FSU undergraduate students must complete the State of Florida’s Civic Literacy requirement in order to earn their bachelor’s degree. Depending on when a student first enters a Florida public college or university, the following requirements must be met.
Note to Students: Please contact your advisor with any questions. You can find your advisor using the Advisor Search tool.
Note for students who took the Civic Literacy Exam at another institution: Students who took their Civic Literacy exam at another institution may submit their score report using the guide available here. MyFSU sign-in is required for this process.
Students who entered any Florida public college or university as an undergraduate degree-seeking student for the FIRST time beginning Summer B/Fall 2024 or later must fulfill a course competency AND an assessment competency. See the table below for which mechanisms fulfill the course competency, assessment competency, or both.
Who Must Meet the Requirement?
- All first-time in college (FTIC) students who entered FSU starting in Summer B/Fall 2024 or later.
- Transfer students who entered FSU (or another Florida public college or university) as undergraduate degree-seeking students in Summer B/Fall 2024 or later, including:
- Students with an AA degree
- Students pursuing an additional bachelor’s degree
- Students who transferred from out-of-state
- Students who transferred from a private college or university in Florida.
Ways to Meet the Requirement
Both course and assessment requirements must be met.
| Mechanism | Minimum Required Score/Grade | Meets Course Competency | Meets Assessment Competency* |
|---|---|---|---|
| POS1041 American National Government (including dual enrollment) | C- | ✓ | |
| AMH2010 The History of the United States to 1877 [Fall 2024 or later] (including dual enrollment) | C- | ✓ | |
| AMH2020 A History of the United States since 1877 (including dual enrollment) | C- | ✓ | |
| AMS2010 Civil Discourse and the American Political Order [Spring 2025 or later]** (including dual enrollment) | C- | ✓ | |
| Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE) [passed in high school US Government Course OR at a state college or university in Florida] * | 60% | ✓ | |
| Advanced Placement Government and Politics: United States | 3 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced Placement United States History [exam taken Fall 2024 or later] | 3 | ✓ | |
| Advanced Placement United States History | 4 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cambridge AICE History, US History, c. 1840-1990 (A-Level) | A-E | ✓ | |
| CLEP American Government | 50 | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLEP History of the United States I: to 1877 | 50 | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLEP History of the United States II: from 1865 | 50 | ✓ | |
| IB History: History of America | 5-7 | ✓ |
*Students who take the United States Government course in high school and earn a passing score on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination in Fall 2021 and afterwards are considered to have fulfilled the assessment requirement.
**This course is not currently offered at FSU.
Students who entered any Florida public college or university as an undergraduate degree-seeking student for the FIRST time beginning Summer C/Fall 2021 to Spring 2024 must fulfill a course competency AND an assessment competency. See the table below for which mechanisms fulfill the course competency, assessment competency, or both.
Who Must Meet the Requirement?
- All first-time in college (FTIC) students who entered FSU starting in Summer C/Fall 2021 to Spring 2024.
- Transfer students who entered FSU (or another Florida public college or university) as undergraduate degree-seeking students in Summer C/Fall 2021 to Spring 2024 including:
- Students with an AA degree
- Students pursuing an additional bachelor’s degree
- Students who transferred from out-of-state
- Students who transferred from a private college or university in Florida.
Ways to Meet the Requirement
Both course and assessment requirements must be met.
| Mechanism | Minimum Required Score/Grade | Meets Course Competency | Meets Assessment Competency* |
|---|---|---|---|
| POS1041 American National Government (including dual enrollment) | C- | ✓ | |
| AMH2010 The History of the United States to 1877 [if taken Fall 2024 or later] (including dual enrollment) | C- | ✓ | |
| AMH2020 A History of the United States since 1877 (including dual enrollment) | C- | ✓ | |
| AMS2010 Civil Discourse and the American Political Order [Spring 2025 or later]** (including dual enrollment) | C- | ✓ | |
| U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test – Civics (U.S. history and government) with supplemental questions [passed at a state college or university in Florida prior to Summer B 2025] | 60% | ✓ | |
| Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE) [passed in high school US Government Course OR at a state college or university in Florida] * | 60% | ✓ | |
| Advanced Placement Government and Politics: United States | 3 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced Placement United States History [exam taken Fall 2024 or later] | 3 | ✓ | |
| Advanced Placement United States History | 4 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cambridge AICE History, US History, c. 1840-1990 (A-Level) | A-E | ✓ | |
| CLEP American Government | 50 | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLEP History of the United States I: to 1877 | 50 | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLEP History of the United States II: from 1865 | 50 | ✓ | |
| IB History: History of America | 5-7 | ✓ |
*Students who take the United States Government course in high school and earn a passing score on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination in Fall 2021 and afterwards are considered to have fulfilled the assessment requirement.
**This course is not currently offered at FSU.
Students who entered any Florida public college or university as an undergraduate degree-seeking student for the FIRST time beginning Fall 2018 through Spring 2021, must earn credit in an approved Civic Literacy course OR achieve a passing score on a designated Civic Literacy assessment (not both).
Who Must Meet the Requirement?
- All first-time in college (FTIC) students who entered FSU starting in Fall 2018 or later.
- Transfer students who entered FSU (or another Florida public college or university) as undergraduate degree-seeking students in Fall 2018 or later, including:
- Students with an AA degree
- Students pursuing an additional bachelor’s degree
- Students who transferred from out-of-state
- Students who transferred from a private college or university in Florida.
Ways to Meet the Requirement
| Mechanism | Minimum Required Score/Grade |
|---|---|
| POS1041 American National Government* (including dual enrollment) | C- |
| AMH2010 The History of the United States to 1877 [if taken Fall 2024 or later] (including dual enrollment) | C- |
| AMH2020 A History of the United States since 1877* (including dual enrollment) | C- |
| AMS2010 Civil Discourse and the American Political Order [Spring 2025 or later]** (including dual enrollment) | C- |
| U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test – Civics (U.S. history and government) with supplemental questions [taken at a state college or university in Florida prior to Summer B 2025] | 60% |
| Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE) | 60% |
| Advanced Placement Government and Politics: United States | 3 |
| Advanced Placement United States History | 4 |
| CLEP History of the United States I: to 1877 | 50 |
| CLEP History of the United States II: from 1865 | 50 |
| CLEP American Government | 50 |
*IMPORTANT NOTE
The State of Florida Board of Governors has ruled that successful completion of POS1041, American National Government or AMH2020, A History of the United States Since 1877 does not meet the State requirement if the course was taken as a dual enrollment course prior to Fall 2018. The courses offered prior to this time are not seen as meeting the competencies mandated for the Civic Literacy requirement.
**This course is not currently offered at FSU.
Students who entered a Florida public college or university as an undergraduate degree-seeking student for the FIRST time prior to Fall 2018 are NOT REQUIRED to meet any Civic Literacy requirement.
Beginning Summer 2025, students returning for a second bachelor's degree are required to complete the civic literacy requirement if they did not complete it as part of their previous bachelor's degree.
(Note: These requirements are subject to change based upon rules and regulations issued by the Florida Board of Governors.)
Students Entering FSU in Fall 2024
The Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) fulfills the assessment competency portion of the civic literacy requirement. To take the FCLE, you will need to schedule an in-person appointment with an approved test proctoring site.
- TALLAHASSEE-AREA STUDENTS: The FSU Testing Center administers the FCLE at no charge for FSU students:
- Visit the FSU Testing Center website and review the FCLE Exam Guide.
- Schedule an exam appointment at least one week in advance, using the Exam Registration System.
- Review testing policies, including what to bring to your appointment.
- ALL OTHER STUDENTS: Email testing@fsu.edu for instructions on taking the FCLE with an approved proctor. The FCLE is only offered through Florida institutions, so if you live outside Florida, Testing Center staff will help you identify other exams that will meet the assessment requirement. Be prepared to do the following prior to testing with an off-campus provider:
- Schedule your exam directly with the proctor.
- Pay applicable proctoring fees.
- Complete a required, recorded video consent.
You will be able to see your score as soon as you complete the FCLE. If you pass the exam, allow four weeks for the assessment requirement to show as “satisfied” in your Academic Requirements Report in Student Central. If you do not pass the exam, you may schedule a retake by emailing testing@fsu.edu.
Students Who Entered FSU Prior to Fall 2024
You will receive an email indicating how to take the Civic Literacy test online within Canvas. You may complete the online exam any time before August 6, 2025, after which the online exam will be replaced with the revised Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE), which must be taken in-person. If you fail to earn a satisfactory grade on the Canvas-based Florida Civic Literacy Test by August 6, 2025, you will have to take the FCLE to meet the civic literacy requirement. Because the FCLE must be taken in a proctored testing environment, you will need to schedule an in-person appointment with the FSU Testing Center to take the FCLE (see details above).
Students who took their Civic Literacy exam at another institution may submit their score report using the guide available here. MyFSU sign-in is required for this process.
- Do AP, AICE, and IB credits fulfill the Civic Literacy requirement?
- There are multiple ways to fulfill the Civic Literacy requirement. Students and advisors should refer to the tables above.
- Sally Seminole first entered FSU in Fall 2021. She received a 5 on IB History and a C on the AICE US History exam. Has she fulfilled the Civic Literacy requirement?
- While Sally has fulfilled the course competency requirement, Sally still needs to fulfill the assessment competency requirement.
- If a student is pursuing their second bachelor's degree, do they need to fulfill the Civic Literacy requirement?
- Beginning Summer 2025, students returning for a second bachelor's degree are required to complete the civic literacy requirement if they did not complete it as part of their previous bachelor's degree.
- Have newly naturalized citizens of the United States of America satisfied the civic literacy assessment requirement?
- A student who took the United States Naturalization/Citizenship Test to become a citizen does not meet the civic literacy requirement solely as a result of taking the test. Without the supplemental questions, the test does not include all of the competencies required by section 1007.25(5)(b)(2), Florida Statutes.