Three times a year, Florida public school students in grades 3 to 10 sit the FAST test, and each time a new score lands in the Family Portal. Most parents get the number without much explanation of what it means. This guide covers what FAST is, the 2026-27 testing windows, the official score chart for every grade, how to check your child's scores, where to find practice tests, and what to do if your child needs help.

Tutero is an online tutoring provider. This guide uses information published by the Florida Department of Education as at October 2026.

Quick answer: what is the FAST test in Florida?

FAST (the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) is Florida's statewide progress monitoring test in ELA Reading and Mathematics. It covers VPK to grade 10 in ELA Reading and VPK to grade 8 in Mathematics, and it is given three times a year. The first two rounds, PM1 and PM2, are for information only; the end-of-year round, PM3, is the statewide test that counts. Scores are reported in five achievement levels, and Level 3 means your child is on grade level.

Key facts for 2026-27

• Who takes it: grades 3 to 10 take FAST ELA Reading and grades 3 to 8 take FAST Mathematics; K-2 students take Star assessments as part of FAST.
• How it works: on a computer, adapting to each answer, in one session on one day.
• When: PM1 from August 10, PM2 from November 30, PM3 in May 2027 (grades 3 to 10).
• What counts: grade 3 needs Level 2 on PM3 for promotion; grade 10 ELA Reading must be passed for a standard diploma.

When is FAST testing in 2026-27?

For grades 3 to 10, PM1 runs August 10 to September 25, 2026, PM2 runs November 30, 2026 to January 22, 2027, and PM3 runs May 3 to May 28, 2027. Each district picks its test days inside these statewide windows. These are the 2026-27 FAST windows:

B.E.S.T. Writing for grades 4 to 10 is a separate test, with a window of March 29 to April 9, 2027. It is not combined with FAST ELA Reading and does not count toward graduation requirements. There are also summer windows in June and July 2027 for the Grade 3 ELA Reading and Grade 10 ELA Reading retake opportunities. Ask your child's school for its exact test days.

What do FAST scores mean?

Every FAST score has two parts: a scale score and an achievement level from 1 to 5. Florida law says Level 1 is the lowest, Level 5 the highest, and Level 3 indicates grade-level performance. The Department's guide for families describes the levels this way:

Students also get performance information for each reporting category, and grades 3 to 10 get a percentile rank.

FAST score chart: ELA Reading, grades 3 to 10

These are the official scale score ranges for each achievement level in 2026-27 (L1 to L5 = Level 1 to Level 5). On a phone, swipe each chart sideways to see Levels 4 and 5.

FAST score chart: Mathematics, grades 3 to 8

K-2 students take Renaissance Star assessments, which report on a different scale, along with a FAST equivalent score and a B.E.S.T. achievement level.

What is a passing score on the FAST test?

Under Florida's rule, the minimum Level 3 score is the passing score for each test. For example, that is 201 for Grade 3 ELA Reading and 198 for Grade 3 Mathematics. In practice, two grades carry real consequences:

• Grade 3: to be promoted to grade 4, a student must score Level 2 or higher on the grade 3 ELA Reading test (186 or above), unless the district grants a good-cause exemption.
• Grade 10: a student must pass the grade 10 ELA Reading test, which is Level 3 (247 or above), or earn a concordant score, to receive a standard high school diploma. The Department says four retake opportunities are available each year.

Don't panic about a low PM1 score. The Department says PM1 and PM2 results are for information only, that students may not yet be on grade level early in the year, and that these results should not be treated as achievement designations.

How do I check my child's FAST scores?

FAST scores are posted in the Family Portal run for the state by Cambium Assessment. To log in:

1. Ask your child's teacher or school assessment coordinator for your child's six-digit access code. You need one code per child, and codes reset every October.
2. Go to the Family Portal from the Florida Statewide Assessments Portal at flfast.org, or through your district's parent portal if it links to it.
3. Enter the access code, your child's first name and date of birth.
4. Open the dashboard to see the scale score, achievement level and, for grades 3 to 10, the percentile rank. You can print an Individual Student Report or switch to Spanish.

Results start to appear three days after a testing window opens, then within 24 hours of your child finishing the test. The PM3 report shows all three rounds side by side, which is the easiest way to see progress across the year.

Where can I find a Florida FAST practice test?

The official practice material is free on the Florida Statewide Assessments Portal (flfast.org), on its Students and Families page.

• Sample items: there are sample items for VPK to grade 2 and for FAST grades 3 to 10. The Department says they help students get used to the item types and the testing tools.
• Released tests: the state publishes past tests with answer keys and the share of students who got each item right.
• Calculator practice: grades 6 to 8 Mathematics uses an on-screen calculator, and the Department strongly encourages students to try it before test day.
• K-2: young students answer practice questions at the start of each session before the real test begins.

The Department says practice sessions are not required. In our view, one or two sample sessions are enough for familiarity; the bigger gains come from working on the skills the reporting categories show are weak.

Can you opt out of FAST testing in Florida?

Florida law does not provide a general opt-out for public school students. Section 1008.22 says participation in the assessment program is mandatory for all students attending public schools, except as otherwise provided by law, and that if a student does not participate, the district must tell the parent what that means for the student. If you are considering it, talk to your school first, especially in grades 3 and 10, where the test affects promotion and graduation.

Do Step Up For Students scholarship students take FAST?

Not necessarily. Students using an FTC or FES scholarship at a private school in grades 3 to 10 must take either a nationally norm-referenced test approved by the Department or the statewide assessments. PEP students have the same choice and must send results to Step Up For Students before renewal (see PEP scholarship tutoring). The Department says private school and PEP students who choose the statewide test can only take the end-of-year tests in grades 3 to 10, not PM1, PM2 or the K-2 tests. Home education students outside the scholarships choose from several annual evaluation methods, and a state assessment is one option.

How can a certified Florida teacher help your child with FAST?

A FAST report tells you which reporting categories need work. A certified Florida teacher who sees your child every week can turn that into a plan. Tutero offers private 1-on-1 online lessons for Florida students from kindergarten to 12th grade, with a certified teacher who works from your child's own school or homeschool work and Florida's state standards. Your child has the same teacher every week, and you get a written report after every lesson. 575 Florida families trust Tutero.

• Unique Abilities (FES-UA) and PEP: both scholarships fund tutoring, so these families have no out-of-pocket cost for lessons.
• FTC and FES-EO: these are mainly used for private school tuition and fees; tutoring can be paid only from any funds left after those.
• Students with unique abilities: our teachers are experienced with ADHD, dyslexia and autism, supported by education specialists who understand IEPs.

Learn more about FAST test prep tutoring with a certified Florida teacher, how lessons work with Step Up For Students, or Unique Abilities scholarship tutoring.

Related guides

• How to use Step Up For Students funds for tutoring
• What Florida families need to know about Step Up scholarships
• What the FES-UA scholarship covers
• The PEP scholarship and homeschooling in Florida

What else do Florida parents ask about FAST?

Quick answers on FAST scores, dates and opt-outs. For help after a FAST report, see tutoring with a certified Florida teacher.