The FTCE is composed of three tests:

1. Professional Education,

2. General Knowledge, and

3. Subject Area Exams.

Depending upon your background, you may need to take one, two, or three of the tests. A number of Florida Teacher Certification Test preparation guides are available at the University Library others can be ordered online from http://www.cefe.usf.edu/StudyguideInfo.aspx .

1. Test PEd: Professional Education - Candidates applying for a Professional Certificate may need to take the Professional Education Test. See your Official Statement of Status of Eligibility.
   
    
   • This multiple-choice test assesses general knowledge of pedagogy and professional practices and consists of approximately 120 items.
     
      
   • A revised, updated version of the Professional Education Test was administered for the first time in July 2003.
     
      
   • The revised Competencies and Skills, Tenth Edition, and a draft version of the Competencies and Skills, Eleventh Edition, may be accessed online.

    

2. Test SAE: Subject Area Exam - These are exams for degreed academic and some vocational subject areas. These exams measure content area knowledge, usually in a multiple-choice format. English 6-12, Middle Grades English 5-9, French K-12, German K-12, and Spanish K-12 also require an essay. Spanish K-12 and French K-12 are administered in a language lab, and German K-12 has an interview. Speech 6-12 has a videotaped portion. Candidates applying for a Professional Certificate and those adding a subject area to a Professional Certificate must pass a subject area exam in the field(s) in which they seek certification.  (Current programs offered at UNF)
   
    
3. General Knowledge Test (GK) - Prior to July 1, 2002, the required basic skills test for teacher certification was the CLAST. Beginning July 1, 2002, the required basic skills test for teacher certification is the General Knowledge Test for which you can register using the application in the registration bulletin. The General Knowledge Test is a basic skills achievement test containing four subtests: Mathematics (45 multiple-choice items), Reading (40 multiple-choice, passage-based items), and English Language Skills (40 multiple-choice items), and Essay.
   
   
   Transition from CLAST to General Knowledge:

• A candidate does not need to take the General Knowledge Test for certification if he or she took and passed all subtests of the CLAST before July 1, 2002. Undergraduates should contact their college of education advisors.
  
   
• If a candidate failed one or more CLAST subtests and did not retake and pass the subtest(s) by June 30, 2002, that candidate must register for and take the appropriate corresponding subtest(s) of the General Knowledge Test. Any section of the CLAST not passed by June 30, 2002, cannot be retaken for certification credit; the Bureau of Educator Certification has no authority to accept a CLAST subtest taken after that date.

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