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Hong KongOne subtest at a time versus all four: what it costs
There's no money in this decision. A single subtest is USD 32.50 and the full battery is USD 130, exactly four times it. What splitting costs you is more trips to a test center and study material that has to stay live for longer, and what it buys you is preparing for one subtest at a time.
The first thing to get out of the way is the assumption that booking everything together is cheaper. It isn't.
The fee schedule, in full
| Registration | Fee | Per subtest |
|---|---|---|
| Single subtest | USD 32.50 | USD 32.50 |
| Two subtests | USD 65 | USD 32.50 |
| Three subtests | USD 97.50 | USD 32.50 |
| Full battery | USD 130 | USD 32.50 |
It's a flat rate, set out in Rule 6A-4.0021(4)(b) and unchanged since 22 April 2019. Four singles cost the same as the battery to the cent. So the decision is about everything except the fee, which is not how most people frame it.
What splitting actually costs
- Trips. Sitting all four in one appointment is one journey to a Pearson test center. Splitting them across four appointments is four, with whatever that means for your commute, your parking and your day off work
- Material shelf life. If your four sittings are spread over six months, anything you're studying from has to still be live in month six. Access that ends in 30 days does not survive this plan
- Momentum. Four separate run-ups, four separate weeks of nerves. Some people find that easier and some find it exhausting
And what it buys is concentration. You prepare for one subtest, sit it, and know the result for the multiple-choice ones before you leave the center. Mathematics is 100 minutes and 35 questions of its own material, and there's a decent case for giving it a run-up that isn't shared with grammar revision.
You have one year from registering to book your appointment. Registering the full battery early to lock in the fee means starting that year on all four at once, which is fine if you're sitting them inside twelve months and a problem if the plan slips. Register what you're going to sit.
The retake math is the same either way
This is worth stating because people assume the battery is riskier. It isn't. Each subtest is passed on its own against a scaled score of 200, you retake only what you failed, and a retake is a fresh single-subtest registration at USD 32.50 after at least 30 days.
So failing one of four in a single appointment costs exactly what failing one of four across four appointments costs. Published data has 37.2% of candidates retaking at least one subtest, and the average candidate generating 3.38 subtest sittings, which is a number that only makes sense once you see that the four are separate registrations.
What you have to buy under each plan
| All four in one appointment | One at a time | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | USD 130 | USD 130, in four payments |
| Material has to last | Weeks | Months |
| Best fit for material sold monthly | Yes, one or two months of it | No, you'll pay several times |
| Best fit for material sold once | Wasteful if you finish in a month | Yes, the access period earns its keep |
Our access runs 12 months for USD 79, which is built for the second column. That's a disclosure, not a recommendation: if you're sitting everything in three weeks, you're buying eleven months you won't use, and something short and cheap may suit you better.
Our view
Split them, but not into four. Two appointments is usually the sweet spot: the two language subtests together, then Mathematics on its own with a proper run-up, or the reverse if Mathematics is your strong side. That keeps the trips down and still gives the subtest that needs the most rebuilding a clear run.
The scheduling side of this, including what a single 245-minute appointment with all four actually feels like, belongs to sitting all four in one appointment rather than here. This page is only about the money and the materials.
Common questions
Can you take FTCE General Knowledge subtests one at a time?
Yes. The four subtests are registered, sat and passed separately. A single subtest registration is USD 32.50, and you can sit them in any order across as many appointments as you like.
Is it cheaper to book all four subtests together?
No. Rule 6A-4.0021(4)(b) sets USD 32.50 for one subtest and USD 130 for the full battery, which is exactly four times the single fee. There is no bundle discount and no penalty for splitting.
Does taking all four at once increase my risk?
Not in fee terms. Each subtest passes on its own at a scaled score of 200, you retake only what you failed, and a retake is a fresh USD 32.50 after at least 30 days. Fatigue across a long appointment is a separate argument.
How long do I have to book after registering?
One year from registering to book an appointment. Registering the full battery early starts that year running on all four subtests at once, so register what you actually intend to sit within twelve months.
Does splitting subtests cost more in study material?
It can. Material sold monthly gets billed again every month your plan runs, so a six-month split multiplies it. Material sold once for a fixed access period suits a split plan better. Sitonce is USD 79 for 12 months.