Civic Literacy Graduation Requirement

Courses identified by the state to meet the requirement with a grade of C or higher are:
• AMH 2010: United States History to 1877 (New Option Under Florida Statute Effective Fall Term 2024)
Please Note: Students who took this course prior to Fall 2024 cannot use AMH 2010 to meet the Civic Literacy course requirement because it did not include state-required competencies until Fall 2024.
• AMH 2020: United States History from 1877 to Present
• POS 2041: American Federal Government
• AMS 2010 Civil Discourse and the American Political Order (Not offered at EFSC but accepted as a transfer course.)

The EFSC Class Schedule lists the available on-campus and online sections for AMH 2010, AMH 2020, and POS 2041. The EFSC Catalog has course descriptions plus the official catalog version of the Civic Literacy Graduation Requirement.

You must earn a grade of C or higher in one of the following:

• AMH 2020: U.S. History from 1877 to Present
• POS 2041: American Federal Government
• AMH 2010: U.S. History to 1877 (Valid only if taken Fall 2024 or later)
• AMS 2010: Civil Discourse & the American Political Order (Not offered at EFSC but accepted for transfer credit)

View class options in the EFSC Class Schedule or EFSC Catalog course descriptions.

An Advanced Placement course and exam or CLEP test can satisfy the course AND exam requirements. See question #3 for more on those options.

Credit earned through an International Baccalaureate (IB) or AICE program can only be used to meet the course requirement. Students with AICE or IB credit must also pass an approved assessment, such as the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE).

Passing Score Requirements

• Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE) - Score of 48 (or higher) out of 80 questions (60% correct)
• AP Government and Politics: United States - Score of 3 (or higher) out of 5
• AP United States History - Score of 4 (or higher) out of 5
• CLEP American Government - Score of 50 (or higher) out of 80
• CLEP U.S. History to 1877 - Score of 50 (or higher) out of 80 (New Option Under Florida Statute: CLEP test can have been taken at any time)

AP or CLEP Scores must be officially sent to EFSC for credit. For details visit the CLEP website or the AP website.

If you took an approved Advanced Placement course in high school from the list below and made the required passing score on the AP exam, that would meet both the course and assessment Civic Literacy requirements. If meeting the requirement through a CLEP testing record, that will also be applied in your student degree audit.

CLEP American Government is available through the EFSC Assessment Centers.
See more about preparing for the CLEP American Government exam.

These four AP or CLEP options can meet the course AND exam requirement:
• AP Government and Politics: United States - Score of 3 (or higher) out of 5
• AP United States History - Score of 4 (or higher) out of 5
• CLEP American Government - Score of 50 (or higher) out of 80
• CLEP History of the United States 1 - Score of 50 (or higher) out of 80 (New Option Under Florida Statute: CLEP test can have been taken at any time)

This CLEP exam can meet ONLY the course requirement:
• CLEP History of the United States 2: 1865 to Present - Score of 50 (or higher) out of 80

Official AP and CLEP scores must be forwarded to EFSC for posting of earned course credits to meet Civic Literacy graduation requirements. Details on how to have score reports and/or transcripts sent to EFSC are available at the CLEP website and also at the Advanced Placement/AP website.

Senate Bill 1108 amended s.1007.25, Florida Statutes (F.S.) and as put into practice by the State Board of Education through Rule 6A-10.02413, students must develop and demonstrate civic literacy competency that includes:

• Understanding the basic principles and practices of American democracy and how they are applied in our form of government
• Understanding the United States Constitution and its application
• Knowledge of the founding documents and how they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of self-governance
• Understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases, landmark legislation and landmark executive actions and their impact on law and society

The rule also requires that institutions must ensure that they provide opportunities for students to engage synchronously in political discussions and civil debates with multiple points of view and to master the ability to synthesize information that informs civic decision-making. Examples include course lectures, discussion groups, registered student organizations (e.g., speech or debate club, student government association), guest speaker series, community partnership and civic engagement events, service-learning and internships, among others.

The FCLE is offered free for Eastern Florida State College students at the EFSC Assessment Centers on all four campuses and virtually. You must have an appointment to take the exam, which can be made through the RegisterBlast online system. The RegisterBlast link includes instructions for registering, including choosing an appointment day and time. Please note for planning purposes that FCLE testing will be unavailable statewide from Friday, June 27, 2025 through Sunday, July 6, 2025 for annual maintenance. Testing will resume on Monday, July 7, 2025.

Schedule FCLE Using RegisterBlast

To take the Civic Literacy Exam, we encourage students to be currently enrolled in POS 2041 or AMH 2020 or to have completed either course with a grade of "C" or higher.

The exam is administered on campus at EFSC Assessment Centers via a computer-based testing platform developed for the state of Florida by Cambium Assessment, Inc. Students may also test virtually, however availability is limited.

A score of 48 correct or higher out of 80 questions will meet the minimum required threshold of 60% correct or higher. If a passing score is not earned, FCLE retesting will require a one-day wait period for attempts after the initial exam.

See more about retesting below.

Visit our Exam Preparation Resources page for multiple study guides and links to assist as you prepare. These resources are intended to help you review information covered during the required courses.

The requirement allows an unlimited number of attempts, and EFSC requires a one-day waiting period between retakes.

Students who fail to meet the required passing score of at least 48 correct out of 80 questions can retake the exam the next day if needed.

Scheduling an FCLE retest is simple! When making your new appointment through the EFSC Assessment Center’s RegisterBlast system, be sure to select “Retest” from the dropdown menu. The Testing Center will be notified of your appointment and you will receive a confirmation email with details of your appointment and links to study materials.

Schedule a Retest Using RegisterBlast

Accommodations will be available for the Florida Civic Literacy Examination. The Florida Department of Education plans to announce a timeline for implementation and a description of allowed accommodations later. In the meantime:

• EFSC Assessment Centers are prepared to provide test accommodations for those with disabilities.
• The test software will allow all students to choose the print size, background color, and mouse pointer for their test.
• The FCLE is an untimed test, but all students must end their test sessions when the Assessment Center closes. We recommend those who require extended time consider making an appointment earlier in the day to ensure plenty of time to complete the test.
• Students who use assistive technology may contact an Access Specialist in the SAIL department with any concerns regarding compatibility with the testing software

Students enrolled in a U.S. Government course as part of their high school coursework must take a civic literacy assessment and that assessment may be the Florida Civic Literacy Exam. Students who have passed the FCLE in high school will be exempt from the civic literacy competency assessment portion of the requirement when they enter a Florida College System (FCS) or State University System (SUS) institution. However, these students will still need to fulfill the post-secondary civic literacy course requirement.

EFSC baccalaureate students must satisfy the requirement unless they met the Florida civic literacy requirement as part of the previously awarded degree.

Bachelor students who have NOT achieved the Civic Literacy Competency Requirement, but who previously achieved a passing score on an approved assessment OR an approved course will have met the assessment or coursework requirement, respectively, and will only need to fulfill the missing requirement.

The civic literacy graduation requirement applies to all transfer students unless they met the Florida civic literacy requirement as part of a previously awarded degree.

Transfer students who have NOT achieved the Civic Literacy Competency Requirement, but who previously achieved a passing score on an approved assessment OR an approved course will have met the assessment or coursework requirement, respectively, and will only need to fulfill the missing requirement.

Students from out-of-state have to meet the Florida civic literacy requirements.

If a student changes their major before satisfying the Civic Literacy requirements as part of an awarded degree, the student will have to meet the current catalog requirements in place when they change their major.

No, once the civic literacy competency requirement has been met as part of a previously earned degree, students will not have to meet the requirement again as part of another degree program.

Your academic advisor can answer questions about the Civic Literacy requirement and your particular situation. Make an appointment with your advisor by logging into the myEFSC Portal and using the Navigate icon.

For questions about the exam, contact an EFSC Campus Assessment Center.