FAST
Practice Tests

For grades K-8, FAST PM2 runs November 30, 2026 - January 22, 2027 (FDOE 2026-27 schedule). Your district picks the exact days inside the window. PM2 covers the whole year's content, so a score below Level 3 in winter is not a failing grade: FDOE says PM1 and PM2 results are for information only. Compare your child's PM2 score with their PM1 score to see growth.

For grades 3-8, the 2026-27 FDOE schedule sets FAST PM3 (ELA Reading and Mathematics) for May 3-28, 2027, with the Statewide Science Assessment for grades 5 and 8 in the same window. PM2 runs November 30, 2026 - January 22, 2027. Grades K-2 have a wider PM3 window, April 12 - May 28, 2027. Your district chooses the exact testing days inside each window, so check your school's calendar.

Yes. Florida's assessment site (flfast.org, Students & Families page) has sample items for grades 3-10 that show the question types and the online testing tools, plus answer keys for the computer-based sample test materials. FDOE also publishes a released FAST test at least once every three years, with answer keys and the percentage of students who got each item right (Test Release Support documents on the same portal). Use those once to learn the format, then practice the skills themselves: the sample sets are short, so they won't show you which standards your child still needs to work on.

FAST is administered three times per year: PM1 within the first 30 school days (fall), PM2 mid-year (winter), and PM3 within the last 30 school days (spring). PM3 is the summative test that counts for school accountability. PM1 and PM2 are progress-monitoring checkpoints — designed to show whether students are on track for PM3.

No. The Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) was retired after the 2021-22 school year under SB 1048, signed March 15, 2022. FAST replaced it starting 2022-23. The Florida Standards (which were Common Core-aligned) were also replaced — FAST measures the new B.E.S.T. (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking) standards.

FDOE reports FAST results in the Florida Reporting System within 24 hours of a student finishing the test, and families can see results in the Family Portal. Ask your child's teacher the day after each PM administration.

Yes. A 3rd grader must score Level 2 or higher (186 or more on the 2026-27 scale) on the spring PM3 Grade 3 FAST ELA Reading test to be promoted. A student at Level 1 is retained unless they qualify for one of six good cause exemptions in Florida law (s. 1008.25, F.S.), for example for some students with disabilities or English language learners, or by showing proficiency another approved way. A Grade 3 reading retest is offered each summer (June 21-25 and July 12-16, 2027 windows). Historically, fewer than half of students who score Level 1 have been retained, FDOE reports. Start the conversation with your child's school early if your child is at risk.

Grades K-2 take FAST via Renaissance Star Assessments (an unusual feature — most states don't test K-2). Grades 3-8 take FAST for ELA Reading and Mathematics. Grades 5 and 8 also take the Statewide Science Assessment, which is separate from FAST and aligned to the NGSSS (Next Generation Sunshine State Standards) for science.

Florida uses 5 levels: Level 1 (Well Below Grade Level), Level 2 (Below Grade Level), Level 3 (On Grade Level), Level 4 (Proficient), and Level 5 (Exemplary), as FDOE names them in its 2026 results report. Level 3 (On Grade Level) is the target. The scale-score cuts differ by grade and subject: for 2026-27, Level 3 starts at 201 in Grade 3 ELA Reading, 198 in Grade 3 Math and 244 in Grade 8 Math. See the full score chart on this page. For 3rd grade promotion, the bar is Level 2 (186+) on PM3 ELA Reading.

Yes. FAST uses computer-adaptive testing (CAT) — questions get harder when your child answers correctly and easier when they struggle. Two students in the same classroom may see different questions. The adaptive engine produces a more precise measure of each student's ability in fewer questions than a fixed-form test.

Per FDOE's 2026-27 fact sheet: ELA Reading is 90 minutes at PM1 and PM2 and 120 minutes at PM3. Math is 80 minutes (PM1/PM2) and 100 minutes (PM3) in grades 3-5, and 100 and 120 minutes in grades 6-8. Each test is one session on one day, and FDOE recommends one subject per day. PM3 is longer because it includes field-test questions.

Science is tested via the Statewide Science Assessment (SSA) in grades 5 and 8, separately from FAST. SSA is aligned to the older NGSSS (Next Generation Sunshine State Standards) for science — Florida has not yet adopted new science standards equivalent to B.E.S.T. for science. Treat the Science assessment as a separate test with its own prep needs.

Dr. Henry Mack. The State Board of Education appointed him Florida's 30th Commissioner of Education on July 22, 2026. He replaced Anastasios 'Stasi' Kamoutsas, who left in summer 2026 to become president of Polk State College (Dr. Paul O. Burns was interim commissioner in between). Older sources that name Kamoutsas or Manny Diaz Jr. are out of date.

B.E.S.T. (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking) is Florida's set of state academic standards, adopted February 2020 and fully implemented in 2022-23. B.E.S.T. replaced the Florida Standards (which were Common Core-aligned). B.E.S.T. exists for Math and ELA; for Science, Florida still uses the older NGSSS. FAST is the assessment aligned to B.E.S.T.

Yes. FDOE's 2026-27 fact sheet says students must pass PM3 of the Grade 10 FAST ELA Reading test for graduation, with four retake opportunities a year for students who don't pass in spring. Grades 3-8 FAST is not a graduation test.