The easiest way for a beginner to solve a 5x5 Rubik's Cube is to turn it into a 3x3: gather the nine centre pieces of each face into one centre block, join the three edge pieces along each edge into one edge group, then solve it like a 3x3. This is the method J Perm and Ruwix show, and it is the one most competitive solvers use (J Perm).
If you can already solve a 4x4 Rubik's Cube, the 5x5 will feel familiar, and in one way it is even easier: the 5x5 has no "two edges swapped" parity at the very end. If you can't solve a 3x3 yet, start with how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube for beginners.
What is inside a 5x5?
!A fully solved 5x5 Rubik's Cube Photo: [Hellbus / Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solved_5x5x5.jpg), CC BY 3.0
According to Wikipedia, the outside of a 5x5 has 98 pieces:
- 8 corners, exactly like a 3x3.
- 36 edges: each edge has one middle edge with two wings (outer edge pieces) on either side. A middle edge can never swap places with a wing.
- 54 centres: each face has one fixed centre in the very middle and eight centres that move.
The fixed centre is a gift you only get on odd-sized cubes. It tells you straight away which colour each face is, so you don't have to remember the colour order yourself like on a 4x4.
The 5x5 was invented by Udo Krell in 1981 and sold as the Professor's Cube (Wikipedia).
Notation. R is the outermost layer on the right. Rw is the two right layers together. 2R is only the second layer from the right. Uw and Dw are the top two layers and the bottom two layers. The middle slice (the third layer) is the one holding the fixed pieces. The ' and the 2 mean the same as in normal cube notation.
Step 1: Build the centres
Think of the 3×3 centre block on each face as three vertical strips of three pieces each: the middle strip holds the fixed centre, plus one strip on each side. Do the faces in this order: white, yellow (the opposite face), then the four side faces.
The white face. There is nothing to break yet, so turn freely. Put the fixed white centre on top, add one white piece above it and one below it to make the middle strip, then add the two side strips.
The middle strip on the other faces. Put the face you are working on on top. Find a piece of the same colour on another face, turn an inner slice to bring it up to the top, turn U so it sits right next to the fixed centre, then turn that slice back where it was. You do this part by eye, the same way you build centres on a 4x4.
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
The side strips. Gather three pieces of the same colour into a strip in the right column of the front centre block. Turn U so the left column of the top face is the one that isn't finished yet, then do:
Rw U2 Rw'
This algorithm swaps the right column of the front face with the left column of the top face. The right column of the top face goes round once and comes back to where it was, and the other four faces stay the same. The fixed centre never moves. When one strip is done, turn U2 to move it to the right column, then bring the second strip into the left column the same way.
The last two faces are where it gets most confusing. Keep the two finished faces on the left and right, work between the front and the top, and check the finished faces again after each algorithm.
Step 2: Pair the 12 edge groups
Now turn only the outer layers to move the edges into place, because outer turns don't break the centre blocks. Each edge needs all three pieces together: the middle edge and two wings with the same two colours.
Pairing both wings at once
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
Put the middle edge you want to pair on the edge between the front and right faces. Bring the two matching wings to the edge between the front and left faces: one on the top half, one on the bottom half, and the colour on their left side must match the colour on the front of the middle edge. Turn U so the edge between the top and right faces is one that is not paired yet, then do:
Uw' Dw R U R' Uw Dw'
The algorithm has three parts:
- Uw' Dw moves the two slices holding the wings to the right. The middle slice stays still, so the two wings arrive right on either side of the middle edge.
- R U R' stores the edge group you just paired on the top face and brings the unpaired edge from top-right down.
- Uw Dw' puts the centre blocks back the way they were.
The new edge group ends up on the edge between the top and left faces. The paired edges on the bottom layer and the two back edges are not touched. A tip to check before you start: try Uw' Dw first. If the three pieces line up and each face shows only one colour, carry on; if not, turn back and flip the edge (see below).
When the middle edge already has one wing
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
The middle edge on the front-right edge is already paired with the bottom-half wing, and the top-half wing is missing. Put the missing wing on the top half of the front-left edge and do Uw' R U R' Uw. The full three-piece edge group is stored on the edge between the top and left faces, and the top-right edge is split apart to take its place.
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
The other way round, if the missing wing is on the bottom half of the front-left edge, do Dw R U R' Dw'. The edge group is stored on the edge between the top and front faces, and this time the edge that gets split is the one between the top and back faces.
Flipping an edge
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
Is an edge facing the wrong way? Bring it to the edge between the front and right faces and do R U R' F R' F' R. This algorithm flips that edge where it is, only moves the edges around on the top face, and doesn't split any edge group.
The last two edges
When only two edges are left unpaired, there are no spare edges left to "sacrifice". Put those two on the front-left and front-right edges, with each middle edge already on its own edge. Look at which wing is on the wrong edge:
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
- The top-half wing of the front-left edge swaps with the bottom-half wing of the front-right edge: Uw' R U R' F R' F' R Uw.
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
- The bottom-half wing of the front-left edge swaps with the top-half wing of the front-right edge: Dw R U R' F R' F' R Dw'.
Both middle edges stay on their own edges; only the middle edge on the front-right edge gets flipped. Sometimes you need both algorithms, once each.
Edge parity: two wings the wrong way round
See it in 3D, before and after
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
Sometimes the very last edge looks almost right: the middle edge is correct, but the two wings have swapped places with each other, so the colours don't match. No outer-layer turns can fix this. J Perm calls this 5x5 parity (J Perm). Bring that edge to the edge between the top and front faces and do:
2R2 B2 U2 2L U2 2R' U2 2R U2 F2 2R F2 2L' B2 2R2
This algorithm only swaps the two wings of that edge, and every other piece stays put. It is the same OLL parity algorithm as in the 4x4 guide: on a 5x5 the second layer is the one holding the wings, so it swaps the two wings without touching the middle edge.
Step 3: Solve it like a 3x3
From here on, turn only the outermost layers. Each 3×3 centre block works as one centre, and each three-piece edge group works as one edge. Follow all seven steps of the 3x3 guide: White cross, First layer corners, Second layer edges, Yellow cross, Yellow face, Yellow corners into place, Yellow edges into place.
Good news: the 5x5 has no parity at this step. According to Wikipedia, when you solve by turning it into a 3x3, the parity errors of a 4x4 can't happen on a cube with an odd number of layers (Wikipedia). The fixed centres and the middle edges make the cube behave exactly like a 3x3. If you see a strange pattern in the last step, most likely an edge group or a centre block was put together wrong earlier.
How fast can the best solvers do a 5x5?
According to WCA data, the 5x5 world record is 29.49 seconds for a single and 33.19 seconds for an average. The Vietnamese records are 31.95 seconds and 34.76 seconds (WCA). A beginner's first solve usually takes much longer, and most of that time goes into building the centres. To time yourself, try the timer.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Should I get the hang of a 4x4 before trying a 5x5?
You don't have to, but it helps. The first two steps of the 5x5 use the same ideas as the 4x4, and a 4x4 has fewer pieces, so it is easier to practise on.
How many algorithms do I need to solve a 5x5?
Apart from the 3x3 algorithms, this guide uses eight algorithms. The four you will use most are the centre strip algorithm, pairing both wings at once, flipping an edge and edge parity.
Does the 5x5 have OLL parity and PLL parity like the 4x4?
No. The 5x5 only has edge parity, when you pair the very last edge. Once it is turned into a 3x3, it behaves like a normal 3x3.
Why is it easier to tell the faces apart on a 5x5 than on a 4x4?
Because each face has one fixed centre. Its colour is the colour of the whole face, so you can't put the faces in the wrong order.
If I get edge parity, do I have to start over?
No. Do the edge parity algorithm, then carry on with step 3 as normal.
This information is based on competition results owned and maintained by the World Cube Association, published at worldcubeassociation.org/results as of 12.10.2026.
Cover photo: Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0