Mastery of Subject Area Knowledge

In the State of Florida, teachers must demonstrate mastery of subject area knowledge as one of the requirements for earning a professional teaching certificate.

You may need to take one or more Subject Area Tests based on what grade level, subject area, or special student population you teach. There are also multiple pathways to demonstrate mastery of Subject Area Knowledge. Click here to read about these pathways.

There are 40 Certification Subject Areas identified by the Florida Department of Education (including Florida Educational Leadership). Among the 40 Certification Subject Areas, there are five areas that require a Master’s Degree and Content Specialization, as well as a passing score on the corresponding Subject Area Test, in order to include this area of certification on your professional certificate. The five Certification Subject Areas that require the passing of the corresponding Subject Area Test are as follows:  

  1. Florida Educational Leadership (all levels)
  2. Guidance and Counseling (PK-12)
  3. Reading (K-12)
  4. School Psychologist (PK-12)
  5. Speech-Language Impaired (K-12)

Thirty-five of the 40 Certification Subject Areas require a baccalaureate degree and the passing of the corresponding Subject Area Test. However, in accordance with s.1012.56(5)(i), F.S., “for a subject requiring only a baccalaureate degree for which a Florida subject area examination has been developed, documentation of receipt of a master's or higher degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution that the Department of Education has identified as having a quality program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher in the certificate subject area” meets the requirement for inclusion of this area of certification on your professional certificate.  In other words, if you hold a master’s degree or higher degree in one of the 35 areas listed below, you are not required to take the Subject Area Test to be certified in this area.

  1. Agriculture (6-12)
  2. Art (K-12)
  3. Biology (6-12)
  4. Business Education (6-12)
  5. Chemistry (6-12)
  6. Computer Science (K-12)
  7. Drama (6-12)
  8. Earth-Space Science (6-12)
  9. Educational Media Specialist (PK-12)
  10. Elementary Education (K-6)
  11. Middle Grades English (5-9)
  12. English (6-12)
  13. English to Speakers of Other Languages (K-12)
  14. Exceptional Student Education (K-12)
  15. Family and Consumer Science (6-12)
  16. World Language: French (K-12)
  17. World Language: German (K-12)
  18. World Language: Latin (K-12)
  19. World Language: Spanish (K-12)
  20. General Science (5-9)
  21. Health (K-12)
  22. Deaf or Hard of Hearing (K-12)
  23. Humanities (K-12)
  24. Engineering and Technology Education (6-12)
  25. Marketing (6-12)
  26. Mathematics (5-9)
  27. Mathematics (6-12)
  28. Music (K-12)
  29. Physical Education (K-12)
  30. Physics (6-12)
  31. Prekindergarten/Primary Education (Age 3-Gr 3)
  32. Preschool Education (Birth - Age 4)
  33. Social Science (5-9)
  34. Social Science (6-12)
  35. Visually Impaired (K-12)

Subject Area Examinations

Currently, there are 39 different Subject Area Examinations. These examinations consist of one section with the exception of the following subject area examinations which contain two or more subtests. 

  • Elementary Education K-6 (four subtests) 
  • Prekindergarten/Primary PK–3 (four subtests)
  • Middle Grades English 5-9 (two subtests)
  • English 6-12 (two subtests)
  • German K-12 (two subtests)

For more information on the Subject Area Examinations, click HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examinations for Grades K-6 and 5-9

  • Elementary Education K-6
  • Middle Grades English 5-9
  • Middle Grades General Science 5-9
  • Middle Grades Math 5-9
  • Middle Grades Social Science 5-9

Examinations for Grades 6-12

  • Agriculture 6-12
  • Biology 6-12
  • Business Education 6-12
  • Chemistry 6-12
  • Drama 6-12
  • Earth/Space Science 6-12
  • Engineering and Technology Education 6-12
  • Family and Consumer Science 6-12
  • Marketing 6-12
  • Mathematics 6-12
  • Physics 6-12
  • Social Science 6-12

 Examinations for Grades K-12

  • Art K-12
  • Computer Sci K-12
  • Deaf or Hard of Hearing K-12
  • ESOL K-12
  • ESE K-12
  • French K-12
  • German K-12
  • Health K-12
  • Humanities K-12
  • Latin K-12
  • Music K-12
  • Physical Education K-12
  • Reading K-12
  • Spanish K-12
  • Speech-Language Impaired K-12
  • Visually Impaired K-12

Examinations for PreK–3 / PreK–12

  • Prekindergarten/Primary PK-3
  • Preschool Education Birth-Age 4
  • Educational Media Specialist PK-12
  • Guidance and Counseling PK-12
  • School Psychologist PK-12

For more information on the Subject Area Examinations, click HERE.