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Open free Corrections SOCE prep resources ↗Exam facts & prep options
State Officer Certification Examination (SOCE) — Florida Corrections
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's State Officer Certification Examination (SOCE) in the Corrections discipline: a 200-question, 3-hour, computer-based multiple-choice examination (190 scored items plus 10 field-test items) drawn directly from the CMS Corrections basic recruit training curriculum, requiring 152 correct scored answers (80%) to pass. All individuals seeking Florida certification as correctional officers must pass it after completing a Commission-certified basic recruit training program (or the Equivalency of Training process). FDLE contracts Pearson VUE to deploy, score, and report the SOCE, which is administered on demand at authorized test sites throughout Florida for a $100 fee, with three attempts allowed under Florida Statute 943.1397.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions200 questions, 190 scored (10 unscored field-test items)
Testing time3 hours
Scoring80% to pass — 152 of the 190 scored questions correct; unanswered questions count as incorrect and scores are truncated
Exam feeUSD 100.00 per examination, paid at the time of reservation (non-refundable, non-transferable); additional fees may be assessed by the test sites; a USD 40.00 exam review is available to candidates who fail; a new $100 fee is required for each retake
Prep options
Study resources for Corrections SOCE
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- FDLE
- Category
- Law Enforcement & Corrections
- Current version
- Current specification; no public version label (SOCE Corrections discipline exam aligned to the CMS Corrections basic recruit training curriculum; handbook May 2017, Stock #9910-00, still posted by FDLE)
- Where it applies
- US-FL, United States
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE
- Format
- Computer-based, multiple-choice, delivered in person at authorized test sites
- Availability
- On demand, year-round by appointment at authorized Pearson VUE test sites throughout Florida
- Results
- Unofficial results provided on the day of testing; official results recorded in FDLE's Automated Training Management System (ATMS) — the electronic ATMS record is the only official exam result, and results are not given by telephone or released to employers or third parties
Exam structure
One 200-item multiple-choice examination for the Corrections discipline, with questions taken directly from the CMS Corrections basic recruit curriculum: Introduction to Corrections, Communications, Officer Safety, Facility and Equipment, Intake and Release, Supervising in a Correctional Facility, Supervising Special Populations, Responding to Incidents and Emergencies, plus First Aid for Criminal Justice Officers, Criminal Justice Firearms, and Criminal Justice Defensive Tactics; 10 unscored field-test questions are mixed in and unidentified. Distinct discipline-specific SOCE forms exist: Law Enforcement (FCMS/FLEA), Florida Corrections, Florida Correctional Probation (82% pass), and Law Enforcement Auxiliary
Where rules vary
Florida's own officer certification examination, required for Florida certification as a correctional officer; discipline-specific forms exist for law enforcement, corrections, and correctional probation.
Eligibility
Completion of a Commission-approved corrections basic recruit training program at a certified training school (or completion of the Equivalency of Training exemption process for formerly certified, out-of-state, federal, or military officers) before taking the SOCE
Retake policy
Three attempts to pass (initial exam + 2 retakes) under Florida Statute 943.1397; basic recruit candidates have four years from their academy start date to pass, EOT candidates one year from their notification date (one attempt per day, no waiting period between attempts other than a 24-hour wait after a failed exam before making a new reservation); a new $100 fee is required each time; failing a third examination requires completing the full basic recruit training program again before further attempts