What Does “FAST” Stand For?

FAST stands for Florida Assessment of Student Thinking. 

FAST is based on Florida’s Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) standards. Introduced in 2022, FAST replaced older assessments like the FSA, offering a more adaptive, student-focused approach.

FAST is a progress monitoring tool that tracks how well students are learning reading and math throughout the school year. Instead of taking one big test at the end of the year, students now take shorter tests three times a year.

Why Did Florida Switch to FAST?

The main goal of FAST is to give teachers, parents, and students more timely feedback. The old system only gave results after the school year ended, which wasn’t very helpful for improving learning while school was still in session. With FAST:

• Teachers can adjust instruction based on real-time data
• Parents get updates on their child’s progress
• Students have more chances to show growth

Who Takes the Florida FAST Test?

Students in Grades K–10 take the FAST assessment. The subjects include:

• English Language Arts (ELA) for Grades 3–10
• Mathematics for Grades K–8

How Often Is It Given?

Unlike traditional year-end tests, Florida FAST Test is administered three times a year:

• PM1 (Progress Monitoring 1): Early fall, sets a baseline.
  Given at the start of the school year (August–September), PM1 sets a baseline score to gauge your child’s starting point in B.E.S.T. standards, helping teachers plan instruction.

• PM2 (Progress Monitoring 2): Mid-year, tracks growth.
  Administered mid-year (December–January), PM2 provides a mid-year score after students have learned grade-level standards, showing growth since PM1.

• PM3 (Progress Monitoring 3): May, the final and most critical assessment.
  Held at year-end (May), PM3 delivers a summative score measuring mastery of B.E.S.T. standards. Unlike PM1and PM2 (informational only), PM3 counts for school accountability.

The tests are computer-based, adapting to your child’s skill level to pinpoint strengths and gaps.

What Are the Tests Like?

• Florida FAST Tests are taken on a computer
• Questions are multiple-choice and sometimes require short answers
• The tests get harder or easier depending on your child’s responses
• They’re designed to be shorter than the old statewide assessments

What Do the Results Mean?

Each Florida FAST Test provides a score that shows how your child is progressing toward grade-level expectations. You’ll typically receive a report showing:

• Whether your child is meeting expectations
• Areas where your child is strong or needs support
• Growth over time between PM1, PM2, and PM3

This gives you and your child’s teacher valuable insights to guide learning.

As required by state law, achievement levels in Florida FAST Test range from 1 to 5, with Level 1 as the lowest and Level 5 as the highest. 

How Can Parents Help at Home?

Supporting your child doesn’t mean hours of test prep. Here’s what you can do:

• Talk about the test in a positive way – avoid adding pressure
• Read together daily and discuss what you read
• Practice real-life math like budgeting, cooking, or measuring
• Check in with your child’s teacher for personalized tips
• Review the score reports together and celebrate progress

How Can gatorFAST Help?

gatorFAST is offering high quality Practice courses for Grade 3-5 Florida FAST Test. (More grades will be added soon)

Each course has multiple chapters aligned with Florida B.E.S.T Standards

Shown below is an example of chapters from a Grade 5 Math course. Each chapter has a quiz with minimum 10 Questions to practice followed by a FULL Length Test comprising a minimum 50 questions.

gatorFAST makes Florida FAST Test prep simple, effective, and affordable for Grades 3–5:

• 110 B.E.S.T.-Aligned Questions: Cover PM1, PM2 and PM3 topics, from Grade 3 to Grade 5, crafted by Florida experts.
• PM-Ready Format: Adaptive, computer-based practice mirrors FAST, building test-day confidence.
• Spring Sale Deal: Only $17.99 per course (down from $24.99), limited time only!
• Risk-Free Trial: Explore FREE Course to see why parents love us.

Final Thoughts

The Florida FAST Test is a new, more flexible way to understand how students are learning throughout the school year. By focusing on growth and ongoing feedback, it helps teachers and families work together to support each child’s success.

As a parent, you play a powerful role—just by staying informed and encouraging your child, you’re already helping them do their best.

References

Florida Statewide Assessment Program (2024-25 Schedule)

Florida Statewide Assessments Portal