United States
Hong KongThe Professional Education Test, in brief
The professional education test is the third of Florida's examination requirements, covering professional skills rather than general knowledge or subject content. It is a single examination passing at a scaled score of 200. No alternative admissions test score covers it, and we publish no preparation for it.
The shortest of our three map pages, because we have the least to say that is not somebody else's job. This is the examination about teaching, as distinct from the one about general knowledge and the one about your subject.
Where it sits
Rule 6A-4.0021(2)(b) lists professional skills among the areas the written examinations cover, and subsection (8) sets the passing score for the professional education test at a scaled score of at least 200, anchored to raw scores on named standard-setting forms. Its competencies are published by FLDOE and, like the general knowledge ones, are incorporated into the rule.
- What it covers
- Professional skills
- Structure
- A single examination, not split into General Knowledge style subtests
- Passing standard
- Scaled score of 200
- Rule reference
- Rule 6A-4.0021(8)
- Alternative score route
- None
- Fee
- A single registration fee, higher than a General Knowledge subtest
We are not quoting a figure for the fee, and the reason is a rule we apply to ourselves: every number on this site comes from a source we verified for this examination, and our verification covered the General Knowledge rows of the fee schedule. Rule 6A-4.0021(4)(b) carries the current amount for the professional education test. Read it there.
How it differs from the General Knowledge Test
One sitting rather than four. That is the difference that changes your planning, because a failed professional education test means resitting the entire examination, where a failed General Knowledge subtest costs USD 32.50 and a 30-day wait. The retake rule in (3)(d) is the same thirty days either way.
There is also no exemption. Rule 6A-4.0021(12) is limited to demonstrating a mastery of general knowledge, so an SAT, ACT, GRE or CLT score does nothing here however strong it is.
Sitonce publishes preparation for the General Knowledge Test. We have no questions, lessons or mocks for the professional education test, and we are not a Florida-approved teacher preparation program. If you came here looking for professional education material, this page is a signpost and not a product.
Where its content comes from
Practically speaking, from teacher preparation. The professional education test asks about the work of teaching, which is what a Florida-approved teacher preparation program is built to deliver, so candidates coming through a program usually meet this material in coursework rather than in a prep book.
That is also why it is the requirement where a career changer feels most exposed. General knowledge is content you already have or can rebuild. Subject area content is your degree. Professional education is the one nobody arrives with, and no amount of question drilling substitutes for having been taught it.
The order we would take it in
Last, and not by much of a margin. General Knowledge first because it is cheapest and might be exempt. The subject area examination once your field is settled. Professional education after you have done enough preparation coursework or classroom time for the questions to mean something.
The concession: that ordering is reasoning about cost and readiness rather than evidence. FLDOE's annual report gives administration and pass figures by examination but does not tell us what order candidates actually take them in, so nobody can say from data which sequence works better.
Common questions
What is the FTCE Professional Education Test?
It is the Florida examination covering professional skills, one of three examination requirements for a Professional Certificate alongside the General Knowledge Test and a subject area examination. Rule 6A-4.0021(8) sets its passing standard at a scaled score of at least 200.
Is it split into subtests like General Knowledge?
No. It is a single examination with a single registration, so a failure means resitting the whole thing rather than one part of it. The General Knowledge Test is the requirement that splits into four separately registered and separately passed subtests.
Can an SAT or GRE score cover it?
No. Rule 6A-4.0021(12) is limited to demonstrating a mastery of general knowledge. There is no alternative admissions test route for the professional education test or for subject area examinations, whatever your scores look like.
How long do I wait to retake it?
The same thirty days that applies to any failed FTCE examination under paragraph (3)(d): at least thirty days must elapse since the previous administration of the failed examination. The difference is that here you are resitting a whole examination, not one subtest.
Does Sitonce cover it?
No. We publish for the General Knowledge Test only and we are not a Florida-approved teacher preparation program. Professional education content is what a teacher preparation program is built to deliver, and that is where most candidates meet it.