Passing Rule, Pass/Fail Results, And ATMS

The Two-Part Passing Rule

The CJBAT passing standard has two parts, and you must satisfy both:

1. A score of 70 or higher across all three sections, and
2. At least 30 correct out of the 50 questions in Sections II and III combined.

Neither part can be skipped. A candidate cannot coast through one block on the theory that another will carry the result. The 50-question count in the second part comes from Section II (10 memorization items) plus Section III (40 cognitive items). The rule is deliberately worded as 30 correct out of those 50 — it is not "30 correct in Section III alone." Memorization answers and cognitive answers are pooled for that threshold, which is exactly why Section II's small 10-item block still matters: each accurate recall answer can be the difference that lifts the combined count over 30.

Because the overall 70 requirement spans all three sections, Section I's behavioral items feed the score too — so the practical takeaway is to prepare every section, not to over-train one and neglect another.

How Results Are Reported

Result reporting follows specific official limits. For candidates, academies, and agencies, the CJBAT produces pass/fail status — when the result is passing, a numeric score is not released to those parties. Pearson VUE (the delivery vendor) provides an unofficial result on the day of testing, which is useful for immediate awareness, but it is not the controlling record.

The only official test result is the electronic record stored in FDLE's Automated Training Management System (ATMS). This distinction matters after the exam:

• FDLE cannot provide official applicant score documents to applicants.
• Results are not given by phone and cannot be sent directly to an employer or other third party at the candidate's request.
• All Florida criminal justice agencies have access to ATMS, which is precisely why the ATMS record — not a printout, not a phone call, not the same-day Pearson screen — is the source of truth that academies and hiring agencies rely on.

Keeping these categories straight prevents avoidable confusion. A same-day Pearson VUE result tells you informally how you did; the ATMS entry is what the system acts on.

Failing Reports And Diagnostic Detail

A failing outcome is reported differently from a passing pass/fail. Official materials state that failing score reports include a grade and diagnostic information by section, displayed with a bar graph. Duplicate score reports can be printed from the Pearson VUE account. That per-section diagnostic is genuinely valuable: it shows where you fell short — behavioral, memorization, or one of the four cognitive competencies — so a retake plan can target the weak area instead of re-reviewing everything blindly.

Do not, however, confuse the diagnostic report with the ATMS record:

• The failing diagnostic is feedback you use to study.
• The ATMS entry is the controlling official result the process acts on.
• A practice-test score or an unofficial same-day result is awareness only — neither replaces ATMS.

Why precision here pays off

Candidates who track result language carefully avoid two common mistakes: assuming FDLE will mail or phone a result (it will not), and assuming a same-day Pearson screen is the official record (it is not). Treat the diagnostic as a study tool, the same-day Pearson result as a preview, and the ATMS entry as the official outcome — three different things with three different uses.

Studying To Both Parts Of The Rule

A balanced study plan mirrors the two-part passing rule directly:

• Section I is practiced because it feeds the 70-or-higher across all three sections requirement.
• Sections II and III are practiced because they feed both the overall score and the separate 30-of-50 requirement.

The most common strategic error is trying to compensate for a weak area by overtraining a strong one. That does not work here, because the 30-of-50 rule is specific to Sections II and III: a brilliant Section I cannot rescue a Sections-II-and-III count that falls below 30. Likewise, an excellent Section III cannot, by itself, guarantee passing if the overall three-section score lands below 70.

Use your diagnostic feedback to allocate study where the points are at risk, and rehearse the full timed structure so the score reflects genuine ability rather than pacing mistakes. After the exam, keep the categories separate — practice score, unofficial same-day result, failing diagnostic, and the controlling ATMS record each have a distinct purpose, and conflating them is the fastest route to post-test confusion.

It also helps to do the arithmetic of the 30-of-50 rule before test day so the target feels concrete. Thirty correct out of fifty is 60% accuracy across the combined memorization and cognitive items. That is a meaningful but achievable bar: it leaves room to miss twenty of those fifty questions and still clear that part of the rule, provided your overall three-section score also lands at 70 or higher. Knowing the number removes guesswork and lets you set realistic practice goals — for instance, consistently scoring above 60% on timed Sections II + III mixed sets, with margin to spare for test-day variance.

Finally, do not let the pass/fail reporting mislead your study mindset. Because a passing candidate never sees a numeric score, there is no incentive to chase a high number — but there is also no partial credit for "almost." The exam is binary: you either meet both parts of the rule or you do not. That reality argues for broad readiness across all three sections rather than gambling that strength in one area will paper over a weakness in another. Prepare to clear both thresholds comfortably, and the pass/fail outcome takes care of itself.