Florida Practice Tests
Florida Practice Books and Flashcards
FAST·
Statewide Science Assessment·
Statewide Science Assessment·
FAST·
FAST·
Florida's State Tests at a Glance
In grades 3 through 8, Florida students take FAST (the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) in ELA Reading and Mathematics, B.E.S.T. Writing in grades 4 through 8, and the Statewide Science Assessment in grades 5 and 8. FAST is given three times a year: at the beginning (PM1), middle (PM2) and end (PM3) of the school year. PM1 and PM2 are for information only; PM3 gives the end-of-year score used for school accountability. All of these tests are taken on a computer, and paper versions are provided as an accommodation for students who need them. FAST and Science results are reported in Florida's reporting system within 24 hours of testing.
ELA Reading (FAST)
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3 to 8 | One session; online; computer-adaptive by passage set; 36 to 40 questions, plus about 5 field-test questions at PM3; half fiction and half informational texts | 90 minutes (120 minutes at PM3) | Reading prose and poetry (25 to 35%), reading informational text (25 to 35%), reading across genres and vocabulary (35 to 50%) |
Students still actively working when the session ends may be given the time they need, up to the end of the school day. Grade 3 students must score Level 2 or higher on the PM3 Grade 3 ELA Reading test for promotion, unless they qualify for a good cause exemption, and a Grade 3 ELA Reading test is also offered each summer.
Mathematics (FAST)
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | One session; online; computer-adaptive; 35 to 40 questions; no calculator; scratch paper | 80 minutes (100 minutes at PM3) | Number sense and additive reasoning (23 to 29%), number sense and multiplicative reasoning (23 to 29%), fractional reasoning (23 to 29%), geometric reasoning, measurement, and data analysis and probability (23 to 29%) |
| Grade 4 | One session; online; computer-adaptive; 35 to 40 questions; no calculator; online reference sheet; scratch paper | 80 minutes (100 minutes at PM3) | Number sense and operations with whole numbers (31 to 37%), number sense and operations with fractions and decimals (31 to 37%), geometric reasoning, measurement, and data analysis and probability (31 to 37%) |
| Grade 5 | One session; online; computer-adaptive; 35 to 40 questions; no calculator; online reference sheet; scratch paper | 80 minutes (100 minutes at PM3) | Number sense and operations with whole numbers (23 to 29%), number sense and operations with fractions and decimals (23 to 29%), algebraic reasoning (23 to 29%), geometric reasoning, measurement, and data analysis and probability (23 to 29%) |
| Grade 6 | One session; online; computer-adaptive; 36 to 40 questions; online four-function calculator; online reference sheet; scratch paper | 100 minutes (120 minutes at PM3) | Number sense and operations (33 to 42%), algebraic reasoning (25 to 36%), geometric reasoning, data analysis, and probability (25 to 36%) |
| Grade 7 | One session; online; computer-adaptive; 36 to 40 questions; online scientific calculator; online reference sheet; scratch paper | 100 minutes (120 minutes at PM3) | Number sense and operations and algebraic reasoning (25 to 31%), proportional reasoning and relationships (22 to 31%), geometric reasoning (22 to 28%), data analysis and probability (22 to 28%) |
| Grade 8 | One session; online; computer-adaptive; 36 to 40 questions; online scientific calculator; online reference sheet; scratch paper | 100 minutes (120 minutes at PM3) | Number sense and operations and probability (22 to 28%), algebraic reasoning (22 to 28%), linear relationships, data analysis, and functions (25 to 31%), geometric reasoning (22 to 28%) |
Students still actively working when the session ends may be given the time they need, up to the end of the school day. Question counts include the 4 to 5 field-test questions given in the spring, which do not count toward the score.
B.E.S.T. Writing
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 to 8 | One session; online; one written response to a prompt, based on two to four source texts; argumentative or expository; planning sheet provided | 120 minutes | One essay scored on a 12-point rubric: purpose and structure, development, and language (4 points each) |
Students not finished after 120 minutes may keep working for up to half the length of a typical school day. Writing is given once a year, in the spring, and its score is reported on its own, not combined with the FAST ELA Reading score.
Science (Statewide Science Assessment)
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | One session with a short break after 80 minutes; online; computer-adaptive; 48 to 54 multiple-choice questions; scratch paper may be provided | 160 minutes | Nature of science (17%), earth and space science (29%), physical science (29%), life science (25%) |
| Grade 8 | One session with a short break after 80 minutes; online; computer-adaptive; 48 to 54 multiple-choice questions; online four-function calculator and periodic table; worksheet provided | 160 minutes | Nature of science (19%), earth and space science (27%), physical science (27%), life science (27%) |
Students not finished after 160 minutes may keep working for up to the length of a typical school day. Science is given once a year, at the end of the school year. Middle grades students enrolled in Biology 1 take the Biology 1 end-of-course exam instead of the grade-level science test.