PERT test dates and registration.

No national dates: you book with a testing center

The PERT is not given on fixed national dates. Most colleges test by appointment, and a few take walk-ins. Santa Fe College and Seminole State College test walk-ins, while Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State give appointments priority and seat walk-ins when there is room. That means your “test date” is whatever day you and a testing center agree on.

Before you book anything, check whether you need the test. 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 SAT or ACT scores. Exemptions and other ways to show readiness gives the exact rules.

How to book the PERT, step by step

1. Confirm you need it. Ask the admissions or advising office whether you are exempt or already meet the standard with another score.
2. Ask which subjects. You may need all three (Reading, Writing and Mathematics) or only one or two.
3. Find the testing center page for the college that will use your scores, and check whether it tests by appointment, walk-in or both.
4. Check eligibility steps. Some colleges require admission first, an adviser’s approval or, for dual enrollment, a referral from your school.
5. Check the fee. The first attempt is often free for a college’s own applicants, but not always for students testing for another school.
6. Book or plan your walk-in time, leaving enough of the day for an untimed test before the center closes.
7. Confirm what to bring, especially the type of photo ID the center accepts.
8. Ask how you will get your scores and whether your college can already see them.

Each subject is scored and used separately, so if your college only needs a Math score, there is no reason to sit for Reading and Writing as well.

How Florida colleges schedule the PERT

The table summarizes what thirteen college testing pages said when we checked them on November 5, 2026. “Not listed” means the page did not say. Policies change, so confirm with the testing center before you go. ID rules are in the test day checklist, and retake rules are in the PERT retake policy guide.

Booking styles range from walk-in testing (Santa Fe, Seminole State) to appointment only (Polk State, which asks for a request at least one day ahead after adviser approval), so never assume you can just show up. Remote PERT is offered only at some colleges, each with its own rules, and Broward says it does not offer PERT remotely at all.

How long to block out

The PERT has no official time limit in any subject, but the testing center has opening hours, and many colleges expect you to finish every section the same day. Valencia and Palm Beach State require all sections on the same day, and Indian River State requires one session with no breaks. The estimates below are the colleges’ own planning figures, not time limits.

Colleges’ own estimates range from about two hours to more than three for all three subjects; there is no official time limit, so leave room for check-in too. As a historical reference, the Florida Department of Education reported in 2015 that Mathematics and Writing averaged about 30 minutes each and Reading about one hour. Arrive early: Indian River State makes late arrivals reschedule, Valencia may reschedule them, and Santa Fe asks walk-ins to arrive at least two hours before closing. Valencia also has students take Reading and Writing before Math when they test in all three.

Timing the PERT for dual enrollment

High school students who want college-credit dual enrollment need an unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 and must show college-level communication and computation skills: a PERT or other approved test score, or an approved alternative method. Home-education students who show readiness do not need a GPA, and career-certificate dual enrollment requires a 2.0 GPA. School boards and colleges can add their own requirements.

You can’t take a college-credit English or math course through dual enrollment until you have shown readiness in that area, so test well before the registration window for the term you want. Dual-enrollment testing also has its own local steps. FSCJ requires a current referral from your school or Dual Enrollment Coordinator, Broward does not offer PERT to prospective dual-enrollment applicants, and Seminole State does not require its PERT Review Program for dual-enrollment students. Ask your school counselor which college and process apply to you.

What the PERT costs

No statewide PERT fee exists; each college sets its own. At many colleges the first attempt is free for their own applicants or students, including FSCJ, Broward, Eastern Florida, Seminole State, Polk State, St. Petersburg College, Tallahassee State, Indian River State and Pensacola State. Palm Beach State covers the first test through the application fee, and Valencia does too for new applicants who paid it.

Testing for a different school often costs money. Polk State lists $35 when the scores are for another institution, Tallahassee State charges examinees who are not its students $25 per attempt for proctoring, and Pensacola State lists $25 plus a $3.50 RegisterBlast fee for students who are not its own or dual-enrollment students. Broward lists $45 plus a $3.50 online fee for non-BC examinees on every attempt. Some centers prepay online, and Indian River State does not take cash. Retake fees are separate and also vary.

What to bring

Bring a valid, physical photo ID. Valencia, Seminole State, Polk State and Indian River State reject photos, copies or electronic IDs, and Valencia does not currently accept the Florida Smart ID. Leave your calculator at home: you can’t bring your own calculator unless an approved disability accommodation allows one; an on-screen calculator appears only on some math questions. Expect to store your phone and bag. The PERT test day checklist covers check-in, ID rules and the answer-to-advance format, and the PERT exam guide explains each subject.

Before test day, try the question of the day, drill weak spots in the question bank, or follow the 14-day schedule in the PERT study plan.

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 Department of Education, Demonstration of College Readiness (Formerly Common Placement Testing/PERT). Accessed October 3, 2026.
2. 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.
3. The Florida Legislature, Section 1008.30, Florida Statutes: Common placement testing for public postsecondary education. Accessed November 5, 2026.
4. The Florida Legislature, Section 1007.271, Florida Statutes: Dual enrollment programs. Accessed November 5, 2026.
5. Florida Department of Education, P.E.R.T. Frequently Asked Questions, revised February 2015 (historical). Accessed October 3, 2026.
6. Valencia College, Taking the PERT Exam. Accessed November 5, 2026.
7. Valencia College, Assessment Frequently Asked Questions. Accessed November 5, 2026.
8. Miami Dade College, Testing: PERT. Accessed November 5, 2026.
9. Florida State College at Jacksonville, Available Assessments: PERT. Accessed November 5, 2026.
10. Broward College, Testing Fees. Accessed November 5, 2026.
11. Broward College, Common Placement Testing. Accessed November 5, 2026.
12. Palm Beach State College, Placement Exams. Accessed November 5, 2026.
13. Palm Beach State College, Test Fees. Accessed November 5, 2026.
14. Eastern Florida State College, Common Placement Tests Information. Accessed November 5, 2026.
15. Santa Fe College, Assessment/Course Placement Guide. Accessed November 5, 2026.
16. Seminole State College, PERT. Accessed November 5, 2026.
17. Seminole State College, PERT Review Program. Accessed November 5, 2026.
18. Polk State College, PERT Testing. Accessed November 5, 2026.
19. Polk State College, PERT Q & A. Accessed November 5, 2026.
20. St. Petersburg College, Requesting to take the PERT (Student Support article). Accessed November 5, 2026.
21. Tallahassee State College, About the Testing Center. Accessed November 5, 2026.
22. Indian River State College, Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.). Accessed November 5, 2026.
23. Pensacola State College, About the PERT Test. Accessed November 5, 2026.