- The exam has about 80 multiple-choice items in 2 hours 30 minutes; no reference materials are allowed.
- History (33%), Geography (25%), and Civics/Government (25%) together make up 83% of all questions.
- Passing requires a scaled score of 200; Florida's maximum-percentage table caps the raw ceiling around 61% correct.
- Registration costs $150 per attempt; retakes require a 31-day wait with no cap on total attempts.
Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Know
FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) is a Subject Area Examination governed by the Florida Department of Education and developed and administered by Pearson Evaluation Systems (NES). It's delivered as a computer-based test at centers across Florida and nationwide, so you don't need to live in-state to sit for it. Before you memorize a single Supreme Court case, lock these mechanics into memory - they show up in scheduling decisions, budget planning, and test-day pacing.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Question count | Approximately 80 multiple-choice questions |
| Time limit | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Passing score | Scaled score of at least 200 |
| Raw score ceiling | Around 61% correct on Florida's published maximum-percentage table |
| Registration fee | $150 per attempt (first attempt and each retake) |
| Retake wait | 31 calendar days, unlimited attempts |
| Score verification | $75 |
| Score report timing | Within four weeks of testing |
Because forms are equated for difficulty, the exact raw cut varies test to test - you're not chasing a fixed percentage, you're chasing a scaled score. That distinction matters when you're deciding how much margin you need. For a deeper explanation of how the 200 scaled score translates into real performance, see the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Passing Score guide.
Domain Breakdown at a Glance
Content is heavily weighted toward content knowledge, not classroom pedagogy. That's the single biggest strategic fact about this exam: three domains carry the overwhelming majority of points, and the teaching-focused domain is almost an afterthought in terms of weight.
Domain 1: Knowledge of History - 33%
The largest domain by a wide margin, roughly a third of the entire test.
Domain 2: Knowledge of Geography - 25%
Quarter of the exam, spanning spatial tools, human-environment interaction, and regional analysis.
Domain 3: Knowledge of Civics and Government - 25%
Equal weight to Geography, covering government structures, founding documents, and case law.
Domain 4: Knowledge of Economics - 10%
Smaller domain, but not negligible - worth roughly 8 questions.
Domain 5: Social Science Curriculum and Instruction - 7%
The smallest domain, focused on teaching-related content rather than subject matter.
Key Takeaway
History, Geography, and Civics/Government combine for 83% of all questions. If your review time is limited, these three domains deserve roughly five times the attention you give Economics and Curriculum & Instruction combined.
For a full breakdown of subtopics inside each domain, the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Exam Domains Guide walks through every content area in detail.
History Core Facts (33% of the Exam)
History is a third of the exam on its own, so treat it as the backbone of your prep. The scope is genuinely global: world civilizations across Africa, the Americas, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe, and Oceania. You need working knowledge across all of these regions, not just Western Civilization.
- Primary source analysis - expect questions that ask you to interpret documents, speeches, or artifacts rather than simply recall dates.
- Florida-specific strand - a distinct thread on immigration and settlement patterns plus the individuals, events, and characteristics of Florida's own historical periods. This is a uniquely Florida-flavored slice of the exam that generic U.S. history review won't cover.
- Cross-regional comparison - questions may ask you to connect developments across civilizations (e.g., trade networks linking Africa, Asia, and Europe).
Geography Core Facts (25%)
Geography questions test both conceptual understanding and applied map-reading skill.
- Themes and elements of geography (location, place, region, movement, human-environment interaction)
- Map and spatial-tool interpretation - reading thematic maps, GIS-style data, and charts
- Mental maps and how people construct spatial understanding
- Regional definition - how and why regions are drawn differently depending on criteria
- Human adaptation and environmental impact
- Migration patterns and their causes/effects
- Economic development as it relates to geographic factors
Because no reference materials are provided, you can't lean on an atlas during the test. Practice reading and interpreting map-style questions without props well before test day.
Civics and Government Core Facts (25%)
This domain is dense with named content - constitutional clauses, court cases, and institutional structures. Expect these categories to appear repeatedly:
- Structure and purposes of government
- The U.S. Constitution and other founding documents
- Comparative political systems (democracies, authoritarian systems, etc.)
- Elections and the electoral process
- Federal, state, and local government structures
- The legal system and major Supreme Court cases
- Foreign policy and international bodies
- Citizen rights and responsibilities
Key Takeaway
Because Civics and Government ties with Geography at 25%, treat named Supreme Court cases and founding documents as flashcard-priority material - they're precise, testable facts rather than broad concepts.
Economics and Curriculum & Instruction (17% Combined)
Domain 4 (Economics, 10%) and Domain 5 (Social Science Curriculum and Instruction, 7%) together make up less than a fifth of the exam. Don't ignore them - roughly 13-14 questions combined still matter to your scaled score - but don't let them crowd out History, Geography, and Civics prep either.
Domain 5 is the only pedagogy-focused section on the entire exam, which fits the exam's overall content-first design. If you're coming from a strong subject-matter background but light classroom experience, this is the domain most likely to need dedicated review time despite its small weight.
Registration and Retake Mechanics
Understanding the administrative rules around FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) can save you money and stress:
- There is no prerequisite examination or coursework required simply to register for the test.
- Certification itself requires a bachelor's degree and appropriate subject-area preparation - the exam is one piece of the full certification path.
- Each attempt costs $150, whether it's your first sitting or a retake.
- If you don't pass, you must wait 31 calendar days before retesting, and there's no limit on the number of attempts.
- A test you've already passed cannot be retaken for three years.
- Score verification, if you want your results double-checked, costs $75.
- Score reports are released within four weeks of your test date.
For a full walkthrough of eligibility rules and the degree/coursework path, see FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Requirements 2026. If you're budgeting for the full path to certification, the Certification Cost breakdown lays out every fee. And if you're still weighing scheduling windows, check FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Exam Dates 2026 before you lock in a test date.
Key Takeaway
Because retakes cost another $150 and require a 31-day wait, a single focused study cycle beats rushing in underprepared and paying twice.
Final-Week Review Plan
In the days before your test, shift from learning new material to reinforcing what carries the most weight. Sequence your review around the domain percentages rather than treating every topic equally.
History Consolidation
- Review world civilizations region by region: Africa, the Americas, Asia/Middle East, Europe, Oceania
- Drill the Florida immigration and settlement strand specifically
- Practice primary source analysis questions under timed conditions
Geography and Civics
- Review map/spatial-tool interpretation without any reference aids
- Memorize major Supreme Court cases and founding document clauses
- Compare federal, state, and local government structures side by side
Economics and Curriculum & Instruction
- Cover core economic development concepts tied to geography
- Review instructional strategies relevant to social science teaching
Full-Length Simulation
- Take a timed practice run to rehearse the 2-hour-30-minute pace across ~80 questions
- Review any missed items by domain, prioritizing History, Geography, and Civics gaps
If you want a more detailed week-by-week study framework rather than a final review compression, the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Study Guide covers the full preparation timeline. And if you're still deciding how much runway you need, How Hard Is the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Exam? breaks down what makes this test challenging in practice.
Running practice questions in test-like conditions on our FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) practice test platform is one of the most direct ways to see how your domain knowledge holds up under the clock. Because no reference materials are allowed on the real exam, rehearsing recall without aids on the practice site mirrors actual test conditions far better than passive reading.
FAQ
The exam consists of approximately 80 multiple-choice questions, administered in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Some forms may include unscored field-test questions that don't count toward your score.
You need a scaled score of at least 200. Because forms are equated for difficulty, the raw percentage needed varies by form, though Florida's published maximum-percentage table puts the ceiling around 61% correct.
History, at 33% of the exam, is the single largest domain. Combined with Geography (25%) and Civics and Government (25%), these three areas make up 83% of all questions.
Registration is $150 for the first attempt and $150 for each retake. If you don't pass, you must wait 31 calendar days before retesting, and there's no cap on total attempts. A passed test can't be retaken for three years.
No. No reference materials of any kind are provided during the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) exam, so all content - including map interpretation and historical facts - must be recalled from memory.
Use this cheat sheet as a quick recall check in the final stretch before test day, and pair it with deeper domain study and full-length practice runs so the numbers above become second nature rather than a last-minute cram.