On this page, we take a look at the minimally required PERT Test Scores for students so they don’t have to take additional developmental education courses prior to enrolling in college-level coursework.
The PERT (Postsecondary Education Readiness Test) is a computer-adaptive placement test used by schools of postsecondary education in the state of Florida.
The PERT exam is used by schools to determine accurate and appropriate course placement in line with a student’s knowledge and skills.
The PERT exam is aligned with Florida’s Postsecondary Readiness Competencies. Taking the PERT exam is required for students to successfully attend entry-level credit-bearing college coursework.
The Florida PERT assesses knowledge and skills through diagnostic tests in three subject fields, reading, writing (English), and mathematics.
The PERT exam is untimed and the results are used by study advisors for appropriate placement in college classes that are in line with a student’s skill level and abilities.
The PERT exam is given to students in public high schools in Florida to determine their college readiness. Depending on the student’s score, s/he may be placed into remedial or developmental courses in the fields of reading, writing, and/or mathematics.
PERT Test Scores
On the PERT exam, there is no passing or failing. Unless students take the exam for dual enrollment, there’s no minimum score required for admissions.
The lowest score attainable on each of the three PERT subtests is 50 whereas the highest possible score is 150. PERT scores are valid for two years and a student’s highest valid score is used for placement.
The standard scores listed in the overview below are approved by the Florida State Board of Education for direct placement in college coursework.
The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test required minimum scores for admission to credit-bearing course work offered by Florida colleges are as follows:
- PERT Reading Section: 106
- PERT Writing Section: 103
- PERT Mathematics Section: 114
As said before, students cannot pass or fail the PERT test. Their scores on the three subtests are used by schools to determine their skill and knowledge level so they can be placed in appropriate classes and to help school study advisors decide which additional developmental classes are required before a student can be allowed to enroll in credit-bearing college courses.
Test Structure
Each of the three PERT exam sections contains 30 questions so the full test includes 90 questions. As said before, the exam is untimed so students can take as much time as needed to complete all of the 90 questions.
The PERT exam is a computer-adaptive test, meaning that the difficulty of the questions increases or decreases depending on a student’s earlier answers. On average, students need about three hours to complete the three subject fields in one sitting.
If a student’s skill and knowledge level is high, the difficulty level of the questions will go up but the level will stay at a rudimentary level if a student’s skills and knowledge level is low. To learn more about a hands-on education at Florida Career College, check out this post.
If a student gets a question wrong on the PERT exam, the test continues with questions that are at a similar level. If a student gets a question right, the level will go up.
If students don’t learn the required concepts before retaking the exam, their scores may be driven down considerably. Preparation is key and students with good PERT scores may see the requirement to take additional classes before they’re allowed to enroll in college courses waived.
The PERT is administered to public high school students so postsecondary education institutions operating in the Florida College System can determine the college-readiness of incoming students for their college-level courses. Attending college can be a rather challenging financial burden for many families. So it may be a good idea to learn more about Florida’s Prepaid College Plan, a state-backed savings plan to help your children complete their college education.
Questions on the PERT exam
In the PERT computer-adaptive test (CAT), there are 25 operational questions that form the basis of a student’s placement score and there are 5 questions designed to enhance the exam’s operational test bank continually and do not count toward a student’s score. Students do not know which of the 30 questions do not contribute to their scores.
Taking the PERT exam is not required for students who:
- entered the 9th grade at Florida public high schools during the 2003-2004 academic year or any year thereafter and also graduated with a standard Florida high school diploma.
- are active U.S. military duty service members at the moment of application. Please note that U.S. military reserve members are not considered active U.S military duty service members.
- have taken the SAT, ACT, or PERT exam within the last 2 years and submit satisfactory scores.
These students are also not required to enroll in any developmental classes or remedial courses at an institution operating in the Florida College System. They may want to sign up for some developmental educational course, but they cannot be required to do so.
Overview
- The PERT exam assesses a student’s readiness for attending credit-bearing college-level coursework in the fields of English language and mathematics.
- The PERT exam is not timed and contains three subject tests in reading, writing, and mathematics.
- A student’s PERT scores are used by schools to determine appropriate placement in a school’s entry-level academic courses.
- Each of the three subtests includes 30 questions (25 questions that count toward a student’s scores, and 5 questions to optimize the test).
- The PERT exam computer-adaptive (CAT) test that’s not timed. The average time required by students to deal with the three subject tests is around 3 hours.