UT's Guide to the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations

If you haven't done so already, please sign up for a FTCE/ FELE account from their website. You will need the account to register for all examinations. 

Freshman/ Sophomore Year:

• Prepare for the GK exam 
• Find sites and test dates for the GK 
• Register online
• Take the GK exam 

Junior Year:                          

• Prepare for the PED exam in EDU 312/ 354
• Find sites and test dates for the PED
• Register online
• Take the PED exam * Students are expected to pass the PED before the end of their Junior 2 semester.

Senior Year:                        

• Prepare for the SAEs 
• Find sites and test dates for the SAEs
• Register online
• Take the SAE exams *Students must pass the SAE exam for your area/ discipline in order to receive certification. 

Passing a Florida Teacher Certification Examination requires preparation and diligence, two qualities that will be important to a student’s future success as a teacher. We encourage you to see these exams as an opportunity to create good habits and skills to inform your growth as an educator. Please plan ahead by trying a variety of test preparation materials to find what resource best suits your needs and current areas of weakness.

• Duval County Public Schools in the Jacksonville area has developed a range of free materials for GK test preparation. Videos explaining the different skills and competencies for various exams, as well as overall suggestions for test preparation and strategies. Best of all, the materials are free! Please start your GK journey by looking over their fantastic resources. 
• Colleen Beaudoin, chair of the Department of Education, created a special Math Prep Dropbox, with various materials and practice questions accessible for all students. 
• The Florida Center for Instructional Technology also offers various online, self-paced courses for test preparation ($120). Each course contains a study guide, two online practice tests plus additional questions for each competency and skill tested. 
• FTCE Pocket Prep App. Search for it in the App Store. This is regularly updated to align with any GK test updates. The free use includes a question of the day and access to test prep hints and logic and quick exam practice. There are two upgrades that give 300-600 question access. When practice tests are taken, it times how long it takes per question and provides explanations for answers. Students can isolate subject focus for study and access via web or app. The most expensive of the options is $19.99. 
• The University of South Florida regularly hosts virtual General Knowledge Boot Camps. Please contact education@ut.edu for more information on upcoming camps.  
• 240 Tutoring also offers free pretests aligned with a personalized study guide that self-paces students through skills and questions to improve weaknesses. 
• Florida Atlantic University (FAU) offers affordable and effective test preparation courses, both online "learn on your time" and LIVE online classes. General Knowledge prep is divided into two separate courses; GK Verbal covers all aspects of reading comprehension, grammar, sentence structure and essay writing, and GK Math covers all aspects of the quantitative skill required for the exam, in addition to test-taking strategies specific to each section of the exam. Each course includes five weekly live online instructor-led sessions for a registration fee of $75, plus the required textbook.  
• The Learning Liaisons, founded by Jason Ampel, a current professor and educator who struggled through remedial math and reading classes in childhood, offers free preparation and practice tests. 
• Study.com

Where and When?

All Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) are administered at various locations throughout the state of Florida through Pearson. Visit the FTCE test center search website to find the nearest location. Don't forget to add The University of Tampa as you are registering for any section of any exam to ensure we also receive a copy of your scores.

What does this number mean?

The scale score for the multiple choice sections on General Knowledge Test (GK), Professional Education Test (PEd), and the Subject Area Exams (SAE's) is up to 200. The essay portion requires a passing score of 8 out of 12. 

View the Florida Department of Education website for FTCE scoring information that includes information about your score report, passing scores needed and score verification sessions.

Unofficial score results are immediate; an unofficial score of "PASSED" will appear on the screen at the completion of the test. A copy of your score report will be sent directly to the school district, college or university that you indicated when you registered for the exam. In addition, your passing scores will be submitted electronically to the Bureau of Educator Certification.

For those who do not have a successful attempt, an unofficial "NOT PASSED" will appear with a scale score. This score is not a direct indicator of how many questions were answered correctly, but can provide an overall view of the attempt.

Retest Policies

Test-takers must wait 31 calendar days before they may retake a failed exam. Retaking an exam within the 31-day period will invalidate your scores for the exam. To retake a test, please submit a new registration and pay the retake fee online. The cost to retake the FTCE is the fee for sitting the exam ($130), plus a retake fee ($20), with amounts to $150 per retake.  

The Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) is required in Florida for teachers seeking administrative positions in public schools. The FELE consists of three subtests covering 13 domains of core curriculum in educational leadership. At UT, our educational leadership master's program builds in the FELE as part of the curriculum. For more information, please see the Florida Department of Education's website.