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Key Facts: FAST Exam
FAST is Florida's statewide progress monitoring program for grades 3-10 ELA Reading and grades 3-8 Mathematics (Florida Department of Education).
FAST is aligned to Florida's B.E.S.T. Standards and replaced the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) in 2022-2023.
FAST is administered three times a year in progress monitoring windows named PM1, PM2, and PM3.
FAST is a computer-adaptive test (CAT), so item difficulty adjusts up or down based on each student's responses.
FAST ELA Reading forms have about 36-40 items, with a 50/50 balance of fiction and informational texts.
FAST Mathematics forms have 35-40 items in grades 3-5 and 36-40 items in grades 6-8.
FAST reports achievement levels 1 to 5, where Level 3 indicates On Grade Level performance.
FAST is free to students because it is funded by the state of Florida and given through public schools.
FAST is Florida's free, computer-adaptive progress monitoring test for grades 3-10 ELA Reading and grades 3-8 Mathematics, aligned to the B.E.S.T. Standards and given three times a year as PM1, PM2, and PM3, with Level 3 meaning on grade level.
Sample FAST Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the FAST exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 160+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Read this sentence from a story: "Maria gripped the rail and held her breath as the roller coaster climbed higher and higher." What does the word "gripped" most likely tell the reader about Maria?
2A story tells about a boy who shares his lunch with a hungry classmate, then helps an older neighbor carry groceries. What is the theme, or central message, of this story?
3Read this poem: "The stars come out at night, / and children run to play. / Their laughter fills the light / that fades at end of day." Which type of poem is this?
4In a story, the narrator says, "I never wanted to move away, but Mom said the new town would be good for us." From whose point of view is this story told?
5A character named Theo lies about breaking a window, then feels so guilty he cannot sleep, and finally tells the truth the next morning. What does this development reveal about Theo?
6Read this stanza: "The wind is a wild and restless horse / that gallops across the plain." What is the wind being compared to in these lines?
7An informational article uses the headings "How Bees Find Flowers," "How Bees Make Honey," and "Why Bees Matter." How do these headings help the reader?
8An article begins, "Sea turtles face many dangers, but people can help protect them." Most paragraphs that follow describe ways to protect sea turtles. What is the central idea of this article?
9An author writes, "Every child should learn to swim because swimming saves lives and builds strong muscles." What is the author's purpose in this sentence?
10An author claims, "Recess should be longer." Which sentence best supports this claim with a reason?
About the FAST Exam
The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) is Florida's statewide progress monitoring program for grades 3-10 ELA Reading and grades 3-8 Mathematics, aligned to the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards. FAST replaced the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) beginning in the 2022-2023 school year and is administered three times each year in progress monitoring windows called PM1, PM2, and PM3. FAST is computer-adaptive, so the difficulty of items adjusts based on how each student responds, and it reports an overall scale score, an achievement level from 1 to 5, and performance by reporting category. ELA Reading covers Reading Prose and Poetry, Reading Informational Text, and Reading Across Genres & Vocabulary, while Mathematics covers number sense, algebraic and proportional reasoning, geometric reasoning, and data analysis and probability that grow more complex from grade 3 to grade 8. Achievement Level 3 indicates On Grade Level performance.
Exam sponsor: Florida Department of Education, Bureau of K-12 Student Assessment. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Assessment
Variable-length assessment
Time Limit
ELA Reading up to 90 minutes (PM1/PM2) or 120 minutes (PM3); Mathematics up to 80 minutes for grades 3-5 and 100 minutes for grades 6-8 on PM1/PM2, rising to 100 minutes (grades 3-5) and 120 minutes (grades 6-8) on PM3 because that administration carries embedded field-test items.
Passing Score
Achievement Levels 1-5 on the B.E.S.T. scale; Level 3 is On Grade Level. Cut scores rise by grade (e.g., Grade 6 ELA Reading Level 3 is 225-236; Grade 8 Mathematics Level 3 is 244-253).
Exam / Certification Fees
Free; the FAST is funded by the state and administered by Florida public schools at no cost to students or families.
Exam sponsor websiteFees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
ELA Reading: Prose and Poetry
Literary elements, theme, character development, perspective and point of view, and poetry features across grades 3-8.
ELA Reading: Informational Text
Text structure, central idea, author's purpose and perspective, and argument and evidence in nonfiction.
ELA Reading: Across Genres & Vocabulary
Figurative language, summarizing and paraphrasing, comparative reading, morphology, and context clues.
Math: Number Sense & Operations
FDOE reports Number Sense grade by grade, not as one umbrella weight: grade 3 additive 23-29% + multiplicative 23-29% + fractional 23-29%; grade 4 whole numbers 31-37% + fractions/decimals 31-37%; grade 5 whole numbers 23-29% + fractions/decimals 23-29%; grade 6 Number Sense and Operations 33-42%; grade 7 NSO with Algebraic Reasoning 25-31%; grade 8 NSO with Probability 22-28% (Test Design Summary, Feb 5 2025).
Math: Algebraic & Proportional Reasoning
Grade 5 Algebraic Reasoning 23-29%; grade 6 Algebraic Reasoning 25-36%; grade 7 Proportional Reasoning and Relationships 22-31% (plus NSO-and-Algebraic 25-31%); grade 8 Algebraic Reasoning 22-28% and Linear Relationships, Data Analysis, and Functions 25-31%. Grades 3-4 fold algebraic benchmarks into the number-sense categories.
Math: Geometric Reasoning & Measurement
Grades 3-5 combine Geometric Reasoning, Measurement, and Data Analysis and Probability into one category (23-29% at grades 3 and 5; 31-37% at grade 4); grade 6 Geometric Reasoning, Data Analysis, and Probability 25-36%; grade 7 Geometric Reasoning 22-28%; grade 8 Geometric Reasoning 22-28%.
Math: Data Analysis & Probability
A standalone Data Analysis and Probability category exists only at grade 7 (22-28%); grade 8 pairs probability with number sense (22-28%) and data analysis with linear relationships and functions (25-31%); grades 3-6 assess data benchmarks inside their geometry categories.
Preparing for the FAST Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Achievement Levels 1-5 on the B.E.S.T. scale; Level 3 is On Grade Level. Cut scores rise by grade (e.g., Grade 6 ELA Reading Level 3 is 225-236; Grade 8 Mathematics Level 3 is 244-253).
- Assessment: Variable-length assessment
- Time limit: ELA Reading up to 90 minutes (PM1/PM2) or 120 minutes (PM3); Mathematics up to 80 minutes for grades 3-5 and 100 minutes for grades 6-8 on PM1/PM2, rising to 100 minutes (grades 3-5) and 120 minutes (grades 6-8) on PM3 because that administration carries embedded field-test items.
- Exam / certification fees: Free; the FAST is funded by the state and administered by Florida public schools at no cost to students or families. Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 160 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
FAST: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FAST and who administers it?
FAST is the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, Florida's statewide progress monitoring program for grades 3-10 ELA Reading and grades 3-8 Mathematics, administered by the Florida Department of Education and given by public schools.
What standards is the FAST aligned to?
FAST is aligned to Florida's Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards, which replaced the previous Florida Standards (and the FSA) starting in the 2022-2023 school year.
How many times a year do students take the FAST?
Students take FAST three times each school year in progress monitoring windows: PM1 at the beginning of the year (a baseline), PM2 in the middle, and PM3 at the end of the year.
How is the FAST scored?
FAST reports an overall scale score on the B.E.S.T. scale, an achievement level from 1 to 5, and performance by reporting category. Achievement Level 3 indicates On Grade Level performance.
Is the FAST computer-adaptive?
Yes. FAST is a computer-adaptive test (CAT), so items become harder as a student answers correctly and easier after incorrect answers, allowing a precise measure of each student's level.
What does the FAST cost students?
Nothing. FAST is a state-funded assessment administered through Florida public schools, so there is no cost to students or their families.