What Does FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Stand For?

What FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) Actually Stands For

FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) stands for Florida Teacher Certification Examination, Middle Grades English, grades 5 through 9, exam code 014. Each part of that name carries real weight for a candidate. "FTCE" identifies the broader family of Florida subject-area and general knowledge exams used for teacher certification. "Middle Grades English" specifies the subject and grade band - this is not the elementary reading exam, and it is not the 6-12 secondary English exam. "5-9" tells you the certification covers instruction spanning the upper elementary bridge into early high school preparation. The "(014)" is simply the official Florida Department of Education test code that appears on your registration, score report, and certification paperwork.

If you want a broader orientation before diving into logistics, the overview of what FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) is and the companion piece on what the abbreviation means in context both walk through this naming convention in more detail.

Who Governs and Administers the Exam

The exam is governed by the Florida Department of Education and developed and administered by Pearson Evaluation Systems (NES) as a Subject Area Examination. It is delivered as a computer-based test, and candidates can sit for it either at Florida testing centers or at approved sites nationwide. The competencies and skills that define what appears on the test were most recently revised by the State Board of Education in March 2022, so any study material referencing an older competency list should be treated with caution.

For a step-by-step breakdown of who is eligible to register and what documentation is expected before you schedule an appointment, see the FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) requirements guide.

How the Two-Section Format Works

Unlike a single continuous test, FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) is split into two independently administered, scored, and reported sections:

• Multiple-choice section: approximately 60 questions, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Written performance section: one extended response, 1 hour.

These sections do not share time. Unused time on the multiple-choice section cannot roll over to the written performance section, and once you finish a section you cannot go back to it. Since February 28, 2023, candidates have been allowed to split the two sections across separate appointments or take them together in one sitting - and if you fail only one section, you retake just that section rather than the entire exam.

The written performance section underwent a significant redesign effective January 2024. Candidates now 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. Two raters score the response holistically on completion, application of content, and support. Responses should target 300 to 500 words, with a hard cap of 1,500 words, and no reference materials are provided during testing.

The Six Domains Behind the Name

The "English" in FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) is defined by six official domains, each weighted differently on the multiple-choice section. Understanding these weights is the single most useful thing you can do before opening a study guide, because it tells you exactly where your preparation time delivers the most return.

Because Domains 3 and 4 together make up nearly half the multiple-choice weighting, candidates who allocate proportional study time to language arts content knowledge and pedagogy - rather than spreading effort evenly across all six domains - tend to prepare more efficiently. For a full walkthrough of every domain with sample skill statements, see the complete guide to all six content areas.

Registration, Fees, and Retake Rules

Registration for FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) costs $150 if you register for both sections together, or $75 per section if you register separately. Retakes are charged at the same per-section rate - there is no discount or penalty fee structure beyond the standard price.

If you fail a section, Florida requires a 31-calendar-day waiting period before you can retake it, and there is no limit on the number of attempts. However, once you pass a section, you cannot retake it for three years - so if you're retaking only the section you failed, your passed section stays locked in. Score verification, if you want a hand-rescore, costs $75, and score reports are typically released within four weeks of your test date.

A complete breakdown of every fee scenario - single-section, combined, retake, and verification - is available in the FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) certification cost breakdown, and exact testing windows and scheduling deadlines are covered in the exam dates and scheduling guide.

What Counts as Passing

To pass FTCE MGE 5-9 (014), you must clear both thresholds:

• A scaled score of at least 200 on the multiple-choice section.
• At least 5 of 8 points on the written performance section (equivalent to the 8 of 12 required under the previous rubric, before the January 2024 redesign).

Florida's 2020 Annual Administration and Technical Report placed pass rates at 46% for the multiple-choice section and 53% for the written performance section - figures that put this exam among the harder middle-grades subject tests in the FTCE lineup. For the exact scoring mechanics and how the rubric translates into point values, see the passing score breakdown, and for a deeper look at difficulty relative to other subject exams, read how hard the exam really is or the dedicated pass rate analysis.

Using the Name to Plan Your Study Time

Once you understand what the name FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) actually encodes - subject, grade band, and a two-section format with independent scoring - you can plan preparation around it instead of treating it as one undifferentiated test. A practical approach: dedicate early study weeks to Domains 3 and 4 since they carry the most multiple-choice weight, then shift to timed practice on the written performance task once content knowledge is solid, since that section has a strict one-hour limit and a 300-500 word target you'll need to hit under pressure.

For a more detailed week-by-week plan built specifically around this exam's domain weights and section format, see the FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) study guide, and once you're closer to test day, the one-page cheat sheet of must-know facts is useful for a final review pass. Practicing under realistic conditions on our practice test platform before test day is one of the most reliable ways to confirm you're actually ready for the timed format.

Who Actually Uses This Certification

FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) is one of the subject area exams Florida requires for certification to teach English/Language Arts to students in grades 5 through 9 in Florida's public school system. Candidates typically pursue it alongside a teaching degree or as part of an alternative certification pathway, since passing both sections is a prerequisite for the subject-specific certificate - not simply a professional development credential. If you're weighing whether pursuing this certification fits your career goals, the ROI analysis on whether it's worth it and the overview of roles that require or value this credential both address that question directly. Broader context on the certification pathway itself is also covered in the FTCE MGE 5-9 (014) certification overview and the general explainer on what this credential is.

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