Teams will face a 20–25-question quiz comprising multiple-choice and image-based questions. The round tests Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Laws, Number-system conversions, logic gates and operations, basic communication concepts such as analog vs. digital, AM and FM, real-life applications. Teams scoring above the qualifying threshold advance to Round 2.

• Each team must attempt the questions in the quiz.
• The quiz will contain 20–25 questions.
• Questions may be multiple-choice or image-based.
• Teams must score above the qualifying threshold to advance.

The team which answers the tie breaker question first advances to the next round.

Teams navigate a specially designed Snake & Ladder board using ECE knowledge and strategic choices. The board may be digital or physical and contains numbered squares (e.g., 1–50), with each square hiding an Easy, Medium, or Hard question worth 1, 2, or 3 steps respectively. Teams roll a die to determine their landing square and must answer the question correctly to claim the move. Special Boom Squares provide power-ups, while Curse Squares impose penalties. The first team to reach or pass the final square wins.

• All landed questions must be attempted before advancing.
• Correct answers move the team forward according to question difficulty.
• Wrong answers move the team backwards by a step value proportional to difficulty.
• Boom Squares may provide power-ups such as double next move, swapping positions or immunity from the next curse.
• Curse Squares may require a skipped turn, a tough Boss Question or moving back to a previous milestone.

In case of a tie, a rapid-fire bonus round will be used.