United States
Hong KongThree examinations, one certificate: how they fit together
Three separate examinations sit under Rule 6A-4.0021: the General Knowledge Test, a subject area examination for the field you intend to teach, and the professional education test. All three pass at a scaled score of 200. Only the General Knowledge Test splits into four separately registered subtests.
People arrive at this site thinking the FTCE is one exam. It is a family of them, governed by a single rule, and the General Knowledge Test is the entry point rather than the whole thing. Getting the map straight early saves a lot of confused reading later.
Rule 6A-4.0021(2)(b) describes the coverage in one sentence: subtests of English language skills, reading, writing, mathematics, professional skills, and subject area specialty. Those six areas resolve into three examinations.
The three, side by side
| General Knowledge Test | Subject Area Examination | Professional Education Test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it tests | Writing, English language skills, reading, mathematics | The field you intend to teach | Professional skills |
| Structure | Four subtests, registered and passed separately | One examination per subject area | One examination |
| Passing standard | Scaled 200 per multiple-choice subtest, raw 6 for the essay | Scaled 200 | Scaled 200 |
| How many you sit | Up to four, one per subtest | One, matched to your field | One |
| Alternative score route | Yes, under subsection (12) | No | No |
| Fee | USD 32.50 per subtest, USD 130 for all four | Higher per registration; see the rule | Higher per registration; see the rule |
The structural difference in row two is the one that changes how you plan. General Knowledge is four small commitments. The other two are single events, so a fail means resitting the whole examination rather than a quarter of it.
Where the passing standards come from
All three land on a scaled score of 200 and they get there differently. For the General Knowledge subtests, subsection (7) anchors the scaled 200 to raw scores on named standard-setting forms. For the professional education test, subsection (8) does the same with its own forms. For subject area examinations, subsection (9) says the Commissioner recommends a passing score to the State Board for approval, examination by examination.
A scaled 200 does not mean the same number of correct answers across examinations, or even across versions of one subtest. FLDOE publishes what it is worth as a percentage for the General Knowledge subtests - at most 63% for English Language Skills, at most 70% for Reading, at most 63% for Mathematics - and those are maximums, so a harder version can need slightly fewer.
There is no combined General Knowledge score and no overall pass percentage. Each subtest stands alone. Someone scoring 68% on every subtest has passed English Language Skills and Mathematics and failed Reading, which is the clearest way to see why blending the three published percentages produces a meaningless figure.
What order to take them in
There is no order in the rule. Our view is that General Knowledge goes first, for three reasons that are all about risk rather than difficulty. It is the cheapest of the three. It is the only one with an alternative-score route, so you might not need it at all. And it is the one requirement that does not change if you switch the subject you want to teach.
The subject area examination is the one to think hardest about, because it is the only one where the choice of examination is itself a decision. Sit it after you are sure of your field.
Where the volume goes
FLDOE's 2025 annual report puts all FTCE and FELE testing at 121,968 administrations from 51,089 unique examinees. The General Knowledge Test is 28% of the administrations and 20% of the unique examinees. It generates more sittings than its share of people because it has four subtests and a quarter of its sittings are retakes.
Across the whole FTCE and FELE, 37.2% of candidates retook at least one subtest and retakes were 25.4% of all administrations. That is the number to keep in mind when someone tells you an examination has a high pass rate. Sittings and people are not the same thing, and most published summaries of this test blur them.
What we cover and what we do not
Sitonce publishes for the General Knowledge Test only. We have nothing for the subject area examinations or the professional education test, we are not a Florida-approved teacher preparation program, and we would rather say that on the map page than let you assume otherwise. For the other two, start from the competencies FLDOE publishes for them and from what your program or district recommends.
Common questions
How many FTCE examinations do I have to take?
Three, in most routes: the General Knowledge Test, a subject area examination for the field you intend to teach, and the professional education test. Only the General Knowledge Test splits into four separately registered subtests, so the total number of sittings is usually higher.
Do all three pass at the same score?
All three pass at a scaled score of 200, but the scaled score is set separately for each and does not mean the same number of correct answers. The General Knowledge essay is different again: it passes on a total raw score of 6 summed from two raters.
Which one should I take first?
Nothing in the rule sets an order. We would take General Knowledge first because it is the cheapest, because an alternative admissions test score might cover it entirely, and because it is the only requirement unaffected by changing your mind about what to teach.
Can an SAT or GRE score cover the subject area examination?
No. Rule 6A-4.0021(12) applies to the general knowledge requirement only. The subject area examination and the professional education test have no alternative-score route in the rule, so they must be sat.
Are subject area examinations split into subtests too?
Some are. The rule's fee schedule lists subtest registrations for certain fields, so the structure varies by subject area rather than being uniform. Check the current test structure for the specific examination that matches your intended field.