- FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) is a Florida Subject Area Examination for middle grades social science certification.
- The test is about 80 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, with no reference materials allowed.
- History (33%), Geography (25%), and Civics and Government (25%) together make up 83% of the exam.
- A scaled score of 200 is required to pass, with a published ceiling around 61% correct on some forms.
What Is FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038)?
FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) is the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations Middle Grades Social Science 5-9 test, a subject-area exam required for educators who want to teach social science to students in grades 5 through 9 in Florida schools. Unlike a general knowledge assessment, this exam is built entirely around content mastery: history, geography, civics and government, economics, and the instructional skills needed to teach these subjects to middle grades learners.
The exam is not a pedagogy test in disguise. Content knowledge dominates the blueprint, and only a small slice of the questions ask candidates to think like classroom instructors. If you're trying to understand exactly what's tested and how heavily, the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas breaks each domain down question by question.
Who Governs and Administers the Exam
The Florida Department of Education owns and governs FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) as part of its statewide teacher certification system. Pearson Evaluation Systems, operating under the NES program, develops and administers the actual test. That means the questions, scoring rules, and test-day logistics all run through Pearson's testing infrastructure, while the state sets the passing standard and certification requirements.
Because it's a Subject Area Examination rather than a general knowledge or professional pedagogy test, FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) is delivered exclusively as a computer-based test. You'll sit for it at an approved testing center, either in Florida or at a Pearson center elsewhere in the country, which matters for out-of-state candidates pursuing Florida certification.
There's no prerequisite exam or coursework required just to register for FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038). Anyone can sign up and sit for it. Actual certification, however, still requires a bachelor's degree and appropriate subject-area preparation. If you're mapping out the full eligibility picture before you register, the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify guide walks through what "appropriate preparation" typically looks like.
Exam Format, Timing, and Scoring
FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) consists of approximately 80 multiple-choice questions administered over 2 hours and 30 minutes. Some forms include unscored field-test items mixed in with scored questions, so you won't know while testing which questions count toward your final score and which are being trialed for future exams. Treat every question as if it counts.
No reference materials, formula sheets, or outside resources are provided during the test. Whatever you know about world civilizations, constitutional structures, or geographic themes has to be recalled cold, under time pressure, at the keyboard.
For the full mechanics of how scaled scoring works and what a "good enough" raw score actually looks like, see FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. Score reports are typically released within four weeks of testing, and if you want an official review of your results, score verification is available for $75.
The Five Content Domains
The exam blueprint has five domains, and they are weighted very unevenly. History alone accounts for a third of the test, and when combined with Geography and Civics and Government, these three content domains make up 83% of every exam form. Economics and the instructional domain split the remaining 17%.
Domain 1: Knowledge of History (33%)
This is the single largest domain and covers world civilizations spanning Africa, the Americas, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe, and Oceania. Candidates must also analyze primary sources and understand a distinct Florida strand covering immigration and settlement patterns along with the individuals, events, and characteristics that define Florida's historical periods.
- Comparative world civilizations across every major region
- Primary source interpretation and analysis
- Florida-specific immigration, settlement, and statehood history
Domain 2: Knowledge of Geography (25%)
Geography covers the themes and elements of geography, reading and interpreting maps and other spatial tools, mental maps, how regions are defined, human adaptation and environmental impact, migration patterns, and economic development tied to geographic factors.
- Map, chart, and spatial-tool interpretation
- Human-environment interaction and adaptation
- Migration and regional economic development
Domain 3: Knowledge of Civics and Government (25%)
This domain covers the structure and purposes of government, the U.S. Constitution and other founding documents, comparative political systems, elections, and the federal, state, and local structures that make up American governance. It also includes the legal system, major Supreme Court cases, foreign policy, international bodies, and citizen rights and responsibilities.
- Constitutional principles and founding documents
- Landmark Supreme Court cases
- Federal, state, and local government structures
Domain 4: Knowledge of Economics (10%)
The smallest of the four content domains, Economics still requires solid grounding in core economic concepts and systems as they apply to middle grades instruction.
Domain 5: Knowledge of Social Science Curriculum and Instruction (7%)
The only teaching-focused domain on the exam, and the smallest overall. It addresses how to plan, sequence, and deliver social science instruction to middle grades students rather than content mastery itself.
Because History, Geography, and Civics and Government dominate the scoring so heavily, most study time should go there first. The FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a domain-by-domain study sequence built around these exact weights.
| Domain | Weight | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| History | 33% | World civilizations, primary sources, Florida history |
| Geography | 25% | Spatial tools, regions, migration, human-environment interaction |
| Civics and Government | 25% | Constitution, courts, elections, government structures |
| Economics | 10% | Core economic systems and concepts |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 7% | Instructional planning and delivery |
Registration, Fees, and Retake Rules
Registering for FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) costs $150 for your first attempt, and every retake also costs $150 - there's no discounted retake rate. If you don't pass, you must wait 31 calendar days before retesting, and there is no cap on the total number of attempts allowed. On the flip side, if you do pass, you cannot retake that same test for three years, so retesting to try for a higher score isn't an option once you've cleared the bar.
A full breakdown of every fee, including verification and reporting costs, is available in FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're trying to plan around specific testing windows and blackout periods, check FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling before you lock in a registration date.
Key Takeaway
Every attempt at FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) costs $150 regardless of whether it's your first sitting or a retake, so treating your first attempt as your real attempt - not a practice run - has real financial value.
Who Takes This Exam
Candidates who sit for FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) are almost always pursuing Florida certification to teach social science in grades 5 through 9, whether in traditional public middle schools, charter schools, or K-8 combined campuses. Some are recent education program graduates completing the last licensure step; others are career-changers or out-of-state teachers adding a Florida credential. Because there's no prerequisite test, candidates from a range of academic backgrounds - history, political science, geography, and social studies education - all end up preparing for the same 80-question exam.
School districts hiring middle grades social science teachers generally require this certification, or evidence that a candidate is actively pursuing it, before finalizing an offer. If you're weighing whether the credential translates into real hiring demand and where the openings tend to be, FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Jobs and Is the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 both dig into that question, and the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis covers compensation considerations.
How Candidates Actually Prepare
Preparation for FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) works best when it mirrors the blueprint's weighting rather than treating all five domains equally. Since History, Geography, and Civics and Government together account for 83% of the test, a study plan that spends equal time on Economics and Curriculum and Instruction is misallocating hours it can't afford to waste.
History deep dive
- Work through world civilizations by region: Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East, Europe, Oceania
- Practice primary source analysis with actual historical documents
- Master Florida's immigration, settlement, and statehood timeline
Geography and Civics and Government
- Drill map reading, spatial tools, and mental map concepts
- Review the Constitution, founding documents, and major Supreme Court cases
- Study federal, state, and local government structures side by side
Economics and instruction
- Cover core economic systems and concepts
- Review social science curriculum and instructional planning principles
- Run full-length timed practice sets to build stamina for the 2.5-hour format
Because no reference materials are permitted during the actual test, your final practice sessions should also be closed-book and timed, matching the real 80-question, 150-minute format as closely as possible. Full-length practice tests on the main practice test site are one of the most efficient ways to simulate that pressure before test day. If you're still unsure how the exam actually feels compared to other certification tests, How Hard Is the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 gives an honest assessment based on the blueprint and scoring standard.
For a fast final review the week before your test date, many candidates lean on a condensed reference like the FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts, paired with a run through practice questions on the practice test platform to confirm which domains still need attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
It certifies eligibility to teach social science - history, geography, civics and government, and economics - to students in grades 5 through 9 within the Florida certification system.
No. There's no prerequisite examination or coursework needed to register for FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038), though full certification still requires a bachelor's degree and subject-area preparation.
There's no limit on the number of attempts. You must wait 31 calendar days between attempts, and each retake costs $150.
History, since it's the largest single domain at 33% of the exam. Geography and Civics and Government follow closely, each at 25%, and together the three make up 83% of all questions.
No. FTCE MGSS 5-9 (038) is a closed-book exam with no reference materials provided, so all content must be memorized and recalled during the 2 hour 30 minute testing window.