Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE): Subtests, Fees, and Scoring

The Florida Educational Leadership Examination is the state’s required test for anyone pursuing Educational Leadership certification in Florida’s public schools. As of January 2026, the exam has four subtests aligned with the 2024 Florida Educational Leadership Standards, and you must pass all four to qualify for certification. Two subtests are multiple-choice and two are written performance tasks scored by educational leadership professionals.¹ Passing is one piece of certification; a fingerprint-based background check is the other.

Who Can Sit for the Exam

Rule 6A-4.0082 of the Florida Administrative Code requires a master’s degree or higher from an accredited institution for Educational Leadership certification.² Students currently enrolled in an approved graduate-level educational leadership program may also qualify to take the exam while finishing the degree.

Before registering, have two identifiers ready: your U.S. Social Security Number (or Florida DOE License Number) and your Florida Department of Education file number. The file number is assigned when you first apply for an educator certificate and follows you through the licensing system.³ These numbers need to appear on transcripts and other documents you send to the Department. Some institutions won’t put your SSN on a transcript unless you specifically ask.

The Four Subtests and What You Need to Pass Each

The FELE 4.0 covers 11 standards split across four subtests, each scored independently. You can retake a subtest you fail without redoing ones you’ve already passed.¹

Subtest 1: Foundational Policies and Practices of School Leadership

Multiple-choice. It covers federal and state legal requirements including student accommodations and the constitutional rights of staff and parents, fiscal management of school budgets and grant funding, the Florida Education Finance Program formula, organizational strategies for a safe school environment, data-driven decision-making, and strategic planning.⁴ Passing is a scaled score of 200, which works out to roughly 66% of questions answered correctly.⁵

Subtest 2: Practices for Student and Professional Learning

Multiple-choice, approximately 50 questions, focused on instructional leadership, curriculum development, and professional growth of staff.⁶ Same threshold as Subtest 1: a scaled score of 200, approximately 66% correct.⁵

Subtest 3: Leadership Development

A written performance assessment. You develop an action plan for leadership development, laying out strategies to mentor and empower emerging school leaders in ways that advance student achievement and well-being.¹ Scored holistically; you need at least 4 out of 8 points.⁷

Subtest 4: Leadership Communications

The second written performance assessment. You compose a professional correspondence using varied communication strategies to foster collaboration and engage stakeholders in supporting student performance.¹ The bar is slightly higher: at least 5 out of 8 points.⁷

Fees and Registration

Register through the FTCE/FELE online portal operated by Pearson VUE. The name and identifying numbers in your account must match your state records exactly, or you will not be able to test.⁸

Fees are set in Rule 6A-4.00821 and have been in effect since November 2023:

Full battery (all four subtests): $215
Three subtests: $161.25
Two subtests: $107.50
One subtest: $53.75

Payment is by credit or debit card through the portal. A confirmation email follows with your admission details and testing center instructions.⁹

Active-duty service members, veterans, and their spouses may qualify for a full fee waiver under the Don Hahnfeldt Veteran and Military Family Opportunity Act, covering both initial certification application fees and examination registration fees. The request goes through the Department’s Certification Fee Waivers page with supporting documentation, and you need to wait for email confirmation of eligibility before paying anything.¹⁰

Requesting Testing Accommodations

If you have a visual or hearing impairment, a physical disability, or a specific learning disability, you can request accommodations such as extra time. You must indicate the need during online registration, then submit an Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form (from the contractor’s website) with documentation from a medical doctor or licensed psychologist. The documentation needs to describe your disability and how it limits a major life activity, include a summary of test data dated within the past three years, and recommend specific accommodations. A new form is required each time you register.¹¹

Start early. If you skip the accommodations prompt during registration, you can’t schedule an appointment with alternative arrangements, and your testing date slips.

Test Day Essentials

Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment. Latecomers may be refused entry and will not receive a refund.¹²

Bring two valid, unexpired forms of ID printed in English. The first has to be a U.S. government-issued photo ID with your signature: a driver’s license, state ID card, military ID, or passport. The second can be another item from that list or something with either a photo or a signature, such as a Social Security card, student ID, or work ID. Both must be originals. Digital IDs and photocopies are not accepted. Your name on both IDs must match your registration account exactly, so bring legal name-change documentation if there is any discrepancy. Phones and other personal electronics go into secure lockers before you enter the testing room.¹²

Getting Your Scores

For Subtests 1 and 2 (multiple-choice), you get an on-site score report before you leave the testing center. For Subtests 3 and 4 (written performance), you receive only a receipt of completion on-site. Official score reports for all subtests post to your online account within four weeks of the test date and are transmitted to the Florida Department of Education to update your certification file.¹³

Challenging a Failing Score

You can request a score verification session if your result is close enough or if it’s a written subtest. For multiple-choice subtests, you qualify only if you scored within 10 scaled points of the 200 passing score. For written performance subtests, any failing result qualifies. The fee is $75, refunded if the review changes your score. You must register within 30 days of score release and schedule the session no more than 45 days after release and no sooner than 31 days after your original test date. At the session you review your missed items and submitted answers (correct answers are not shown) and write detailed challenges explaining why your answer should be credited. The Department issues a written outcome in roughly 30 days.¹⁴

Retaking a Subtest

If you fail, you have to wait at least 31 calendar days before retaking that subtest. Testing earlier automatically invalidates your score, and no report is issued. The 31-day clock also applies after a score verification session.¹⁵ Each retake requires a fresh registration and the $53.75 single-subtest fee.⁹

After You Pass

Passing all four subtests clears the exam requirement, not certification itself. Every applicant for Florida educator certification also has to complete fingerprint-based background screening through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI.¹⁶

If you work for a Florida public school district, prints are usually taken through the district’s personnel office and sent to Educator Certification automatically. With clear results, the certificate is issued within 30 days of the Bureau receiving the district’s request. At a nonpublic school, your school administrator submits the request once prints are processed, with the same 30-day timeline after FDLE and FBI records come back clear.¹⁶

If fingerprint results show a criminal offense, or if you reported one on your application, the file is referred to Professional Practices Services for review and the certificate is held until that review ends. A conviction for a disqualifying offense under Florida law bars certification entirely.¹⁶

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Florida Department of Education. Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE)
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Florida Department of Education. 6A-4.0082
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Florida Department of Education. Step 1 – Completing Your Initial Application Package
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Florida Department of Education. FELE Subtest 1 Competencies and Skills
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Florida Department of Education. FTCE/FELE Maximum Percentages of Correct Answers Needed to Achieve a Minimum Passing Score
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Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) and Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE). Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) 4.0 (084)
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Florida Teacher Certification Examinations and Florida Educational Leadership Examination. Understanding Your Scores
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Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) and Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE). Register
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Florida Department of Education. Fees and Payment Information
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Florida Department of Education. Military Certification Fee Waivers
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Florida Department of Education. Examinees with a Disability
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Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) and Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE). FTCE/FELE Policies
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Florida Teacher Certification Examinations and Florida Educational Leadership Examination. Scores
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Florida Department of Education (FTCE/FELE). Score Verification Session Information
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Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) and Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE). Retake Policy
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Florida Department of Education. Step 4 – Submitting Fingerprints For Certification