PERT score calculator: compare your scores to the cut scores.

How to use the calculator

The tool has one row for each PERT subject: Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Each row shows the state college-ready score for that subject (106, 103 and 114) and has two boxes.

1. Official score. Type the score from your PERT report, a whole number from 50 to 150. Leave a subject blank if you did not take it; its card just asks for a score and nothing is compared.
2. College target (optional). If your college or program gave you a different score to aim for, type it here. Leave it blank to compare with the state college-ready score. The grey number in the box is only a placeholder showing the state score.
3. Read the result card. Each subject gets its own card that says either “Meets” or how many points below the target your score is.

When you enter a college target, the card compares your score with that target and also tells you whether the state college-ready score is met or not met. Use Clear scores to empty every box and start again. A score outside 50 to 150, or one with decimals, shows a short message asking for a whole number in range.

How PERT scoring works, in brief

Each PERT subject has 30 multiple-choice questions. Twenty-five are scored and five are unscored field-test questions. You won’t be told which 5 are unscored, so treat every question as if it counts. The test is computer-adaptive, so the next question depends on your earlier answers, and you must answer each question before moving on. There is no time limit.

Each subject is reported on a scale from 50 to 150. The score is not a percent correct, and no official conversion from a number correct to a PERT score is published. That is why this tool starts from your official report, and why a practice result can’t be entered here. For the full explanation, read PERT scores explained.

Score scale and cut scores

Each subject stands alone. The rule judges readiness subject by subject, so the calculator never adds or averages your three scores. If you have taken the PERT more than once, enter your highest score in each subject, because the rule uses your highest score.

For what counts as a strong score for your course, including higher math courses that need more than 114, see what is a good PERT score.

What each result means

A worked example

Suppose your report shows Reading 100, Writing 103 and Mathematics 108, and you leave the target boxes empty. The Reading card shows 6 below (106 minus 100). The Writing card shows Meets, because 103 equals the college-ready score. The Mathematics card shows 6 below (114 minus 108). Two subjects need attention; Writing is done.

Now suppose a different student scored Mathematics 118 and wants a course that, at her college, needs 123. She enters 123 as the Mathematics target. The card shows 5 below her target of 123 and notes that the state college-ready score of 114 is met. She is college-ready in math but would need a higher score, or another accepted measure, for that course.

Where college targets come from

A target should come from your college, not from a guess. Some colleges publish placement charts. Palm Beach State College, for example, places PERT Math 114 to 122 into MAT1033C or MAT1100 and 123 to 150 into MAC1105, MGF1130, MGF1131 or STA2023, and places Reading 90 to 105 into REA0056. Santa Fe College says PERT Math 114 to 122 may qualify you for a college-level math elective and requires additional placement testing at 123 or higher. Palm Beach State’s full chart is in PERT scores explained. These are examples from two colleges, not statewide rules, so check your own college’s chart or ask an adviser.

Check your test date

A “Meets” result counts only while the score is current. PERT scores are generally valid for two years, and colleges such as Broward and Indian River State count the two years from the date you tested, so check the date on your report. If you plan to start later, ask your college how it will treat the score; how long PERT scores stay valid has the details.

If a subject is below the state score

If you are not exempt and a subject is below 106, 103 or 114, the rule requires you to enroll in developmental education in that subject. That applies only to the subject that fell short. A Mathematics gap does not affect your Reading or Writing placement.

The size of the gap still matters, because colleges use scores below the college-ready level to choose which developmental course you take. At Palm Beach State, Math 50 to 99 places into MAT0022 and 100 to 113 into MAT0056, so a student at 101 starts in MAT0056 while a student at 98 starts in MAT0022. Palm Beach State also requires SLS1501 alongside any developmental course.

Your college must tell you about all the developmental options it offers, and after advising you choose the one you want. Colleges must also move you into credit courses as quickly as possible, with developmental work limited to what your meta-major requires. Ask your adviser what the options are before you decide whether to retake the test or start the course.

What to do next, subject by subject

A gap tells you which subject to work on, not which skill. Use a practice form or the question bank to find the question types you miss, then study those. The links below go to the subject page, the two question-type guides for each subject and a few lessons that cover common weak spots.

Mathematics below 114 or your target

Start with the PERT Math overview. Math questions fall into two guides: algebra and models questions, covering equations, inequalities, lines, systems and quadratics, and expressions, polynomials and factoring questions, covering arithmetic, exponents, polynomials, factoring and rational expressions. Useful first lessons are multistep linear equations, factoring polynomials and signed numbers and order of operations. You can’t bring your own calculator unless an approved disability accommodation allows one; an on-screen calculator appears only on some math questions, so practice arithmetic by hand.

Reading below 106 or your target

Read the PERT Reading overview, then work through reading evidence questions for main idea, inference and fact versus opinion, and reading structure questions for vocabulary in context, tone, organization and paired passages. The lessons on main idea and vocabulary in context are a good first pass.

Writing below 103 or your target

The PERT Writing overview explains the format: multiple-choice revision and editing, with no essay. Use writing revision questions for focus, support and sequence, and writing editing questions for agreement, punctuation and sentence structure. Try the lessons on subject-verb agreement and clauses and punctuation.

Before you book a retake

The state does not set retake waits, fees or attempt limits; each college does. Read the PERT retake policy guide and your college’s testing page, then choose a timeline from the PERT study plan. The test dates and registration guide covers how to book.

If you don’t have official scores yet

The calculator can’t help until you have a report, and you may not need the PERT at all. Students who entered 9th grade in a Florida public school in 2003-04 or later and earned a standard diploma are exempt, as are active-duty service members, and colleges also accept other approved tests and alternative methods such as qualifying high school coursework. Exemptions and other ways to show readiness lists the rules and scores. Ask your college first.

If you do need the test, practice with the free PERT practice test, a short question of the day or the free PERT course, and read the exam guide so the format holds no surprises.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

PERT rules are set by Florida law and by each college. These are the pages this guide relies on; your testing center’s current instructions take priority.

1. Florida Administrative Code, State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0315, F.A.C., Demonstration of Readiness for College-Level Communication and Computation. Accessed November 5, 2026.
2. Florida Department of Education, Demonstration of College Readiness (Formerly Common Placement Testing/PERT). Accessed October 3, 2026.
3. Florida Department of Education, P.E.R.T. Student Study Guide (undated, linked from the FDOE page). Accessed October 3, 2026.
4. Eastern Florida State College, Common Placement Tests Information. Accessed November 5, 2026.
5. Miami Dade College, Testing: PERT. Accessed November 5, 2026.
6. Palm Beach State College, Placement Test Scores. Accessed November 5, 2026.
7. Santa Fe College, Assessment/Course Placement Guide. Accessed November 5, 2026.
8. The Florida Legislature, Section 1008.30, Florida Statutes: Common placement testing for public postsecondary education. Accessed November 5, 2026.
9. Florida State College at Jacksonville, Available Assessments: PERT. Accessed November 5, 2026.
10. Broward College, Common Placement Testing. Accessed November 5, 2026.
11. Indian River State College, Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.). Accessed November 5, 2026.