FCLE

Background

In 2017, the Florida Legislature amended section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, and introduced a new civic literacy requirement for all students graduating from a Florida public postsecondary institution. Beginning in the fall of 2018, students entering a Florida public postsecondary institution for the first time would need to demonstrate civic literacy by either taking a specific course or passing an assessment. The 2021 Legislature amended section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a course and an assessment. In 2024, the Board of Governors revised Regulation 8.006 to include the course AMH X010 to meet civic literacy competencies and to better align the regulation to the Florida Department of Education rule. As a result of these changes, four cohorts of students are currently matriculating through Florida public postsecondary institutions subject to varying civic literacy competency requirements.

Table 1 below outlines the civic literacy requirements based on the specified date of the academic term in which a student initially entered a State University System (SUS) or Florida College System (FCS) institution.

Table 1: Civic Literacy Requirements by Cohort of Students
Students Included in Cohort	Civic Literacy Requirement
Cohort 1 Students initially entering the SUS or FCS before fall 2018	None
Cohort 2 Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in Academic Year 2018 through Academic Year 2020*	Course OR Assessment
Cohort 3 Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in Academic Year 2021 through Academic Year 2023*	Course AND Assessment
Cohort 4 Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2024 and thereafter	Course AND Assessment

*It is the university’s discretion to determine their academic year.

Additionally, for Cohorts 3 and 4, approved accelerated mechanisms may meet the course and/or assessment requirement, and students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE) in high school are exempt from the postsecondary assessment requirement.

Beginning with the fall term 2024 and thereafter, any undergraduate degree-seeking student, regardless of their cohort, can use any of the approved options for Cohort 4 to satisfy civic literacy competency before graduation.

Course and Assessment Options for Cohorts 2, 3, and 4
Options	Score	Cohort 2	Cohort 3	Cohort 4
Courses & Accelerated Mechanisms
POS X041 (including dual enrollment)	Passing grade	Course	Course	Course
AMH X010 (including dual enrollment)*	Passing grade	Course*	Course*	Course*
AMH X020 (including dual enrollment)	Passing grade	Course	Course	Course
Advanced Placement Government and Politics: United States	3	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment
Advanced Placement United States History	4	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment
Cambridge AICE History, U.S. History, c.1840-1990 (A-Level)	A-E	Course	Course	Course
IB History: History of the Americas	5-7	Course	Course	Course
Assessments
CLEP American Government	50	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment
CLEP History of the United States I	50	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment
CLEP History of the United States II	50	Course	Course	Course
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test-Civics (U.S. history and government) with supplemental questions	60	Assessment	Assessment	None
Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE)	60	Assessment	Assessment	Assessment

*If completed fall 2024 or after

Click here to learn more about the state of Florida's Civic Literacy Competency Graduation Requirements.

About the FCLE

The FCLE assesses students' civic literacy competency. The four domains and their competency areas include:

Understanding of the basic principles and practices of American democracy and how they are applied in our republican form of government.
An understanding of the United States Constitution and its application.
Knowledge of the founding documents and how they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of self-government.
An understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases, landmark legislation, and landmark executive actions and their impact on law and society.

Preparing for an FCLE – In-person test:

You must be available on the day and time of the scheduled appointment to take the test.
Lack of proper identification at the time of check-in will result in denial of admission to the test session.
The exam will begin once check-in has been completed. Excessively late arrivals may not be allowed to test and may be required to request a new appointment.
A valid, unexpired form of identification is required to be admitted for testing. Listed below are the acceptable forms of identification:

Government-issued driver's license
Government-issued photo identity cards
U.S. Military ID
Government Issued Passport or Passport Card
Naturalization card
Student ID

What will the test look like?

Practice tests and sample test materials are provided to enable users to become familiar with the functionality and item types that students will encounter in the Test Delivery System. Please use the instructions below to help navigate to a practice test session.

Navigate to the FCLE Website
Select (Sample Items).
Click the green "Sign in" button.
For "Student Grade Level" select "30" in the drop-down menu.
From the drop-down menu, click “Sample Items”, once you’ve done that, select the "Start Civics EOC Practice Test."
Choose your settings.
Click the Select" button.
Click the "Begin Test Now" button.

FCLE Review Materials

Student performance on the sample test should not be used as a predictor of performance on the actual test, and neither the sample test nor the supplemental guide should be used to guide classroom instruction.

Additional Civic Literacy resources are available on this page: https://www.fldoe.org/civicliteracy/

Register for an FCLE - In-person test

Appointments are required for testing. Click below to register and pay for your FCLE exam. By clicking on a campus location below, you are also indicating that this is your campus of choice.

Additional Information

The FCLE has 80 multiple-choice questions. The test is divided into four sections each containing 20 questions (American Democracy, United States Constitution, Founding Documents, and Landmark Impact on Law and Society).
The passing score is 48 out of 80 (60%).
There is no time limit; however, the FCLE takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete.
Scratch paper is only permitted if it's documented as a testing accommodation.

Where to View Your FCLE Test Status

You can check to see if your Civic Literacy Test Component has been satisfied by logging into your My FIU account. Please keep in mind that it may take up to 5 business days for your test status to appear.

Test Center Regulations

You must bring one form of identification. It must be a government-issued, valid photo ID with signature, matching exactly the name you used when registering and on your ID. NO EXCEPTIONS. Listed below are acceptable forms of photo identification:
- Current driver's license
- State Approved ID
- Current Passport
- Tribal ID card
- Military ID
- FIU Panther ID (Only for FIU make-up exams).
No electronic devices are permitted within the testing lab. uElectronic devices are, but are not limited to:
- mobile phones of any type
- tablets
- smartwatches
- smart glasses
- laptops
All personal items will be placed inside one of the lockers located outside the testing lab. Items such as hats, sunglasses, snacks, electronic devices, bags of any kind, loose jewelry, and other personal effects will not be permitted within the testing lab.
Bring your exam registration ticket, if applicable, on the day of your exam.

I agree that I have read and understood the above test center regulations.

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