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What is Florida's college civic literacy requirement?
Under section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, students who first entered a Florida College System or State University System institution in 2021-22 or later must complete an approved course and an approved assessment to demonstrate civic literacy. For Florida College System students the state rule applies this before an associate in arts or bachelor's degree, and from fall 2022 before an associate in science or associate in applied science degree. Passing the FCLE in high school satisfies the assessment part.
Who it applies to
The Florida Department of Education's postsecondary civic literacy page summarises the statute: the 2017 Legislature required students first entering a Florida College System or State University System institution in 2018-19 and later to complete a course or an assessment; the 2021 Legislature changed that to a course and an assessment for students first entering in 2021-22 and later. The State Board of Education rule for the Florida College System sets the cohorts out as follows (the Board of Governors regulation governs state universities):
| First-time-in-college students entering a Florida College System institution | Requirement under Rule 6A-10.02413 |
|---|---|
| Fall 2018 through the 2020-21 year | An approved course or an approved assessment, before an associate in arts or bachelor's degree |
| Fall 2021 and later | An approved course and an approved assessment, before an associate in arts or bachelor's degree |
| Fall 2022 and later | The same, also before a specialized associate in arts transfer, associate in science or associate in applied science degree |
Students who entered before fall 2018 had no requirement (university guidance such as FIU's cohort table states this; the rule itself begins with fall 2018).
Approved courses (rule paragraph 5(a))
AMS X010, Civil Discourse and the American Political Order (added by the amendment effective December 24, 2024); POS X041, American Government; AMH X020, Introductory Survey Since 1877; and AMH X010, Introductory Survey to 1877, if completed in fall 2024 or later. The X stands for the course level in Florida's statewide numbering (for example POS 2041). Credit received by examination for one of these courses counts toward the course requirement (rule paragraph 7); university guidance also counts dual-enrollment credit in these courses.
Approved assessments and standard scores (rule paragraph 5(b))
| Assessment | Standard score |
|---|---|
| Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE) | 60 percent |
| AP United States Government and Politics | 3 |
| AP United States History | 4 |
| CLEP American Government | 50 |
| CLEP History of the United States I | 50 |
An AP or CLEP score at the standard meets the assessment requirement. Whether it also meets the course requirement depends on the college awarding course credit for that exam under its credit-by-examination rules; FIU's guidance treats the AP and CLEP exams above as meeting both. Confirm with your college.
The high-school exemption
Students who earned a passing score on the FCLE while in high school are exempt from the postsecondary assessment requirement (rule paragraph 8; section 1003.4282(3)(d), Florida Statutes). The course requirement still applies.
Transfers
A transfer student who has not met the requirement meets it under the rules in force when they first enter a Florida College System institution. A student who completed the requirement at any Florida College System or State University System institution has met it (rule paragraph 9).
State universities apply Board of Governors Regulation 8.006, which the state FAQ cites for the 60 percent FCLE passing score; university guidance (for example FIU's) lists the same courses and assessments for university students.
More questions
- Does AP Government count for Florida's civic literacy requirement?
- A score of 3 on AP United States Government and Politics meets the assessment requirement under Rule 6A-10.02413. It also meets the course requirement where the college awards course credit for it; FIU's guidance treats it as meeting both. Confirm with your college.
- Does an associate in science degree require civic literacy in Florida?
- Yes, for first-time-in-college students who entered a Florida College System institution in fall 2022 or later, under Rule 6A-10.02413.
Practice it
Sources
- Sections 1003.4282(3)(d) and 1007.25, Florida Statutes. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=1000-1099/1007/Sections/1007.25.html
- Postsecondary Civic Literacy page, Florida Department of Education, Office of Articulation. https://www.fldoe.org/policy/articulation/postsec-civics-lit.stml
- Rule 6A-10.02413, Florida Administrative Code, Civic Literacy Competency, effective December 24, 2024. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=6A-10.02413
- FCLE Frequently Asked Questions for K-12 Administration, Florida Department of Education, revised July 2025. https://www.fldoe.org/file/5663/Florida-Civic-Literacy-Exam-K12-FAQ.pdf
- Civic Literacy Guidance (cohort and assessment tables), Florida International University, updated June 28, 2024. https://dasa.fiu.edu/all-departments/center-for-testing/exams-offered/2024-civic-literacy-guidance_august-2.pdf
Checked 22 October 2026 against the documents above. Sourcebound Prep is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Florida Department of Education, the Florida State Board of Education, the Florida Board of Governors, or any Florida college or university. The practice questions on this site are original and are not the state's secure test items.