What is a good PERT score?

The short answer: 106, 103 and 114

The PERT is not pass/fail. It is a placement test, and each subject score decides where you start in that subject. A score at or above the college-ready level means you can start in college-level courses in that area. Below it, a student who is not exempt takes developmental education in that subject first.

No official source publishes PERT percentiles or average scores, so “good” can’t mean “better than most people.” It means meeting the score your course needs. For how the 50 to 150 scale and adaptive scoring work, see PERT scores explained.

Cut scores by subject and what they mean

Use each subject’s score by itself. You can be college-ready in Reading and Writing and still need a developmental math course, and you never average the three. If you test more than once, the rule uses your highest score.

A score that is a few points short still tells your college something. Colleges use scores below the college-ready level to choose which developmental course you take, which is why the exact number matters even when you don’t reach 106, 103 or 114.

“Good” depends on the course you want

Meeting 114 in Math does not by itself open every higher course, because rules for College Algebra and above vary by college. The examples below come from named colleges. They show how the same score can mean different things in different places, and none of them is a statewide rule.

Palm Beach State College

Palm Beach State publishes a chart that maps PERT ranges to first courses. At this college a Math score of 114 to 122 leads to MAT1033C or MAT1100, while 123 to 150 opens MAC1105 (College Algebra), MGF1130, MGF1131 or STA2023. Reading and Writing scores below 106 and 103 place into different developmental courses depending on the range. The full chart, with every score band, is in PERT scores explained.

For MAC1114 and higher, Palm Beach State requires ACCUPLACER Advanced Algebra and Functions, ACT or SAT scores, not the PERT. It also requires SLS1501 alongside any developmental course.

Santa Fe College

Santa Fe College uses Reading 106 and Writing 103 as its college-level scores. In math, a PERT score of 114 to 122 may qualify you for a college-level math elective, and a score of 123 or higher requires additional placement testing.

Programs with their own minimums

PERT scores are also used outside course placement. Tallahassee State College lists PERT minimums for its Fire Academy of Math 114, Reading 106 and Writing 103. If you are applying to a specific program, read its admission page as well as the general placement chart.

Find your college’s placement chart or ask an adviser which score your first math and English courses need, then set that as your target. The PERT score calculator lets you enter a college target next to the state score for each subject.

How long a good score counts

PERT scores are generally valid for two years, and a college-ready score protects you from retesting only if you enroll at a Florida college within that window. If you test early in high school and start college more than two years later, ask the college whether you will need to show readiness again. The details, including how individual colleges word the limit, are in how long PERT scores stay valid.

Exemptions and other ways to show readiness

The PERT is not the only route. You are exempt from placement testing and developmental education at a Florida College System institution if you entered 9th grade in a Florida public school in 2003-04 or later and earned a Florida standard high school diploma. Active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Services are exempt too. An exempt student can still ask to be tested or to take developmental courses, and the college must provide them.

Rule 6A-10.0315 also approves other common placement tests, each with its own standard score. Compare each test only with its own standard; there is no official conversion between PERT scores and these tests.

Since March 15, 2022, colleges may also use alternative methods. These include other approved assessments (such as GED scores of 165 in Reasoning Through Language Arts and Mathematical Reasoning, or Achievement Level 4 on the Algebra 1 or Geometry EOC), high school coursework, credit-by-examination, and FDOE-approved local methods for developmental placement. The coursework route needs an unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 and a B or better in a listed course, such as Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, English 4 or English 4 Honors. Colleges must treat these results as valid for at least two years, but each college can set local policies on which measures it accepts. Ask your college whether you are exempt, or already meet the standard, before you book a PERT.

If your college uses ACCUPLACER instead, PERT vs ACCUPLACER compares the two tests.

If you are below the cut score

A score below the standard is not a dead end. Under the rule and section 1008.30, your college must tell you about all the developmental education options it offers, and after advising you choose the one you want. Colleges are also required to move students into credit courses as quickly as possible, with developmental work limited to what your meta-major requires. The Florida Department of Education describes developmental courses as building the math, reading and writing skills needed for college-level work.

You can also try to raise the score. Retake rules are set by each college: the wait, the fee and the number of attempts vary, and some colleges require a review program first. Read the PERT retake policy guide before you book. The PERT system also includes a Diagnostic test that identifies, by competency, the skills you have not mastered yet. It does not replace a placement score, and some colleges use it before a retest: Seminole State requires it, for a $10 fee, as part of its PERT Review Program.

1. Find the gap for each subject in the score calculator.
2. Take a free practice test in the subject you missed and count errors by question type.
3. Work through the matching guide, such as PERT algebra and models questions, reading evidence questions or writing editing questions.
4. Follow the 14-day schedule in the PERT study plan if your retake is soon, or the 30-day schedule if you have more time.

PERT scores and the Gold Seal Vocational award

For high school students, PERT scores have one use beyond placement. They can count toward the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award. For 2026-27 the minimums are PERT Reading 106, Writing 103 and Mathematics 114, met on or before August 31 of your high school graduation year. ACT and SAT scores are the other options.

The PERT applies only to Gold Seal Vocational, not to other Bright Futures awards, and Gold Seal CAPE Scholars has no placement-test requirement in statute. If you are aiming for Gold Seal Vocational, plan your PERT early enough to retake it before the August 31 deadline if you need to.

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. The Florida Legislature, Section 1008.30, Florida Statutes: Common placement testing for public postsecondary education. Accessed November 5, 2026.
3. Florida Department of Education, Demonstration of College Readiness (Formerly Common Placement Testing/PERT). Accessed October 3, 2026.
4. Florida Department of Education, P.E.R.T. Frequently Asked Questions, revised February 2015 (historical). Accessed October 3, 2026.
5. Palm Beach State College, Placement Test Scores. Accessed November 5, 2026.
6. Santa Fe College, Assessment/Course Placement Guide. Accessed November 5, 2026.
7. Tallahassee State College, About the Testing Center. Accessed November 5, 2026.
8. Seminole State College, PERT Review Program. Accessed November 5, 2026.
9. Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance, Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) 2026-27 Initial Eligibility Requirements fact sheet (last updated August 2026). Accessed November 5, 2026.
10. Florida Legislature, Section 1009.536, Florida Statutes (2026), Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars and Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars awards. Accessed November 5, 2026.