Florida law requires that teachers demonstrate mastery of basic skills, professional knowledge, and content area of specialization. Testing requirements for teacher candidates seeking certification are described in Section 1012.56, Florida Statutes (F.S.), and in 6A-4.0021, Florida Administrative Code (FAC). If you are currently a student, you should consult your college advisor about testing requirements. Nondegreed vocational applicants must meet certification requirements determined by their local school districts.
Testing requirements for candidates seeking certification in Educational Leadership are described in Section 1012.56, F.S. and in 6A-4.00821, FAC.
Consult your academic advisor or a certification specialist from the school district in the county where you want to teach or access the Web site for the Florida Department of Education’s Bureau of Educator Certification at www.fldoe.org/edcert. A valid Statement of Status of Eligibility issued by the Bureau of Educator Certification will also advise you of testing requirements. The FTCE/FELE program office cannot advise you about what tests are appropriate for you.
A brief description of the FTCE and FELE follows. For more detailed information about each test, see "Test Selection." You may also order a test information guide for any test; see "Test Information Guides" or use the Test Information Guide Order Form in a printed Registration Bulletin. The test information guides include a description of the test, a list of competencies and skills tested, and sample test items.
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
| The FTCE General Knowledge Test (GK) | The GK is a test of basic skills and consists of four subtests:
The subtests consist of multiple-choice questions, except for the Essay subtest, which consists of one essay. The subtests may be registered for separately and taken separately; subtests may be passed at separate administrations to achieve a passing score on the overall test. NOTE: An examinee who took and passed all or part of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) in Florida before July 1, 2002, may use the parts passed on the CLAST toward certification. For any parts not passed by that date, corresponding subtests of the General Knowledge Test are required. |
| The FTCE Professional Education Test (PEd) | The PEd is a test of pedagogy and professional practices. It consists of multiple-choice questions. |
| The FTCE Subject Area Examinations (SAE) | There are 42 different SAEs.
Most SAEs are single tests. However, the German K–12 and Speech 6–12 tests each consist of two subtests. The subtests may be registered for separately and taken separately; subtests may be passed at separate administrations to achieve a passing score on the overall test. Although most SAEs consist of only multiple-choice questions, some (such as English 6–12, Middle Grades English 5–9, French K–12, German K–12, Spanish K–12, and Speech 6–12) also include an essay, recorded speaking and listening sections, or a videotaped section. See "Test Selection" for details about each SAE. |
| The Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) |
The FELE is for the certification of administrators (such as school principals) and consists of three subtests:
Subtests 1 and 2 consist of only multiple-choice questions. Subtest 3 consists of multiple-choice questions and an essay. The subtests may be registered for separately and taken separately; subtests may be passed at separate administrations to achieve a passing score on the overall test. As of January 1, 2009, examinees register for and take a revised version of the FELE. Examinees who took the previous version of the FELE, administered prior to January 2009, and passed only one or two of the three subtests will be required to take and pass the revised FELE in its entirety. |
