You can tell the fixed centre, edge-centres and corner-centres apart, and recognise a wide turn.
Start with white on top. Once the white centre is complete, hold it on the bottom while you build the yellow centre on top.
1. Use the fixed middle sticker
Unlike the 4×4, the 5×5 tells you where each centre belongs. The nine interior stickers of a face must all match its fixed centre. Edges and corners around the outside can stay scrambled during this stage.
The four edge-centres sit directly above, below, left, and right of the fixed centre. The four corner-centres sit diagonally from it. A turn cannot change one type into the other.
2. Build the middle bar
Hold white up. Find two white edge-centres and move them to opposite sides of the fixed white centre, making a 1×3 bar. Use face turns to put an incoming piece in the path of the relevant slice before bringing it onto U.
The middle bar contains an edge-centre, the fixed centre, and another edge-centre. It cannot use a diagonal corner-centre in either end position.
3. Add the outer bars
Each outer bar contains a white corner-centre, a white edge-centre, and another white corner-centre. Build these three pieces in a row or column on a working face, then align the bar with the open column on U and bring it in with a wide turn.
Turn the target face to move finished bars clear of the slice you’ll use for the next insertion. Before making a wide turn, check where it will move the existing bar. When building the white centre first, there are no other completed colours to protect yet.
4. Protect opposite and neighbouring centres
Hold the white centre on the bottom and build the yellow centre on U. When a wide turn brings in yellow pieces and lifts part of the white centre out of place, turn U to move the new yellow pieces out of the return path. Then reverse the wide turn to restore the white centre.
Once the white and yellow centres are complete, hold the cube so they’re on the left and right. Build the side centres around their fixed middle stickers using the same method: build and insert the bars, then return the slice. You can safely rotate a finished block with a face turn. If you turn a slice through it, return that slice to restore the block.
5. Finish the final two centres
Put the unfinished centres at U and F. Work on the colour of U’s fixed sticker. First finish its middle bar; then build each outer bar using the remaining edge-centres and diagonal corner-centres of that colour.
Keep a completed bar outside the active slice. Align incoming pieces, insert, move the new pieces away from the slice’s return path, and reverse the slice. If pieces are in the wrong pattern, use this cycle to move one into a useful row or column before assembling the bar. When U is complete, the remaining pieces fill F.
The worked example shows one cycle: insert the pieces, move them out of the return path, then reverse the slice turn. This shows how a slice transfers centre pieces. The bars on your own cube determine the setup and which slice to use.
Watch, then try
Work through an example
Start by stepping through the example one move at a time. This example demonstrates a specific action. Use the lesson’s setup instructions to recognise when that action applies to your own scramble.
Watch one worked example
Watch the inner centre pieces during Rw, U, Rw′. The return move restores the displaced column while retaining the newly positioned pieces. Use the nets to inspect centres hidden behind the 3D view.
Example grip: yellow up · blue front · red right at the start. Follow any written whole-cube rotations.
0 / 3
Loading 3D cube…
Prepared position · 0 / 3 moves
Use Next move to follow the sequence.
Drag to inspect other faces. When the cube has focus, use the arrow keys to rotate the view.
Copy this exact example on your own cube
Start with a solved 5×5, with yellow on top and blue at the front. Apply the setup below from left to right to create the example’s starting position. Keep this example separate from the scramble you’re solving throughout the course.
Rw U' Rw'Then follow the lesson sequence. If your cube has a different colour scheme, use your own colours to identify the corresponding pieces.
Compare the starting position and the result
Drag each cube to inspect its other faces.
Explain it to yourself
Check your understanding
Now use your own cube
Your turn
Build a middle white bar through the fixed centre, then the two outer bars. Repeat for the other centres, restoring completed blocks after every insertion.
Open a 5×5 Digital Cube for practiceThe Digital Cube opens in a new tab so you can keep this lesson open while you practise. Check for yourself whether you’ve met the lesson goal, as the Digital Cube doesn’t assess your result.
If you get stuck
A piece will not fit the centre position I chose.
Check its orbit: edge-centres occupy the cross around the fixed centre; corner-centres occupy the diagonals. Find a piece of the correct type.
The white centre breaks up while I build the yellow centre.
Do not leave the wide slice out of position. Move the new yellow pieces out of its return path, reverse the slice turn and check the white centre before continuing.
Before moving on
Check your result
Your cube at this stage
Six centre blocks complete
All nine stickers in each centre block match its fixed middle sticker. The edge pieces still need grouping.
Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.
Tick each item when you can do it yourself.