Certification and the alternatives

What the test is for, and the SAT, ACT, GRE and CLT scores that can replace it.

What the General Knowledge Test is actually forIt is one of the examination requirements for a Florida Professional Certificate, and it exists to demonstrate mastery of general knowledge rather tha…
The Florida Professional Certificate, and where this test sits in itThe Professional Certificate is Florida's full teaching certificate. The General Knowledge Test is one of its examination requirements, sitting alongs…
The Temporary Certificate, and teaching before you have passedFlorida issues a Temporary Certificate that allows a person to teach while completing outstanding requirements. What is outstanding, and for how long,…
You may not have to take this test at allRule 6A-4.0021(12) lets qualifying GRE, SAT, ACT or CLT scores satisfy the general knowledge requirement, subtest by subtest. One SAT Evidence-Based R…
Using an SAT score instead of the General Knowledge TestSAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing at 560 satisfies three of the four General Knowledge subtests, and SAT Mathematics at 540 satisfies the fourth.…
Using an ACT score instead of the General Knowledge TestACT English at 22 satisfies the essay and English Language Skills subtests, Reading at 23 satisfies the Reading subtest, and Mathematics at 22 satisfi…
Using a GRE score instead of the General Knowledge TestGRE Verbal Reasoning at 151 satisfies the English Language Skills and Reading subtests, Quantitative Reasoning at 147 satisfies Mathematics, and Analy…
Using a CLT score instead of the General Knowledge TestRule 6A-4.0021(12) names the Classic Learning Test alongside the GRE, SAT and ACT. Verbal Reasoning and Grammar/Writing at a combined 49 satisfies the…
Which alternative score covers which subtestOne SAT or CLT verbal figure covers three subtests. ACT English covers two and ACT Reading a third. GRE Verbal Reasoning covers two, with Analytical W…
The cutoff dates that disqualify an alternative scoreTwo date conditions, and both must hold. Rule 6A-4.0021(12) accepts GRE administrations on or after 1 July 2015 and SAT, ACT and CLT administrations o…
Your SAT covered general knowledge. You still have two examinations leftYes, you almost certainly do. Rule 6A-4.0021(12) satisfies the general knowledge requirement only. The subject area examination for the field you want…
Rule 6A-4.0021, read subsection by subsectionRule 6A-4.0021, F.A.C. governs the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations. It sets the fee schedule, the thirty-day retake wait, the scaled score …
The competencies are not a study guide. They are the ruleRule 6A-4.0021(2)(c) incorporates the Competencies and Skills publication by reference and makes it part of the rule. The syllabus for this examinatio…
The Twenty-Eighth Edition, and what changed on 1 September 2025The Twenty-Eighth Edition of Competencies and Skills Required for Teacher Certification in Florida is incorporated into Rule 6A-4.0021 and took effect…
Three examinations, one certificate: how they fit togetherThree separate examinations sit under Rule 6A-4.0021: the General Knowledge Test, a subject area examination for the field you intend to teach, and th…
FTCE subject area examinations, in briefThe subject area examination tests the field you intend to teach, and there is one for each certification subject. It passes at a scaled score of 200,…
The Professional Education Test, in briefThe professional education test is the third of Florida's examination requirements, covering professional skills rather than general knowledge or subj…
Teacher preparation programs, and why we are not oneA Florida-approved teacher preparation program is a state-approved route to certification, and approval is a formal status with a specific meaning. St…
Moving to Florida with a teaching certificate from another stateAn out-of-state certificate does not automatically remove Florida's examination requirements, and only the Bureau of Educator Certification can tell y…
A passing subtest score does not expireA passing General Knowledge subtest score does not expire. You keep it and retake only what you failed. Rule 6A-4.0021(3)(e) goes further and bars you…
You passed all four. What happens nextYou have cleared the general knowledge examination requirement and nothing else. The multiple-choice results are scored at the center; the essay is ra…
Who has to take the General Knowledge TestCandidates for a Florida Professional Certificate and students in Florida teacher preparation programs must demonstrate mastery of general knowledge. …