Law enforcement and corrections: 152 correct out of 190 scored questions, which is 80 %. Correctional probation (FCPO) needs 156. The 10 field-test questions do not count either way. The result is recorded electronically in FDLE's ATMS; FDLE cannot provide official score reports. A failed exam can be reviewed and challenged within 120 days.
The pass mark, by exam
Florida law leaves the pass mark to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission: s. 943.1397(1), F.S., says no one is certified until they achieve an acceptable score on the exam for their discipline, and the Commission sets what acceptable means. FDLE publishes the pass mark as a count of correct answers:
| Exam | Scored questions | Correct to pass | As a percentage | Scored misses allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Enforcement (FLEA) | 190 | 152 | 80 % | 38 |
| Corrections (CMS) | 190 | 152 | 80 % | 38 |
| Correctional Probation (FCPO) | 190 | 156 | 82.1 % | 34 |
The percentage and the misses column are arithmetic on FDLE's numbers: 152 divided by 190 is exactly 0.80, and 190 minus 152 leaves 38. For correctional probation, 156 of 190 is just over 82 %, so that exam asks four more correct answers of you than the other two.
Why the 10 field-test questions matter anyway
Every SOCE form carries 10 field-test questions on top of the 190 that are scored. FDLE says they are new items placed there to gather performance statistics and are not used in calculating your score. They are not marked, so you cannot tell which ones they are. See how many questions are on the SOCE for the full breakdown.
That has an odd consequence. Suppose you answer exactly 152 of the 200 questions correctly. If all 10 field-test items were among your misses, you have 152 scored correct and you pass. If some of them were among your correct answers, your scored total is below 152 and you do not. Since you cannot know which, the only safe way to think about it is this: you need 152 correct among questions you cannot pick out, and your target on the day should sit comfortably above that.
Do not try to guess which questions are field tests and save effort on them. With 190 scored questions to 10 field tests, a question that feels unfamiliar is far more likely to be a scored one on a topic you know less well. Answer every question as if it counts, because 190 of them do.
Where your result lives
FDLE's SOCE page says the result of record is the electronic one in its ATMS system, and that FDLE cannot provide official score reports. In practice, do not plan on receiving an official score report from FDLE. Your result is the electronic entry in ATMS, and that is what FDLE goes by.
If you did not pass: review and challenge
FDLE runs a review and challenge process for failed exams. Its page sets out the terms:
- What you see. The items you missed and the correct answers.
- What you can challenge. An item you believe does not accurately represent the basic recruit curriculum. You write the challenge during the session; subject matter experts review it, and credit is awarded when it is warranted.
- How long. One exam per review session and 90 minutes to review and write challenges.
- The deadline. Within 120 days of the failed exam. After 120 days you may still review it, but you can no longer challenge.
- Where. Electronically at a Pearson VUE test center, booked only through the Pearson VUE call center at (877) 242-1697.
A review is worth booking even if you do not expect to challenge anything. It is the one chance to see exactly which questions you missed, and a list of missed items tells you far more about what to study next than a pass or fail line does.
Before the next attempt
Florida allows three attempts at the SOCE, and a third failure sends you back through the full basic recruit program. The three-attempts rule explains the limit and the deadlines that run alongside it. With that at stake, use the review to find the areas that cost you points, and do not rebook until those areas are reliably above the line in practice.
Reading a practice score against the line
Our full SOCE practice test is 200 questions with the line at 80 %, which is 160 correct. Unlike the real exam, all 200 of ours are scored, but the line is the same rate: 80 %. A score that clears 80 % once, by a point or two, is a start. A score that clears it several times, with room to spare, on full-length runs, is the more useful sign.
If you are preparing for correctional probation, remember that your line is higher: 156 of 190. Our simulator is built for law enforcement and corrections and uses 80 %, so add your own margin on top.