Florida · 4 rubrics
Florida B.E.S.T. Writing Rubrics
Florida students in grades 4 through 10 take B.E.S.T. Writing each spring: one essay written in response to a set of texts, typed in a single 120-minute session. The prompt is either argumentation or expository, and the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) publishes a rubric for each mode in two grade bands, 4–6 and 7–10.
Florida rubrics on EasyClass
| Rubric | Grades | Task | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.E.S.T. Writing Argumentation Rubric, Grades 4–6 | Grades 4–6 | Argumentation · Text-based writing (essay from sources) | 12 points · 3 criteria |
| B.E.S.T. Writing Argumentation Rubric, Grades 7–10 | Grades 7–10 | Argumentation · Text-based writing (essay from sources) | 12 points · 3 criteria |
| B.E.S.T. Writing Expository Rubric, Grades 4–6 | Grades 4–6 | Expository · Text-based writing (essay from sources) | 12 points · 3 criteria |
| B.E.S.T. Writing Expository Rubric, Grades 7–10 | Grades 7–10 | Expository · Text-based writing (essay from sources) | 12 points · 3 criteria |
About the Florida rubrics
All four rubrics share one structure. Purpose/Structure, Development and Language are each scored from 1 to 4, and students receive a raw score out of 12 along with each domain score. Citations matter: an essay that does not cite its sources can earn no more than 2 in Development.
Each page below shows one rubric with the descriptors in plain language, what separates adjacent scores, common scoring mistakes, a student checklist and a sample essay we wrote and scored. Every page links the official FDOE PDF.
What changed and what’s coming
- 2026–27 testing window: March 29 to April 9, 2027 (FDOE 2026–27 B.E.S.T. Writing Fact Sheet).
- B.E.S.T. Writing replaced the writing portion of FSA ELA. Spring 2023 was a field test, and the first operational test was spring 2024. It has been given every spring since.
- Older Florida writing rubrics with 10 points (4, 4 and 2) come from the FSA and do not apply to B.E.S.T. Writing.
- Writing is reported separately from FAST ELA Reading. It is not combined into an overall ELA score and does not count toward graduation requirements.
- Most responses are scored by an automated engine trained on human scores, which FDOE calls hybrid scoring.
- FDOE still labels the rubrics drafts until B.E.S.T. Writing standard setting is complete.
- EasyClass is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Florida Department of Education.
Each page lists the official document it was checked against and the date. How we check rubrics.
Questions about the Florida rubrics
Is there a FAST writing test?
Not as a separate FAST test. Florida's writing assessment is B.E.S.T. Writing, given once each spring in grades 4–10. FAST ELA Reading is a different test with no writing rubric, and the two scores are reported separately.
Which grades take B.E.S.T. Writing?
All students enrolled in grades 4 through 10. It is computer-based, with paper versions for students whose IEP or Section 504 plan requires them.
When is the 2026–27 B.E.S.T. Writing test?
FDOE's fact sheet lists the window as March 29 to April 9, 2027. Your district sets the exact day within that window.
Why do I see 8- or 10-point Florida writing rubrics online?
Those come from the old FSA writing test or from copies of it relabeled as B.E.S.T. The current rubrics are worth 12 points: three domains scored 1 to 4.
Do the rubrics differ by grade?
There are two grade bands. Grades 4–6 share one argumentation and one expository rubric, and grades 7–10 share another pair. The 7–10 argumentation rubric adds counterclaims to every Development score point.
Grade a stack of essays tonight.
Pick any rubric above, upload your students’ essays, and check every score before it goes back.