If your child is in a Florida public school, they already took the first FAST test of the year (PM1) in August or September. The second one, PM2, runs from November 30, 2026 to January 22, 2027. That’s about seven weeks away, which is the sweet spot: enough time to close a real gap, not so much that practice fizzles out.
FAST covers both reading (ELA) and math. This guide is about the math test, because that’s where a few minutes of the right practice each day moves the score the most.
FAST math at a glance (2026–27)
| Grades K–2 | Grades 3–5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Test | FAST Star Mathematics | FAST Mathematics |
| PM1 | Aug 3 – Sep 25, 2026 | Aug 10 – Sep 25, 2026 |
| PM2 | Nov 30, 2026 – Jan 22, 2027 | Nov 30, 2026 – Jan 22, 2027 |
| PM3 | Apr 12 – May 28, 2027 | May 3 – May 28, 2027 |
| Format | Computer-adaptive, 34 questions, about 20–30 minutes, headphones | Computer-adaptive, one session (80 minutes for PM1/PM2, 100 for PM3) |
| Tools | Blank scratch paper | Blank scratch paper; online reference sheet from grade 4 |
The windows are statewide; your school picks its own days inside them. Ask your child’s teacher for the exact date.
Official 2026–27 Florida testing schedule (PDF, FLDOE) →
“Computer-adaptive” means the test changes as your child answers: a correct answer brings a harder question, a miss brings an easier one. So if your child says “it got really hard,” that’s usually a good sign. It also means the test finds the edge of what your child knows, and that edge is exactly what practice can push forward.
What PM2 means for your child
The Florida Department of Education describes the three tests as a sequence:
- PM1 is a baseline “so teachers can track student progress.”
- PM2 is the mid-year check, compared against that baseline.
- PM3, at the end of the year, is the one that counts for school accountability in grades 3–10.
The state says PM1 and PM2 results “should be used to identify areas that may need additional instruction and support,” and that a student who isn’t at grade level yet in PM1 or PM2 is not necessarily off track. That’s reassuring, but PM2 still matters, because it’s the score your child’s school will use to plan the rest of the year:
- Extra support. Under Florida law, a K–4 student who shows a substantial deficiency in math must get intensive intervention right away, such as daily small-group instruction. The school must notify parents in writing, send a home-based plan, and update you at least monthly. An individualized progress monitoring plan must be in place within 45 days.
- A note on the New Worlds Scholarship. In past years, K–5 students scoring below Level 3 could get a $1,200 New Worlds Scholarship Account for tutoring or math materials. Step Up For Students is not accepting new applications because there’s no new funding, and no new accounts will be awarded for 2026–27. If your family already has an account, you can still use the remaining funds, but the account must show spending activity between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 or it will be closed.
- Advanced and gifted options. Many districts look at FAST results, alongside grades and teacher input, when deciding on accelerated math or gifted screening. The rules vary by district, so ask your school what it uses.
- Confidence. A child who sees their own score climb from PM1 to PM2 walks into PM3 believing they can do it. That might be the biggest benefit of all.
How to read the FAST score report (and how schools interpret it)
You’ll find results in your district’s Family Portal. K–2 results appear after the first week of each testing window. The report has several numbers, and different schools lean on different ones, which is why parents often hear conflicting explanations.
The numbers on the report
- Scale score. The core score. Grades 3–5 use the B.E.S.T. scale. K–2 Star tests use a “Unified” scale shared across Star assessments, plus a FAST Equivalent Score that translates it onto the grades 3–10 scale. The scale score is the best number for tracking growth from PM1 to PM2 to PM3.
- Achievement level (1–5). Florida’s five levels, where Level 3 means on grade level. Levels 4 and 5 are above it; Levels 1 and 2 are below it. In grades 3–10, the state says PM1 and PM2 levels “should not be considered student achievement designations.” Only PM3 is.
- Percentile rank (1–99). How your child compares to other students. For K–2, the state says it “compares student performance to other students in the same grade nationwide.” The 75th percentile means your child scored as well as or better than 75 out of 100 students in that grade.
- Reporting categories. Results by area, such as number sense, fractions, algebraic reasoning, measurement and geometry. This is the most useful part for planning practice, because it tells you where the points are.
How schools actually use them
From what we’ve seen across Florida districts, schools tend to interpret results in a few ways, often more than one at once:
- By achievement level: Levels 1–2 flag a student for support; Levels 4–5 may be considered for enrichment or acceleration.
- By growth in scale score: did the score go up meaningfully from PM1 to PM2? A child can still be Level 2 and be growing fast, which is good news.
- By percentile: some schools use percentile cutoffs, especially in K–2, to decide who gets intervention or gifted screening.
- By benchmark: teachers see results benchmark by benchmark and use them to group students for small-group instruction.
A 7-week plan to prepare for PM2
You don’t need test-prep booklets or hours of drills. What works is short, daily practice on the right skills. Here’s the plan we use at home.
- Week 1: find the gaps. Pull up the PM1 report and note the weakest reporting category. Then have your child take a MathKnights Adaptive Assessment (one is free). It works like FAST: it adapts to your child and gives you a plain-language report showing which Florida B.E.S.T. benchmarks are solid and which need work.
- Weeks 2–6: practice the gaps, 15–20 minutes a day. Start with Skill Practice: it’s the best place to begin, because it works on one skill at a time with hints on every question. In MathKnights, the assessment report turns your child’s gaps into a practice roadmap, so you’re never guessing what to work on next. Add a couple of quests a week for mixed review, and a printable worksheet on the weekend. Short and daily beats long and weekly.
- Every week: keep facts fresh. Addition and subtraction facts in K–2, multiplication and division facts in 3rd grade and up. Fast facts free up working memory for the harder steps.
- Week 6: check progress. Retake the assessment (retakes are part of Premium) or look at the practice history on your parent dashboard, and compare with Week 1. Celebrate the growth out loud, specifically: “Look, fractions went from tricky to solid.”
- Week 7: light review and rest. Keep practice short and confident. The week of the test is not the time to introduce anything new.
Test-day tips
- Sleep and breakfast. Boring advice, and it works.
- Use the scratch paper. Every FAST math test gives students blank scratch paper. Practice at home with paper next to the screen so it becomes a habit.
- Read every question twice. Many misses are reading slips, not math gaps.
- Hard questions are normal. Tell your child ahead of time: “If it gets hard, that means you’re doing great. Just try your best and keep going.”
Why MathKnights fits FAST prep
MathKnights is adaptive math for grades 1–5, built directly on Florida’s B.E.S.T. math benchmarks, the same standards FAST measures, so every question your child practices maps to something on the test.
- Adaptive Assessment: finds your child’s gaps benchmark by benchmark and explains them in plain language.
- Skill Practice: focused practice on one benchmark at a time, with hints on every question.
- Quests: mixed review your child actually wants to finish.
- Parent dashboard: see assessment, quest and practice history, down to the question.
What’s free and what’s Premium. The free plan is a real way to start: your child gets one Adaptive Assessment (one per family), so you can see the gaps today, plus two quests and up to 15 Skill Practice questions a day to try the app. The 7-week plan itself, with daily targeted practice on the exact skills the assessment flagged, is what Premium Family is for: unlimited Skill Practice, the targeted practice roadmap, unlimited quests and assessment retakes, for $59.99 a year (about $5 a month, up to four kids). That covers PM2 and carries straight through to PM3 in the spring. There are also free printable 3rd grade worksheets, each tagged to its B.E.S.T. benchmark, and more for every grade on our worksheets page.
Start with a free Adaptive Assessment. Find out exactly which B.E.S.T. benchmarks to practice before PM2. Free plan, no credit card.
Find my child’s gaps →Our story: why I built this
I started MathKnights to help my son Andrew with math. He’s seven now and in 2nd grade, and he practices on MathKnights most days. On his first FAST math test this year, he scored Level 5, the top level, and in the 94th percentile nationally, meaning he scored as well as or better than 94 out of 100 second graders across the country.
I’m not sharing that to brag. One child’s score isn’t a promise, and every child starts in a different place. I’m sharing it because I saw what short, daily practice on the right skills did for him, and I wish I’d had a tool like this years ago, when my older daughter struggled with math in elementary school. Early practice makes the difference, and for PM2, early is now.
Frequently asked questions
When is the FAST PM2 math test in 2026–27?
The statewide PM2 window for both K–2 and grades 3–5 runs from November 30, 2026 to January 22, 2027. Each school chooses its own testing days within that window, so ask your child’s teacher for the date.
Does PM2 count toward my child’s grade?
FAST is not a classroom grade. For grades 3–10, only PM3 counts for school accountability. But schools use PM1 and PM2 results to decide on extra support, small groups, and sometimes enrichment, so PM2 still shapes your child’s year.
What is a good FAST math score?
Level 3 means on grade level; Levels 4 and 5 are above grade level. For tracking progress, the scale score is the most useful number: look for it to rise from PM1 to PM2 to PM3. The percentile rank shows how your child compares to other students in the same grade.
What is the difference between the scale score, achievement level and percentile?
The scale score is the raw measure of performance and shows growth over the year. The achievement level (1–5) groups scale scores into bands, with Level 3 as on grade level. The percentile rank (1–99) compares your child to other students; for K–2, to students in the same grade nationwide.
What happens if my child scores Level 1 or 2?
Your school should provide extra support. Under Florida law, K–4 students with a substantial math deficiency must receive intensive intervention, written notice to parents, a home-based plan, and monthly updates. (The $1,200 New Worlds Scholarship is not accepting new applications for 2026–27.)
How can I help my child prepare for FAST math at home?
Find the weakest skills first, using the PM1 report and an adaptive assessment, then practice those skills 15–20 minutes a day for the weeks before the test. Keep math facts fresh, have your child use scratch paper, and keep the last week light and confident.
Sources: Florida Department of Education, 2026–27 Statewide Assessment Schedule (Aug 27, 2026), 2026–27 FAST Grades 3–10 Fact Sheet and 2026–27 FAST K–2 Fact Sheet (August 2026); Florida Statutes s. 1008.25; Step Up For Students, New Worlds Scholarship Accounts and Legislative Updates. Read October 2026. Testing details can change; your school and district have the final word. MathKnights is not affiliated with the Florida Department of Education.