- Pass both the ~60-question multiple-choice section (200+ scaled score) and the written performance section (5 of 8 points).
- Language Arts Content and Pedagogical Content for Teaching Language Arts each carry 24% - nearly half the multiple-choice section.
- The written performance task (redesigned January 2024) asks you to evaluate a student's argumentative essay against a B.E.S.T.-aligned rubric in 300-500 words.
- You can split sections across two appointments since February 28, 2023, and retake only the section you fail.
Quick Facts Snapshot
Before you dive into a cram session, anchor yourself in the mechanics. FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) is governed by the Florida Department of Education and developed and administered by Pearson Evaluation Systems (NES) as a Subject Area Examination. It's a computer-based test offered in Florida and at nationwide test centers, which means your prep should mirror an on-screen testing experience rather than a paper-and-pencil one.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Test format | Computer-based, two independently scored sections |
| Multiple-choice section | ~60 questions, 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Written performance section | 1 extended response, 1 hour |
| Passing scores | 200+ scaled score (MC); 5 of 8 points (written) |
| Fee | $150 both sections together, $75 per single section |
| Retake wait | 31 calendar days, no attempt limit |
For a deeper dive into every number on this page, the FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Study Guide walks through pacing and pass strategy in full, while the FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Certification Cost breakdown covers every fee scenario, including verification requests.
Exam Structure: Two Sections, Two Score Rules
The exam is split into two independently administered, scored, and reported sections. That independence matters for how you plan test day: unused time on one section cannot be carried over to the other, and once you submit a section, you cannot return to it. Treat each section as its own exam with its own clock.
- Multiple-choice section: approximately 60 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes, covering all six domains.
- Written performance section: one extended response in 1 hour, focused entirely on evaluating a student writing sample.
This flexibility changes how you approach a retake plan. If your weakness is clearly the written response, you don't need to re-sit the multiple-choice section at all. For a full breakdown of how difficult each section tends to be, see How Hard Is the FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Exam?
Domain Weights at a Glance
Six domains make up the multiple-choice section, and two of them dominate the blueprint. Language Arts Content and Pedagogical Content for Teaching Language Arts each account for 24% - together, nearly half the exam. If your study time is limited, these are non-negotiable priorities.
Domain 3: Knowledge of Language Arts Content (24%)
Covers literary analysis, grammar and conventions, vocabulary acquisition, and composition principles that a middle-grades English teacher must know at an expert level.
- Expect questions on rhetorical devices, text structures, and grammar rules in context.
Domain 4: Knowledge of Pedagogical Content for Teaching Language Arts (24%)
Focuses on how to actually teach the content above - scaffolding writing instruction, differentiating for varied readers, and sequencing skill-building.
- Expect scenario-based items describing a classroom situation and asking for the best instructional move.
Domain 2 & Domain 5: Research-Based Practices and Assessment (14% each)
These test whether you can connect evidence-based strategies and assessment data to instructional decisions rather than just recalling terminology.
- Practice interpreting sample data sets and matching them to next instructional steps.
Domain 1 & Domain 6: Student Characteristics and Collaborative Reading/Writing Processes (12% each)
Smaller in weight but still tested - cover developmental characteristics of middle-grades students and the collaborative, recursive nature of reading and writing processes.
- Don't skip these just because the percentage is lower; every point counts toward the 200 scaled-score threshold.
For anchor-standard-level detail on each domain, the FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Exam Domains Guide breaks down every competency and skill statement revised by the State Board of Education in March 2022.
Written Performance Section Cheat Sheet
This section was redesigned effective January 2024, and it's unlike a typical essay prompt. You are given a middle-grades student's argumentative essay along with a B.E.S.T.-aligned learning objective and rubric. Your job is not to write your own essay - it's to evaluate the student's writing and supply meaningful feedback and a course of action for that student's next steps.
Key Takeaway
Aim for 300-500 words in your response; the hard cap is 1,500 words, but graders reward focused, rubric-aligned feedback over length.
- Two raters score your response holistically on three criteria: completion, application of content, and support.
- You need 5 of 8 points to pass - equivalent to the old 8-of-12 rubric, so the bar hasn't changed even though the scale looks different.
- No reference materials are provided, so rubric language and B.E.S.T. standard vocabulary need to be second nature before test day.
- Practice writing feedback that names a specific weakness in the student sample, ties it to the learning objective, and proposes a concrete instructional next step - that's the "course of action" graders are looking for.
The exact scoring thresholds and how they map to the multiple-choice scaled score are unpacked further in FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Passing Score: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Fees, Scheduling & Retake Rules
Budgeting and scheduling mistakes are avoidable if you know the mechanics up front:
- Fee: $150 to take both sections together, or $75 for a single section - retakes are billed at the same per-section rate.
- Retake wait: 31 calendar days minimum, with no cap on the number of attempts.
- Passed-section lock: once you pass a section, you cannot retake it for three years.
- Score verification: $75 if you want your score rechecked.
- Score release: results are typically reported within four weeks of your test date.
For the full fee matrix, including retake and verification costs side by side, visit FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Certification Cost 2026, and for a data-driven look at what those pass rates mean for your prep timeline, see FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Last-Mile Review Schedule
If your test date is close, don't spread review evenly across all six domains - weight your time the way the exam weights its points.
Domain 3 & Domain 4 (48% combined)
- Drill grammar, composition, and literary analysis content questions
- Practice scenario items on instructional sequencing and differentiation
Domain 2 & Domain 5 (28% combined)
- Review evidence-based instructional strategies
- Practice interpreting assessment data samples for instructional next steps
Domain 1, Domain 6 & Written Performance
- Cover student developmental characteristics and collaborative reading/writing process theory
- Time yourself writing 300-500 word rubric-based feedback responses under 1 hour
Use short, focused review blocks rather than marathon sessions - 25-30 minutes on one domain box, then a break, repeated across the week, keeps the heavy 24%-weighted domains from blurring together. Full practice sets that mirror this pacing are available on the main practice test site.
High-Yield Content Topics to Memorize
Certain topics show up across multiple domains because they're foundational to middle-grades English instruction. Prioritize these:
- Text structures and rhetorical patterns in nonfiction and argumentative writing
- Grammar and usage conventions tested in context, not isolation
- Vocabulary acquisition strategies appropriate for grades 5-9
- Writing process stages and how reading and writing instruction reinforce each other (Domain 6)
- Formative and summative assessment types and how their data should drive reteaching decisions (Domain 5)
- Developmental characteristics of middle-grades learners that affect literacy instruction (Domain 1)
- B.E.S.T.-aligned rubric language for evaluating student argumentative writing (written performance section)
If you're still confirming eligibility requirements before you register, check FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Requirements 2026, and if you want to lock in a testing window that fits your certification deadline, review FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Exam Dates 2026. You can also run through full-length timed practice sets on our practice test platform to see how these topics actually appear as test questions.
FAQ
Yes. Since February 28, 2023, candidates can split the two sections across two separate appointments or take them together in one sitting.
A scaled score of at least 200 on the multiple-choice section and at least 5 of 8 points on the written performance section.
You evaluate a middle-grades student's argumentative essay against a B.E.S.T.-aligned learning objective and rubric, then provide meaningful feedback and a course of action, targeting 300-500 words with a 1,500-word cap.
Retakes are charged at the same per-section rate as the original attempt: $75 for a single section, and you must wait 31 calendar days before retesting.
Focus on Domain 3 (Language Arts Content) and Domain 4 (Pedagogical Content for Teaching Language Arts), which together make up 24% each - nearly half the multiple-choice section.