PERT scores explained.
Each PERT subject (Reading, Writing and Mathematics) gets its own score from 50 to 150. Florida’s college-ready scores are Reading 106, Writing 103 and Mathematics 114. The PERT is a placement test, not a pass/fail exam: your three scores decide which courses you start in.
Each subject is scored from 50 to 150
The PERT reports three separate scores, one for each subject you take. Each one sits on the same 50 to 150 scale, as college testing pages such as Eastern Florida State College, Broward College and Palm Beach State College state. Colleges score and use each subject on its own, so there is no reason to add the three numbers together or average them. A strong Reading score does not make up for a low Math score, and a low Writing score does not pull down your Math placement.
| Subject | Questions | Scored questions | Score scale | College-ready score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 30 | 25 (plus 5 unscored field-test questions) | 50–150 | 106 |
| Writing | 30 | 25 (plus 5 unscored field-test questions) | 50–150 | 103 |
| Mathematics | 30 | 25 (plus 5 unscored field-test questions) | 50–150 | 114 |
Sources: Florida Administrative Code, State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0315, F.A.C., Demonstration of Readiness for College-Level Communication and Computation; Miami Dade College, Testing: PERT; Eastern Florida State College, Common Placement Tests Information; Broward College, Common Placement Testing
Your college tells you which subjects you need, so ask before you book. The PERT exam guide covers what each subject contains, and the subject pages for Math, Reading and Writing show the skills behind each score.
How adaptive scoring works
The PERT is computer-adaptive. The computer picks each next question based on how you answered the earlier ones, so two students taking the same subject on the same day can see different questions. Each subject has 30 questions. Twenty-five are operational questions that produce your placement score. The other five are field-test questions, which are being tried out for future use and do not count.
You won’t be told which 5 are unscored, so treat every question as if it counts. Don’t try to guess from difficulty whether a question is a field-test item.
Because the questions differ from student to student, your score is not a percent correct. None of the official sources, including the Florida Department of Education’s page and the PERT student study guide, publishes a formula or table for turning a number of correct answers into a 50 to 150 score. Anyone who offers you a “raw score to PERT score” chart is guessing.
| Feature | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Adaptive selection | Your earlier answers shape which questions come next | Give each question full attention; a harder-looking question does not tell you your score |
| 5 unscored field-test questions per subject | They do not count, but you won’t be told which 5 are unscored | Answer all 30 with the same care |
| Answer to advance | You must answer each question to move on, and you can’t go back after you submit | Check your answer before you submit it |
| No time limit | The PERT is untimed in every subject | Work at a steady, careful pace; colleges still have closing times |
| On-screen calculator | You can’t bring your own calculator unless an approved disability accommodation allows one; an on-screen calculator appears only on some math questions | Practice arithmetic by hand for the questions without it |
Sources: Florida Department of Education, Demonstration of College Readiness (Formerly Common Placement Testing/PERT); Florida Department of Education, P.E.R.T. Student Study Guide (undated, linked from the FDOE page); Miami Dade College, Testing: PERT; Santa Fe College, Assessment/Course Placement Guide
The college-ready (cut) scores: 106, 103 and 114
State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0315(3), F.A.C. sets the college-ready, or standard, PERT scores. Meeting the score in a subject shows that you are ready for college-level coursework in that area. If you are not exempt and score below the standard, you enroll in developmental education in that subject.
| Subject | College-ready score | Below this score |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 106 or higher | Developmental education in reading, unless you are exempt or meet the standard another way |
| Writing | 103 or higher | Developmental education in writing, unless you are exempt or meet the standard another way |
| Mathematics | 114 or higher | Developmental education in math, unless you are exempt or meet the standard another way |
Each subject is judged separately, so you can be college-ready in Writing and still need developmental Math. And if you have more than one score on an approved placement test, the rule uses your highest score.
Meeting 114 in Math does not open every math course. Rules for College Algebra and higher courses vary by college. Santa Fe College says a PERT Math score of 114 to 122 may qualify you for a college-level math elective and that a score of 123 or higher requires additional placement testing. What is a good PERT score? covers these course-level targets in more detail.
How one college uses the whole scale
Scores below the college-ready level still do a job: colleges use them to choose which developmental course you take. Palm Beach State College publishes its full chart. It is one college’s chart, not a statewide rule, but it shows how a score of 95 and a score of 110 in Math can lead to different first courses even though both are below 114.
| Subject | Score range | Placement at Palm Beach State |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 50–89 | ENC0017 |
| Reading | 90–105 | REA0056 |
| Reading | 106–150 | ENC1101 |
| Writing | 50–89 | ENC0017 |
| Writing | 90–102 | ENC0052 |
| Writing | 103–150 | ENC1101 |
| Mathematics | 50–99 | MAT0022 |
| Mathematics | 100–113 | MAT0056 |
| Mathematics | 114–122 | MAT1033C or MAT1100 |
| Mathematics | 123–150 | MAC1105, MGF1130, MGF1131 or STA2023 |
Palm Beach State also requires ACCUPLACER Advanced Algebra and Functions, ACT or SAT scores for MAC1114 and higher. Check your own college’s chart before you set a target.
Getting your score report and how colleges see it
At an on-campus test you usually see your scores right away. Santa Fe College says scores appear immediately, and Florida State College at Jacksonville prints a score report when you finish. Remote testing can take longer: Valencia College posts virtual PERT scores only after the recorded session is validated.
You do not need to send PERT scores to a Florida College System institution. The Florida Department of Education says all college testing centers can access PERT scores, and you contact the testing center to get yours. Miami Dade College, for example, uses the State’s PERT Web Repository to enter scores from other institutions or high schools. SAT and ACT scores are different: they do not transfer automatically, so request them from College Board and ACT.
Placement test records are confidential education records under Florida law. Colleges must also accept scores shown on a public high school transcript as an official record, alongside official score reports. If you tested at one college and plan to use the scores at another, ask about fees first: Polk State College gives the PERT free when the scores are used for placement at Polk State and lists a $35 fee when they are for another institution.
What to check on your report
- Each subject score on its own, compared with 106 (Reading), 103 (Writing) and 114 (Mathematics).
- Any subject you did not take, so you know what is still missing for registration.
- The date you tested. Several colleges count score validity from the test date, so note it now.
- Whether the college that will use the scores can already see them, or whether you need to ask its testing center to look them up.
Why practice accuracy can’t become a PERT score
It is tempting to take a practice set, get 22 out of 30 and ask what that means on the 50 to 150 scale. There is no honest answer. The real test is adaptive, while a practice form gives everyone the same questions; five questions on the real test don’t count, and you won’t be told which 5 are unscored; and no official conversion from a number correct to a PERT score has been published. Our practice forms and questions are original practice items, not real PERT questions, so their results can’t be converted either.
Practice results are still useful when you read them by question type. Missing four of six linear-equation questions tells you exactly what to study. That points you to a lesson such as multistep linear equations and a guide such as PERT algebra and models questions.
| Question you might ask | Can practice answer it? | Where to look instead |
|---|---|---|
| Which question types do I miss most? | Yes. Count misses by type | The six question-type guides |
| Am I making the same mistake repeatedly? | Yes. Read each explanation and label the error | The matching lesson in the free course |
| What PERT score would I get today? | No | Only an official PERT attempt gives a score |
| Am I above 114 in Math? | No | Your official score report |
The six guides are expressions, polynomials and factoring, algebra and models, reading evidence, reading structure, writing revision and writing editing. Start with the free PERT practice test, then drill a single type in the question bank.
How long PERT scores stay valid
Section 1008.30(3)(c), Florida Statutes, protects students who meet the standard: if you meet the college-ready scores and enroll at a Florida college within two years, the college cannot require you to retest or take developmental education. The Florida Department of Education’s page also says test scores must be no older than two years to be used for placement.
Colleges word the two-year limit slightly differently, which matters if your test date is close to two years old when you register.
| College | What its page says |
|---|---|
| Broward College | Scores are valid 2 years from the date taken |
| Indian River State College | Scores expire 2 years from the test date |
| Miami Dade College | Scores are valid 2 years |
| Polk State College | Scores must be from within the last two years |
| St. Petersburg College | Scores expire after two years |
| Valencia College | Accepts PERT scores from other institutions only within two years |
Sources: Broward College, Common Placement Testing; Indian River State College, Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.); Miami Dade College, Testing: PERT; Polk State College, PERT Q & A; St. Petersburg College, Requesting to take the PERT (Student Support article); Valencia College, Taking the PERT Exam
Colleges can also set their own local policies for which approved measures they accept. If you plan to transfer or start later than expected, ask the receiving college how it treats a PERT score from your test date. The test dates and registration guide explains how to plan a test so the score is still current when you register.
Retakes and which score is used
The state does not set PERT fees, retake waiting periods or attempt limits. Each college sets its own. Published waits range from no same-day retest (FSCJ, Palm Beach State) to 30 days (Polk State), retake fees for a college’s own students run from $4 (Tallahassee State) to $33.50 (Broward, $30 plus a $3.50 online fee), and some colleges require a review program or proof of remediation before you test again.
When you have more than one score, the rule uses your highest. A retake that goes worse does not erase an earlier, higher score. Several colleges price retakes by subject, such as Valencia College at $10 per subject and Palm Beach State at $10 per section, so at those colleges you can retake just the subject that fell short. The PERT retake policy guide has a table of local rules and a two-week plan, and the PERT study plan covers longer timelines.
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.
- 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.
- The Florida Legislature, Section 1008.30, Florida Statutes: Common placement testing for public postsecondary education. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Florida Department of Education, Demonstration of College Readiness (Formerly Common Placement Testing/PERT). Accessed October 3, 2026.
- Florida Department of Education, P.E.R.T. Student Study Guide (undated, linked from the FDOE page). Accessed October 3, 2026.
- Florida Department of Education, P.E.R.T. Frequently Asked Questions, revised February 2015 (historical). Accessed October 3, 2026.
- Miami Dade College, Testing: PERT. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Eastern Florida State College, Common Placement Tests Information. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Broward College, Common Placement Testing. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Palm Beach State College, Placement Test Scores. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Santa Fe College, Assessment/Course Placement Guide. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Florida State College at Jacksonville, Available Assessments: PERT. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Valencia College, Taking the PERT Exam. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Polk State College, PERT Testing. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Polk State College, PERT Q & A. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Indian River State College, Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.). Accessed November 5, 2026.
- St. Petersburg College, Requesting to take the PERT (Student Support article). Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Palm Beach State College, Test Fees. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Palm Beach State College, Placement Exams. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Tallahassee State College, About the Testing Center. Accessed November 5, 2026.
- Broward College, Testing Fees. Accessed November 5, 2026.