The Florida Teacher Certification Examinations or FTCE General Knowledge Test is meant to evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities of prospective entry-level teachers in the state of Florida. The skills and knowledge areas that are tested are essential to professional educators at this level to be effective. This exam consists of four subtests: Essay, English Language Skills, Reading, and Mathematics.
Online FTCE General Knowledge Prep Course
If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online FTCE General Knowledge Prep Course. The course is designed to provide you with any and every resource you might want while studying. The FTCE General Knowledge Course includes:
- Review Lessons Covering Every Topic
- 550+ FTCE General Knowledge Practice Questions
- More than 600 Digital Flashcards
- Over 270 Instructional Videos
- Money-back Guarantee
- Free Mobile Access
- and More!
The FTCE General Knowledge Prep Course is designed to help any learner get everything they need to prepare for their FTCE General Knowledge exam. Click below to check it out!
Who is Eligible?
Those seeking certification by taking the Florida General Knowledge Test must have:
- A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
a U.S state or territory - A valid certificate issued by the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards or the American Board for Certification of
Teacher Excellence - At least two semesters
of full-time college teaching experience or the equivalent - At least a bachelor’s degree
There is a fee of $130 for your first attempt.
When and Where is it Taken?
This exam and its subtests can be scheduled by appointment, year-round at Pearson VUE testing sites. These can be found throughout the state of Florida, as well as nationwide. A complete list of available dates, times, and locations will be provided during your registration. Choose a testing session that is most convenient for you.
It is recommended that you register as early as possible as seating and space may be limited at some locations.
Special accommodations can be made for those who may not be able to test under normal conditions. Please make this request early in your registration process to ensure timely approval.
Should you need to reschedule or cancel your exam, you can do so by contacting Pearson VUE at least two days before your original exam.
What Can I Bring?
It is crucial that you arrive at least 15 minutes early to your testing appointment. This will allow you enough time to complete the check-in process and get ready before the exam begins. Those who arrive late will not be admitted and will have to reschedule and submit another payment.
The check-in process with require that you bring two current and valid forms of identification. These will need to contain your signature and your full name as it appears on your application. One of these must also be a photo ID with a recent and recognizable photo. Without a proper ID you will not be able to test and will have to reschedule.
All other personal items are strictly prohibited and not allowed in the testing area. These will be kept in a designated locker for the duration of your exam. This includes:
- Cell phones and electronic devices
- Calculators and study materials
- Pencils and paper
- Watches and jewelry
- Hats, sweatshirts and jackets, and any other
kind of outerwear - Purses and bags of any kind
An on-screen four-function calculator and a mathematics reference sheet will be provided for you at the testing center during the mathematics subtest.
What is Covered?
As mentioned above, there are four subtests in this exam. Below is a brief outline of each, including the number of questions, time given, and main topic areas.
Essay (50 minutes)
You will be required to write one essay using your skills in standard written English to engage your audience to make a thesis or claim and support it with relevant textual evidence.
English Language
Skills or ELS (40 multiple choice questions/40 minutes)
You will be expected to answer questions proving your knowledge of language structure, vocabulary application, and standard English Conventions.
Reading (40 multiple choice questions/55 minutes)
These questions will ask you about your knowledge of key ideas and details, craft and structure, and information and ideas based on text selections.
Mathematics (45 multiple choice questions/1 hour and 40 minutes)
This section will evaluate your knowledge of number sense and concepts, geometry and measurement, algebraic thinking and the coordinate plane, probability and statistics, data interpretation and order of operations.
How is it Scored?
Your unofficial score report will be given to you at the testing site after you complete the exam. these are indicated by a pass or fail status only. Official score reports can be viewed online through your FTCE/FELE account within four weeks of testing. You will be notified when these are ready.
Passing scored will be sent to the Bureau of Educator Certification (BEC) at the Florida Department of Education and any institution or certification program you selected during your registration.
Your score report will include your pass/fail status, your scaled score for each subtest, a breakdown of your performance in each subtest/section. You must receive at least eight out of 12 points on the Essay subtest and a scaled score of at least 200 for all other subtests to be considered passing. You must pass all four to pass the General Knowledge Exam. Retakes are available for all or specific subtests at least 31 days after your original exam. It is possible to reregister for only the subtests you did not pass. There is a $150 retake fee.
How Can I Prepare for the FTCE General Knowledge Test?
We believe that different learning styles require different tools for success. We have compiled a list of the best study guides, flashcards, and practice tests that we’ve found on the market. Some of these guides have review videos, for you visual learners out there. Others have practice tests, which have been proven to increase student scores by a whole letter grade (in some cases more than that)!
