The FTCE

FTCE exam(s):

• Are required to earn a Florida Teacher's certificate
• Are required to teach a specific subject area
• Consist of four test types - PEd, SAE, CLAST, and FTCE-O

What are the four tests, and why do I need to take them?

The FTCE has four tests. Depending upon your background, you may need to take one, two, or three of these tests.

PEd: Professional Education

The PEd is a multiple-choice test. If this is your first Florida teaching certificate, you must take this exam. It is used to measure your knowledge of five content bases:

1. Personal development
2. Appropriate student behavior
3. Planning instruction
4. Implementing instruction
5. Evaluating instruction

SAE: Subject Area Exam

Subject area exams are to measure content area knowledge for:

1. Degreed academic and vocational subject areas
2. Non-degreed Occupational Specialists
   
   You will take a Subject Area Exam if:
   1. It is your first teacher's certification.
   2. You are adding a specific subject area to your certification.

CLAST

The CLAST (College-Level Academic Skills Test):

1. Has been adopted by Florida's State Board of Education (SBE)
2. Measures your communication and mathematics skills
3. Determines if you meet the minimum standards for a sophomore in Florida's college/university system

CLAST is required for most Florida community colleges and state university students. You will need to take the CLAST if you:

1. Are an out-of-state candidate
2. Graduated from some Florida private schools
3. Graduated before the CLAST requirement became effective

Test F-O

Test F-O has math, reading and essay subtests.

1. The Mathematics subtest has simple computation and "real-world" problems.
2. The Reading subtest uses passages from teacher material in a fill in the blank format.
3. The essay is a 45-minute first draft scored by two judges.

How do I take the Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE) exam(s)?

SCC is a FTCE exam Test Center. You can take the exams at the Assessment and Testing Center. FTCE test dates are established by Florida's Department of Education. Before you can take the exam, you must register through the Department of Education in Tallahassee.

How can I get more information about the FTCE?

For more information about the FTCE:

• Refer to the State of Florida's FTCE page at http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/ftcehome.htm.
• Contact your county school district human resources department.
• Call the Assessment and Testing Center at 407.708.2020.