United States
Hong KongFTCE General Knowledge versus Praxis Core
They're different states' answers to the same question. Florida requires the FTCE General Knowledge Test, and Rule 6A-4.0021(12) lists exactly which other scores may substitute: GRE, SAT, ACT and CLT. Praxis Core is not among them. Passing Praxis Core does not satisfy Florida's general knowledge requirement under that rule.
Most states screen basic skills before they certify a teacher. They just don't use the same test to do it.
The short version
Praxis Core is the Educational Testing Service's basic-skills assessment, used by a number of states and by teacher preparation programs as an entry screen. Florida runs its own examinations under Rule 6A-4.0021, and the general knowledge requirement is met by the FTCE General Knowledge Test (082): an essay, English Language Skills, Reading and Mathematics, registered and passed separately.
So they cover comparable ground. They are not interchangeable, and the reason is a list.
The list that settles it
Rule 6A-4.0021(12) is where Florida names the outside scores it will accept in place of General Knowledge subtests. Four tests appear: the GRE, the SAT, the ACT and the CLT. Praxis Core is not one of them.
| Score | Accepted in place of General Knowledge subtests? |
|---|---|
| GRE | Yes, for administrations on or after 1 July 2015 |
| SAT | Yes, for administrations on or after 1 March 2016 |
| ACT | Yes, for administrations on or after 1 March 2016 |
| CLT | Yes, for administrations on or after 1 March 2016 |
| Praxis Core | Not named in Rule 6A-4.0021(12) |
The full table of qualifying scores gives the exact figure the rule sets for each subtest. Read it before you assume anything about your own file, because an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 560 covers three of the four subtests and a lot of people are carrying one without knowing what it's worth.
Where we stop being able to help
If you already hold a teaching certificate from another state, your route into Florida is a separate question governed by separate rules, and it isn't the alternative-score provision above. We hold Rule 6A-4.0021 and the Department's own examination documents. We do not hold the reciprocity rules and won't summarize what we haven't read. Ask the Bureau of Educator Certification about your specific certificate.
The same limit applies to Praxis itself. We haven't sourced ETS's fees, formats or cut scores, so this page doesn't quote any. What we can tell you with a document behind it is what Florida's rule accepts, and Praxis Core isn't in it.
Is one harder than the other?
We don't know, and neither does anyone claiming to. The two tests use different scales, different question counts and different standard-setting processes, so a comparison of difficulty would be a comparison of vibes.
What we can say about this one, from the Department's own 2025 report: the published first-attempt pass rates are 64% for the essay, 68% for English Language Skills, 78% for Reading and 71% for Mathematics. Because all four have to be passed, roughly a quarter of candidates clear all four at the first attempt, a figure we derived by multiplying those four rates rather than one FLDOE publishes.
If you're choosing where to teach
The test shouldn't be the deciding factor, and we'd say that even though we sell preparation for one of them. USD 130 and a few weeks of study is not a reason to pick a state. Where you want to live is.
One genuine difference worth weighing: Florida's alternative-score provision is unusually generous. If your admissions scores are recent enough and high enough, the general knowledge requirement can cost you nothing at all, and that's a real point in Florida's favor for anyone still deciding.
Common questions
Does Florida accept Praxis Core instead of the FTCE General Knowledge Test?
Not under Rule 6A-4.0021(12), which names the outside scores Florida will accept: the GRE, SAT, ACT and CLT. Praxis Core is not on that list. If you hold an out-of-state certificate, ask the Bureau of Educator Certification, because reciprocity is a separate question.
What's the difference between the FTCE General Knowledge Test and Praxis Core?
They're different states' basic-skills screens. Florida's is the General Knowledge Test (082): four subtests, registered and passed separately, at USD 32.50 each or USD 130 for all four. Praxis Core is ETS's equivalent, used elsewhere.
Which test is harder?
Nobody can honestly say, because the two use different scales and different standard-setting. For the FTCE, published 2025 first-attempt rates are 64% essay, 68% English Language Skills, 78% Reading and 71% Mathematics, and all four have to be passed.
I passed Praxis Core in another state. Do I have to sit the FTCE?
For the general knowledge requirement, the rule's substitution list doesn't include Praxis. But if you hold an out-of-state certificate your route may run through different provisions entirely. That's a question for the Bureau of Educator Certification, not for a study site.
Do you sell Praxis preparation?
No. Everything on this site covers the FTCE General Knowledge Test. We do not hold ETS source documents, so we quote no Praxis fees, formats or cut scores anywhere, and we would rather say that than summarize a test we have not read the paperwork for.