduling.
You also need to know about cut off times3 and time limits4 for each event.
The time limit is the maximum time you have to solve the cube. Beyond that time the time will be recorded as DNF (Did Not Finish)5. For the 3x36 this is often ten minutes.
Glossary:
1 Fewest Moves Challenge (AKA FMC, or just “Fewest Moves”) - Competitors have a set amount of time (1 hour) to identify how to solve the 3x3 in the fewest moves. They have to write down their solution before the time-limit.
2 Solving the cube while wearing a blindfold. The timer starts as soon as the cube is revealed, and the competitor inspects the cube and puts their blindfold on to solve it in the quickest time possible.
3 For most events a competitor has five attempts to solve the cube. However, you only get to do all five solves if you meet the cut-off time in one of the first two solves. The cut-off time is the agreed maximum time for that event for a competitor to be able to do all five solves. For the 3x3 this is normally 3 minutes. It is different from the time-limit.
4 The time limit is the maximum time you have to solve the cube. Beyond that time the time will be recorded as DNF (Did Not Finish). For the 3x3 this is often ten minutes. The time limit is different to the cut-off time.
5 DNF = Did Not Finish. When a competitor attempts a solve but doesn’t solve it completely or within the time-limit. Any disqualified results are also listed as DNF.
6 Normally written as “3x3” but pronounced “3 by 3.” This is the original cube as designed by Ernő Rubik (the Rubik’s Cube). Each face has nine pieces with three along each edge.
1 Fewest Moves Challenge (AKA FMC, or just “Fewest Moves”) - Competitors have a set amount of time (1 hour) to identify how to solve the 3x3 in the fewest moves. They have to write down their solution before the time-limit.
2 Solving the cube while wearing a blindfold. The timer starts as soon as the cube is revealed, and the competitor inspects the cube and puts their blindfold on to solve it in the quickest time possible.
3 For most events a competitor has five attempts to solve the cube. However, you only get to do all five solves if you meet the cut-off time in one of the first two solves. The cut-off time is the agreed maximum time for that event for a competitor to be able to do all five solves. For the 3x3 this is normally 3 minutes. It is different from the time-limit.
4 The time limit is the maximum time you have to solve the cube. Beyond that time the time will be recorded as DNF (Did Not Finish). For the 3x3 this is often ten minutes. The time limit is different to the cut-off time.
5 DNF = Did Not Finish. When a competitor attempts a solve but doesn’t solve it completely or within the time-limit. Any disqualified results are also listed as DNF.
6 Normally written as “3x3” but pronounced “3 by 3.” This is the original cube as designed by Ernő Rubik (the Rubik’s Cube). Each face has nine pieces with three along each edge.
Kirsty Grainger, 2023-2024