• 120 questions

Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test for Florida's Four Competencies

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How often does the Constitution require the population to be counted so that House seats can be apportioned?

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Exam mode: 80 questions, 120 minutes, 48 right to pass (60%).

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Florida Department of Education. Bank checked September 18, 2026.

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American democracy: principles and practices 28

  • According to Federalist No. 10, why is a large republic better than a small one at controlling factions? The Federalist No. 10 (James Madison, 1787)
  • Congress is in session and sends the President a bill. The President neither signs it nor returns it within ten days, Sundays excepted. What happens? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7, Clause 2
  • How does the Constitution separate the powers of the national government? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 1; Article II, Section 1; Article III, Section 1
  • How is each state's number of presidential electors set? U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1, Clause 2
  • How long do federal judges hold their offices under Article III? U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 1
  • How often does the Constitution require the population to be counted so that House seats can be apportioned? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, Clause 3
  • If no candidate wins a majority of the electoral votes for President, who chooses the President? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XII
  • In Federalist No. 10, what does Madison say separates a republic from a pure democracy? The Federalist No. 10 (James Madison, 1787)
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American democracy: principles and practices, continued

  • In Federalist No. 51, what danger does Madison see when a majority is united by a common interest? The Federalist No. 51 (1788)
  • In which chamber must all bills for raising revenue begin? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7, Clause 1
  • Residents collect signatures asking Congress to change a law. Which First Amendment right are they using? U.S. Constitution, Amendment I
  • Under the Constitution as written in 1787, which federal officials were chosen directly by the people? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, Clause 1
  • What does Article IV, Section 4 guarantee to every state in the Union? U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 4
  • What does Federalist No. 51 mean by "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition"? The Federalist No. 51 (1788)
  • What does the writ of habeas corpus protect a person against? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 2
  • What is a law called that makes an act a crime after the act was already done? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 3 and Section 10, Clause 1
  • What is the division of power between one national government and the state governments called? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8; Amendment X
  • What vote does each house of Congress need to override a presidential veto? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7, Clause 2
  • Which action does Article I, Section 10 forbid a state to take? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 10, Clause 1
  • Which action is an example of checks and balances between the branches? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7, Clause 2
  • Which civic duty directly supports the Sixth Amendment right to trial by an impartial jury? U.S. Constitution, Amendment VI; 28 U.S.C. 1861
  • Which idea means that government officials and ordinary citizens alike must obey the law? U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Clauses 2 and 3
  • Which of these does the Constitution forbid the United States to grant? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8
  • Which of these is a purpose of the Constitution listed in the Preamble? U.S. Constitution, Preamble
  • Which power is exercised by both the federal government and the state governments? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Sections 8 and 10
  • Which principle holds that the authority of government comes from the people? U.S. Constitution, Preamble
  • Who has the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 4
  • With 538 electors in the Electoral College, how many electoral votes does a candidate need to be elected President? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XII; National Archives, "What is the Electoral College?"

The U.S. Constitution and its application 34

  • A city takes private land to build a public road. What does the Fifth Amendment require the government to provide? U.S. Constitution, Amendment V
  • A state law conflicts with a valid federal statute. Under Article VI, which one controls? U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Clause 2
  • According to the Fourteenth Amendment, who is a citizen of the United States? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIV, Section 1
  • Before the Seventeenth Amendment, who chose United States Senators? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 3; Amendment XVII
  • How does Article III define treason against the United States? U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 3, Clause 1
  • How long is the term of a United States Senator? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 3, Clauses 1 and 2
  • How many times may a person be elected President under the Twenty-second Amendment? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XXII, Section 1
  • In which kind of case does the Supreme Court have original jurisdiction? U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 2, Clause 2
  • Police want to search a home for evidence of a crime. What does the Fourth Amendment require before a warrant may issue? U.S. Constitution, Amendment IV
  • Through which provision has the Supreme Court applied most of the Bill of Rights to state governments? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIV, Section 1; Gitlow v. New York, 268 U.S. 652 (1925)
  • The Twenty-sixth Amendment protects the voting rights of citizens who are at least how old? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XXVI, Section 1
  • Under Article V, which is one way to propose an amendment to the Constitution? U.S. Constitution, Article V
  • Under Article VII, how many state conventions had to ratify the Constitution before it took effect among the ratifying states? U.S. Constitution, Article VII
  • Under the Twenty-fifth Amendment, how is a vacancy in the office of Vice President filled? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XXV, Section 2
  • What does Article VI say about religious tests for federal office? U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Clause 3
  • What does the Constitution require before a treaty negotiated by the President takes effect? U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2, Clause 2
  • What does the Ninth Amendment say about rights that the Constitution does not list? U.S. Constitution, Amendment IX
  • What share of the states must ratify a proposed amendment before it becomes part of the Constitution? U.S. Constitution, Article V
  • When may the Vice President vote in the Senate? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 3, Clause 4
  • Which amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIII, Section 1
  • Which amendment forbids a state to deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIV, Section 1
  • Which amendment is the only one that repeals an earlier amendment? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XXI, Section 1
  • Which amendment says the right to vote cannot be denied on account of sex? U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIX
  • Which article of the Constitution establishes the Congress? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 1
  • Which body has the sole power of impeachment? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, Clause 5
  • Which clause gives Congress power over trade that crosses state lines? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 3
  • Which clause lets Congress pass laws that help carry out its listed powers, such as chartering a bank to manage federal money? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 18
  • Which clause requires each state to respect the public acts, records and court judgments of every other state? U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 1
  • Which First Amendment clause keeps Congress from setting up an official national religion? U.S. Constitution, Amendment I
  • Which of these is a constitutional qualification to be President? U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1, Clause 5
  • Which protection comes from the Fifth Amendment? U.S. Constitution, Amendment V
  • Which right does the Sixth Amendment give to a person accused of a crime? U.S. Constitution, Amendment VI
  • Who must consent before a President's nominee becomes a Supreme Court justice? U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2, Clause 2
  • Who tries impeachments, and what vote is needed to convict? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 3, Clause 6

Founding documents and self-government 24

  • According to the Declaration of Independence, where do governments get their just powers? Declaration of Independence (1776)
  • At the 1787 Convention, which plan proposed a two-house legislature with seats in both houses based on population? Virginia Plan (1787), National Archives milestone document
  • Congress sent twelve proposed amendments to the states in 1789. How many were ratified by December 15, 1791, to become the Bill of Rights? National Archives, Bill of Rights transcript and "The Bill of Rights: How Did it Happen?"
  • The Declaration complains that the King made judges "dependent on his Will alone" for their tenure and pay. Which part of the Constitution answers that complaint? Declaration of Independence (1776); U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 1
  • For apportioning House seats and direct taxes, how did the original Constitution count enslaved people? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, Clause 3
  • How did the Great Compromise settle the fight over representation in Congress? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Sections 2 and 3; U.S. Senate, "Equal State Representation"
  • How did the national government raise money under the Articles of Confederation? Articles of Confederation (1777), Article VIII
  • How many votes did each state have in Congress under the Articles of Confederation? Articles of Confederation (1777), Article V
  • In Federalist No. 78, which branch does Hamilton call "the least dangerous" to the political rights of the Constitution? The Federalist No. 78 (Alexander Hamilton, 1788)
  • In Federalist No. 84, what position does Hamilton take on adding a bill of rights to the proposed Constitution? The Federalist No. 84 (Alexander Hamilton, 1788)
  • On what date did the Continental Congress adopt the Declaration of Independence? Declaration of Independence (1776)
  • What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 say about slavery in the territory northwest of the Ohio River? Northwest Ordinance (1787), Article 6
  • What did the signers of the Mayflower Compact agree to do in 1620? Mayflower Compact (1620)
  • What did Washington warn the nation against in his Farewell Address of 1796? George Washington, Farewell Address (1796)
  • What does the Declaration say the people may do when a government becomes destructive of their rights? Declaration of Independence (1776)
  • What was required to amend the Articles of Confederation? Articles of Confederation (1777), Article XIII
  • Which founding document did the Declaration of Sentiments, issued at Seneca Falls in 1848, use as its model? Declaration of Sentiments (1848), National Park Service text
  • Which guarantee in the English Bill of Rights of 1689 reappears almost word for word in the Eighth Amendment? English Bill of Rights (1689); U.S. Constitution, Amendment VIII
  • Which principle from Magna Carta did Americans later write into their own constitutions? Magna Carta (1215), as quoted by the National Archives
  • Which three men wrote The Federalist essays under the pen name Publius? Library of Congress, "Full Text of The Federalist Papers"
  • Which three unalienable rights does the Declaration of Independence name? Declaration of Independence (1776)
  • Who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence? National Archives, "The Declaration of Independence: A History"
  • Who wrote Common Sense, the 1776 pamphlet that argued in plain language for American independence? Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776)
  • Why did George Mason refuse to sign the Constitution on the final day of the 1787 Convention? National Archives, "The Bill of Rights: How Did it Happen?"

Landmark cases, legislation and executive actions 34

  • How did the Court rule on flag burning in Texas v. Johnson (1989)? Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989)
  • In Gibbons v. Ogden (1824), a New York steamboat monopoly clashed with a federal coasting license. How did the Court rule? Gibbons v. Ogden, 22 U.S. 1 (1824)
  • In New York Times Co. v. United States (1971), the government tried to stop newspapers from printing the Pentagon Papers. What did the Court hold? New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971)
  • In Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952), why did the Court reject President Truman's seizure of the steel mills? Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579 (1952)
  • On what ground did the Court stop Florida's manual recount in Bush v. Gore (2000)? Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000)
  • Students wore black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. How did the Court rule in Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)? Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)
  • Under Miranda v. Arizona (1966), what must police do before questioning a suspect who is in custody? Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966)
  • What did Baker v. Carr (1962) decide about lawsuits over how a state draws its legislative districts? Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962)
  • What did Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) decide about political spending? Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010)
  • What did Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942, authorize? Executive Order 9066 (1942), National Archives milestone document
  • What did Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) require of the states? Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963)
  • What did Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988) decide about a student newspaper produced in a journalism class? Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988)
  • What did President Truman order in Executive Order 9981 in 1948? Executive Order 9981 (1948), National Archives milestone document
  • What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibit? Civil Rights Act (1964), National Archives milestone document
  • What did the Court decide in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)? Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
  • What did the Court hold in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)? District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008)
  • What did the Missouri Compromise of 1820 do? Missouri Compromise (1820), National Archives milestone document
  • What did the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 tell the European powers? Monroe Doctrine (1823), National Archives milestone document
  • What did the Pendleton Act of 1883 change about federal jobs? Pendleton Act (1883), National Archives milestone document
  • What did the Social Security Act of 1935 establish? Social Security Act (1935), National Archives milestone document
  • What did the Supreme Court decide in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)? McCulloch v. Maryland, 17 U.S. 316 (1819)
  • What did the Supreme Court hold in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)? Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 U.S. 393 (1857)
  • What did United States v. Nixon (1974) decide about executive privilege? United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683 (1974)
  • What does Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibit? Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. 1681(a)
  • What government action did the Court uphold in Korematsu v. United States (1944)? Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214 (1944); Trump v. Hawaii, No. 17-965 (2018)
  • What power of the federal courts did Marbury v. Madison (1803) establish? Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803)
  • What rule did Mapp v. Ohio (1961) apply to criminal trials in state courts? Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961)
  • Which constitutional power did Congress rely on to pass the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890? Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890), National Archives milestone document
  • Which doctrine did Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) uphold? Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896)
  • Which practice did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlaw? Voting Rights Act (1965), National Archives milestone document
  • Which test for limits on speech did Justice Holmes state in Schenck v. United States (1919)? Schenck v. United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919)
  • Whom did the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 declare free? Emancipation Proclamation (1863), National Archives milestone document
  • Why did President Eisenhower issue Executive Order 10730 in 1957? Executive Order 10730 (1957), National Archives milestone document
  • Why did the Court strike down New York's daily school prayer in Engel v. Vitale (1962)? Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)

How this list was compiled: Topic outline: the four civic literacy competencies in Rule 6A-10.02413(5)(a), Florida Administrative Code (effective 12-24-2024), https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=6A-10.02413 , checked 2026-09-18; the same four competencies appear in Florida Board of Governors Regulation 8.006, https://www.flbog.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/8.006_Civic_Literacy_Competency_06.28.24.pdf , checked 2026-09-18. Question facts: National Archives transcriptions of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Amendments 11 to 27, the Declaration of Independence and the milestone documents at https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs and https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents ; The Federalist and other texts at the Avalon Project, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/ , and the Library of Congress, https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text ; Supreme Court opinions at the Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/ ; United States Code sections at https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text ; and the U.S. Senate history pages at https://www.senate.gov/ . Every source link was opened and the quoted wording found on it on 2026-09-18. Exam format facts used on the page (80 multiple-choice questions, about two hours, 60 percent to pass) come from the rule above for the pass mark and from the University of Central Florida testing center, https://utc.sswb.ucf.edu/utc/fcle/ , checked 2026-09-18, for the question count and time; the Florida Department of Education page https://www.fldoe.org/civicliteracy/ could not be opened on that date and was not read. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from public-domain founding documents, federal statutes and Supreme Court opinions. Nothing is copied from the Florida Civic Literacy Examination, from Florida Department of Education sample items or from another practice test.

How it works

This unofficial practice bank for the Florida Civic Literacy Examination holds 120 questions on the four competencies in Florida Rule 6A-10.02413. Every question was written from the Constitution, a founding document, a federal law or a Supreme Court opinion, and each explanation names its source. The rule and the sources were checked on September 18, 2026. Nothing here comes from the real exam.

Read the full guide

Who has to show civic literacy in Florida

Section 1007.25(5), Florida Statutes, makes civic literacy a graduation requirement at public colleges and universities. Under Rule 6A-10.02413, students who first entered a Florida College System institution in fall 2021 or later need both a listed course, such as POSX041 American Government, and a standard score on a listed assessment. The Florida Civic Literacy Examination is on that list at 60 percent, beside two AP exams and two CLEP exams. State universities follow Board of Governors Regulation 8.006, where the options depend on your entry year, so ask an advisor.

Exam format, and where each fact comes from

The rule gives one format fact: a standard score of 60 percent. The University of Central Florida testing center describes the current exam, which it calls the 2021 FCLE, as computerized, with 80 multiple-choice questions, about two hours and a pass or fail status shown at the end. Exam mode, under the question, copies those numbers: 80 questions, 120 minutes, 60 percent. The clock starts when you press Start the exam. Nothing is marked until you finish or time runs out. Then you get a score and a table by topic. The Florida Department of Education page at fldoe.org/civicliteracy could not be opened on September 18, 2026, so confirm the format there or with your testing center.

How this question bank was built

The bank follows the rule's four competencies: 28 questions on the principles and practices of American democracy, 34 on the Constitution and its application, 24 on the founding documents, and 34 on landmark cases, legislation and executive actions. The rule names no specific cases or laws, so this page uses landmarks that are widely taught, from Marbury v. Madison to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

  • Start with one competency in the Start from menu under the question. Work it until the explanations stop surprising you, then set it back to All topics for the 80-question exam mode.
  • For each case, learn three things: the dispute, the clause of the Constitution involved and what the Court held. Most case questions turn on one of the three.
  • Read the explanation when you answer correctly too. The quoted clause is the part worth remembering.
  • Write a one-line note for each amendment you meet here, number first. Several questions give the subject and ask for the number.
  • Press Missed to retry your wrong answers. Empty that pile before another full-length run. Clear my progress, under More options, erases what this browser keeps.

Questions and answers

Is this the real Florida Civic Literacy Exam?

No. It is an unofficial practice bank that this site wrote from public documents. None of the questions come from the examination or from the state's sample items, and a score here does not predict a result on the real test. This is not a government website and it is not affiliated with the Florida Department of Education.

What score do you need on the Florida Civic Literacy Exam?

Rule 6A-10.02413 sets the standard score at 60 percent. The University of Central Florida testing center lists 80 questions, and exam mode here uses the same count, so the pass line on this page is 48 right out of 80. How the state scores the real exam is a question for its own page or your testing center.

Which Supreme Court cases should I study?

The rule asks for an understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases but does not list any. This bank covers 22, including Marbury v. Madison, Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Gideon v. Wainwright, Miranda v. Arizona and United States v. Nixon. Your course syllabus is the better guide, and the real exam may include cases that are not here.

Does a pass in high school count in college?

For the assessment half, yes. Rule 6A-10.02413(8) says that, beginning with fall 2021, passing the Florida Civic Literacy Examination in high school exempts a student from the civic literacy assessment required of postsecondary students. The course requirement is separate. Ask your college how it records the high school result.

How is this different from the citizenship civics test?

The naturalization civics test is spoken, and its questions come from a list that USCIS publishes in advance. The Florida exam is multiple choice and, under the rule, reaches into founding documents, landmark cases, legislation and executive actions. The basics overlap, so the citizenship practice test is a useful warm-up for the first two competencies.

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