FAST ELA (Florida) Exam Survival Guide

Format: Progress monitoring (PM1–PM3), ELA standards assessed across the year

Must-do topics

• Reading: key ideas, text structure, inferences with evidence; paired passages
• Language: context vocabulary, figurative language, connotation/denotation
• Writing elements: claims, reasons, evidence; organization & cohesion
• Editing: grammar, usage, punctuation in context (grade-specific)

Top traps

• Picking “word match” over idea match
• Ignoring signal words (however, therefore, despite)
• Evidence quotes without explanation
• Missing nuance in tone/connotation questions

Quick checks

• Find central idea & 2 supports; cite line numbers
• Identify structure (cause/effect, compare/contrast)
• Choose the best transition for a paragraph
• Replace a word with a better connotation for tone

You will make

• Signal-word map (contrast/cause/sequence)
• Evidence → Explanation mini-frames
• Tone/connotation ladder (neutral → negative/positive)

Last-48h checklist

• 2 timed short passages + 6 Qs each
• 8 context-vocab items using roots/prefixes
• 1 paragraph edit (commas/pronouns/verb tense)
• 1 mini response (claim + evidence + explanation)