i-Ready vs FAST

i-Ready and FAST can both show how a student is performing in Reading or Mathematics, but they serve different roles and report different scores. i-Ready Inform—formerly i-Ready Diagnostic—is a Curriculum Associates adaptive assessment used by schools for instructional planning, grade-level placement, national comparison, and individualized growth goals. FAST, the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, is Florida’s statewide B.E.S.T.-aligned screening and progress-monitoring program.

Florida administers FAST three times per year as PM1, PM2, and PM3. The program covers ELA Reading from VPK through Grade 10 and Mathematics from VPK through Grade 8, although the exact assessment platform and report differ by grade. FAST for Kindergarten–Grade 2 uses Renaissance Star assessments and adds Florida-specific FAST Equivalent Scores and B.E.S.T. achievement information. FAST for Grades 3–10 Reading and Grades 3–8 Mathematics uses Florida’s statewide computer-adaptive assessment system.

The two systems are not interchangeable. An i-Ready scale score cannot be converted into a FAST scale score or Achievement Level with a homemade chart. The responsible approach is to interpret each report using its own grade, subject, testing window, scale, and official guidance.

i-Ready vs FAST at a glance

What does FAST mean in this comparison?

FAST can mean different things in other settings, including fitness testing or unrelated educational products. In this article, FAST means the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking. It is Florida’s coordinated statewide screening and progress-monitoring system aligned with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking, commonly called the B.E.S.T. Standards.

FAST includes three administrations across the school year:

• PM1: the beginning-of-year progress-monitoring window;
• PM2: the middle-of-year progress-monitoring window; and
• PM3: the end-of-year administration used to show final achievement and annual progress.

PM1 and PM2 are designed to provide early information so teachers can adjust instruction before the end of the year. Florida’s administration guidance describes these windows as informational. PM3 carries the end-of-year statewide achievement result and is used for purposes established in Florida law and policy.

FAST testing dates for 2026–2027

The official Florida statewide schedule lists these windows:

These are statewide windows, not the amount of time one child spends testing. Districts and schools select local administration days within them. VPK uses its own schedule rules: PM1 occurs near the beginning of the program, PM2 around the middle, and PM3 near the end.

What is i-Ready Inform?

i-Ready Inform is Curriculum Associates’ computer-adaptive assessment for Reading and Mathematics in Grades K–12. Before the 2026–2027 school year, it was called i-Ready Diagnostic. The new name highlights its instructional purpose: informing educators, students, and families about strengths, needs, grade-level performance, and growth.

Curriculum Associates says Inform continues the same core assessment system and reporting support while offering a shorter 2026–2027 experience with fewer questions and breaks. The shortened version may not be immediately available for every state use.

i-Ready Inform is different from i-Ready Personalized Instruction. Inform is the assessment. Personalized Instruction is the My Path lesson sequence that may use assessment data. Our What Is i-Ready Inform? guide explains the current name, reports, and 2026–2027 score ranges.

What is Florida FAST?

FAST is Florida’s statewide system for measuring progress toward the B.E.S.T. Standards. The Florida Department of Education describes it as a coordinated screening and progress-monitoring program covering VPK–Grade 10 ELA Reading and VPK–Grade 8 Mathematics.

Not every Florida statewide assessment is FAST. B.E.S.T. Writing is administered separately in Grades 4–10. Algebra 1 and Geometry are end-of-course assessments, also separate from the FAST progress-monitoring sequence. Statewide Science and Social Studies assessments likewise belong to other parts of Florida’s testing program.

This distinction matters when parents read a portal containing several results. A Grade 8 student may have FAST ELA Reading and Mathematics results, a B.E.S.T. Writing score, and other state assessment information. Those numbers do not all share the same reporting purpose.

FAST in VPK, Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2

The early-grade FAST system has an important difference: Florida uses Renaissance Star assessments. VPK uses FAST Star Early Literacy. Kindergarten–Grade 2 can use Star Early Literacy, Star Reading, and Star Mathematics within the Florida FAST program.

Florida’s K–2 reports can include:

• Star Unified Scale Score: the underlying Star achievement score;
• Percentile Rank: national same-grade comparison from 1–99;
• FAST Equivalent Score: a Florida-provided link between the Star Unified Scale and the B.E.S.T. reporting scale;
• State Benchmark or B.E.S.T. Achievement Level: Florida-specific performance context; and
• progress across PM1, PM2, and PM3.

The FAST Equivalent Score is an official state reporting connection for the assessments used in Florida’s K–2 FAST program. It does not create an i-Ready-to-FAST conversion. It also should not be recreated from unofficial tables; families should use the value printed on the Florida report.

FAST in Grades 3–10 Reading and Grades 3–8 Mathematics

Students in Grades 3–10 take FAST ELA Reading, and students in Grades 3–8 take FAST Mathematics. These assessments are computer-adaptive and aligned to Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards. The overall result is reported on Florida’s scale and interpreted through Achievement Levels 1–5.

PM1 and PM2 help educators identify starting performance and monitor progress. The questions and achievement expectations reflect the point in the school year. PM3 is the end-of-year administration and provides the result used to describe final performance on the grade-level standards.

Grade 10 ELA Reading has additional importance because Florida graduation requirements can involve the Grade 10 assessment or an approved concordant score. Families with a high-school student should use current Florida graduation guidance rather than applying a generic elementary interpretation.

How the adaptive assessments work

i-Ready Inform and the computer-adaptive FAST assessments adjust item difficulty in response to student performance. Correct answers can lead to more challenging items, while incorrect answers can lead to less difficult items. The system continues to gather evidence while following content and stopping rules.

Adaptive testing does not mean a student should answer every question correctly. The assessment needs both correct and incorrect responses to estimate current performance. Difficult questions are expected and do not prove the student is failing.

Students should work independently, read directions, use approved accommodations, and avoid rapid guessing. Adults should not explain secure questions or supply answers. Coaching can distort the result and lead to incorrect placement or instructional decisions.

i-Ready scores explained

Scale Score

The i-Ready scale score places performance on the i-Ready scale for Reading or Mathematics. It is not a percent correct, report-card grade, or count of mastered skills. The subject, enrolled grade, and testing season are necessary for interpretation.

Grade-level placement

Placement compares the scale score with grade-specific criteria. Labels can include Above Grade Level, Early/Mid/Late On Grade Level, One Grade Level Below, Two Grade Levels Below, or Three or More Grade Levels Below. Early, Mid, and Late are placement bands, not the fall, winter, and spring testing windows.

Percentile Rank

Percentile Rank compares the student’s result with a nationally representative sample of students in the same grade who tested at the same time of year. A percentile of 60 means the score equaled or exceeded the scores of about 60 percent of the norm group; it does not mean 60 percent correct.

Typical Growth

Typical Growth is an individualized annual i-Ready benchmark based on grade, subject, and beginning placement. Students with different starting profiles can receive different point targets.

Stretch Growth

Stretch Growth is a more ambitious individualized target. It is intended to support movement toward proficiency for students below grade level and continued challenge for students already meeting expectations.

Domain performance

i-Ready reports can show performance across Reading or Mathematics domains. Reading may include Phonics, Vocabulary, and literary or informational comprehension. Mathematics may include Number and Operations, Algebraic Thinking, Measurement and Data, and Geometry. Domain patterns help teachers plan instruction beyond the overall score.

For a field-by-field explanation, see our i-Ready Diagnostic/Inform report guide.

FAST scores explained

Scale Score

For Grades 3–10 FAST ELA Reading and Grades 3–8 FAST Mathematics, the scale score is the student’s location on Florida’s B.E.S.T. reporting scale for that grade and subject. It is not a percentage. The report shows where the score falls in the Achievement Level range.

For K–2, the report may show the Star Unified Scale Score plus a FAST Equivalent Score. These are different fields with different purposes.

Achievement Levels 1–5

Florida reports five achievement levels:

• Level 1: inadequate performance on the standards;
• Level 2: below satisfactory performance;
• Level 3: on-grade-level or satisfactory performance;
• Level 4: proficient performance; and
• Level 5: mastery of the most challenging grade-level standards.

Families should read the official Achievement Level Description for the exact grade and subject. A level summarizes overall performance; it does not mean every standard within the level is mastered or missing.

Percentile Rank

FAST reports can display a Percentile Rank. Florida’s detailed family report also shows comparisons with school, district, and state performance. Percentile is a relative comparison and is separate from the criterion-referenced Achievement Level.

Reporting categories and benchmarks

Detailed reports can show how the student performed across assessed reporting categories or benchmarks. These areas connect results with the B.E.S.T. Standards. They help families and educators identify broad strengths and needs, but classroom evidence is still needed for detailed instructional planning.

Progress across PM windows

FAST is designed to show change from the beginning to the middle and end of the year. A student’s scale score and projected or current Achievement Level can change across PM1, PM2, and PM3 as instruction occurs and the end-of-year expectation approaches.

i-Ready scale score vs FAST scale score

An i-Ready Math score of 550 does not automatically equal a particular FAST Math scale score or Achievement Level. The tests use different item banks, content blueprints, scales, grade definitions, administrations, and statistical procedures.

A conversion claim requires an identified linking study for the exact i-Ready and FAST versions, subject, grade, testing window, population, and decision. Placing two grade-average tables beside each other is not a valid linking study.

Can i-Ready predict FAST performance?

Curriculum Associates publishes state-specific studies that relate i-Ready results to state assessment proficiency. If a district uses an approved Florida projection or linking report, educators should follow the exact publisher documentation, year, grades, and limitations.

A prediction is not an exact conversion. It estimates the likelihood of reaching a state performance category; it does not transform one score into the other. Students near a cut score can fall into different categories because of ordinary measurement uncertainty, different test dates, and differences in content evidence.

Families should ask the school which specific study supports any FAST projection. An unofficial website chart without a named methodology should not drive intervention, promotion, placement, or graduation decisions.

Testing time: i-Ready vs FAST

Curriculum Associates’ current family guidance describes i-Ready Inform as taking about 30–60 minutes per subject, often divided into shorter sessions. The 2026–2027 experience is shorter, although exact time varies by grade, subject, student, and state configuration.

FAST timing depends strongly on grade, subject, and administration. In recent Florida Grades 3–10 PM1/PM2 guidance, recommended sessions were:

• Grades 3–10 ELA Reading: 90 minutes or more;
• Grades 3–5 Mathematics: 80 minutes or more; and
• Grades 6–8 Mathematics: 100 minutes or more.

Students still working at the end of the scheduled time could receive additional time up to the end of the school day under that guidance. PM3 administration rules can differ, and schools must use the current 2026–2027 manual when it is issued. The statewide date window is not the testing duration.

K–2 FAST uses Star-based computer-adaptive assessments and has different administration guidance from Grades 3–10. Parents should not apply the Grade 5 FAST session recommendation to a kindergarten Star Early Literacy administration.

PM1 vs PM2 vs PM3

PM1: beginning of the year

PM1 provides an early baseline against grade-level standards. Because much of the current-grade curriculum has not yet been taught, the result should guide planning rather than become a final judgment. A lower projected level at PM1 does not guarantee the same outcome at PM3.

PM2: middle of the year

PM2 checks whether instruction and intervention are moving performance in the intended direction. Teachers can compare with PM1, review reporting categories, and adjust support for the second half of the year.

PM3: end of the year

PM3 measures end-of-year achievement and provides the statewide result used for accountability and other policy purposes. The interpretation should use the final grade-level expectations and current Florida rules.

Our fall, winter, and spring i-Ready guide explains why seasonal expectations also matter when comparing i-Ready administrations.

Growth: i-Ready targets vs FAST progress

i-Ready growth reporting centers on individualized Typical Growth and Stretch Growth. The student starts with a baseline, receives differentiated annual targets, and can be shown progress toward each target.

FAST progress is commonly discussed through scale-score change and movement across PM1, PM2, and PM3. Florida also publishes growth resources and median growth context. This is not the same as i-Ready Typical or Stretch Growth.

Do not compare “100 percent of Typical Growth” with “Achievement Level 3.” One describes progress toward an individualized i-Ready goal. The other describes performance against Florida’s grade-level standards.

See our Typical Growth versus Stretch Growth guide for a deeper explanation of the i-Ready model.

Reading differences

i-Ready Reading measures an overall adaptive score and domains such as foundational skills, vocabulary, and comprehension. The report can place performance above, on, or below grade level and connect the result with instructional recommendations.

FAST ELA Reading is explicitly aligned with Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards. Grades 3–10 results are interpreted with Florida Achievement Levels and reporting categories. K–2 FAST Reading uses Star Early Literacy or Star Reading and includes Florida-specific equivalent reporting.

A domain with a similar name does not guarantee identical content, weighting, or difficulty across assessments. i-Ready Vocabulary performance cannot be numerically substituted for a FAST reporting-category result.

Mathematics differences

i-Ready Mathematics covers domains such as Number and Operations, Algebra and Algebraic Thinking, Measurement and Data, and Geometry. Reports connect the overall scale score with grade placement and domains.

FAST Mathematics measures Florida’s B.E.S.T. standards through Grade 8. Students taking Algebra 1 or Geometry participate in separate B.E.S.T. end-of-course assessments rather than a Grade 9 or Grade 10 FAST Mathematics test.

Calculator and reference-sheet rules vary by Florida grade and assessment. Students should practice using official sample items and follow their school’s instructions rather than using tools that are not permitted.

Which assessment is more important?

For Florida statewide requirements, FAST is the official state assessment and therefore has a role i-Ready cannot replace. PM3 results may be used in accountability, promotion, graduation, and other decisions according to current policy.

For daily instructional planning, i-Ready may offer a deeper connection with grade-level placement, domains, individualized growth targets, teacher-led resources, and Personalized Instruction. A Florida school may use both because they answer different questions.

“More important” depends on the decision. The state result may be more important for a statutory requirement, while the domain profile and instructional recommendations may be more useful for tomorrow’s small group.

What if i-Ready and FAST disagree?

Different results do not automatically mean one test is wrong. Consider:

• the subject and exact grade;
• the time between administrations;
• which standards and domains were sampled;
• the student’s effort and rapid guessing;
• testing interruptions or technology problems;
• language access and accommodations;
• measurement uncertainty;
• the difference between national norms and Florida criteria; and
• classroom performance and other evidence.

A teacher or assessment coordinator can examine the detailed reports. The goal is not to force two numbers to match; it is to identify the most credible instructional conclusion.

How parents should compare the reports

1. Confirm the test. Identify i-Ready Inform, FAST K–2 Star, or FAST Grades 3–10.
2. Check the subject and grade. Never compare Reading with Mathematics.
3. Record the date and window. Note i-Ready BOY/MOY/EOY or FAST PM1/PM2/PM3.
4. Read the main score on its own scale. Do not subtract one publisher’s score from another.
5. Read performance context. Use i-Ready placement or Florida’s official Achievement Level.
6. Separate percentile from proficiency. A national comparison and a state criterion answer different questions.
7. Review domains or reporting categories. Look for strengths and needs below the headline score.
8. Check growth. Understand whether the report shows an individualized target or change across PM windows.
9. Review test validity. Ask about effort, interruptions, and accommodations.
10. Decide the next action. Ask what instruction, enrichment, or intervention will follow.

What is a good i-Ready or FAST score?

There is no single score that is good for every student. For i-Ready, a useful interpretation considers grade-level placement, percentile, prior result, domains, and progress toward Typical or Stretch Growth. For FAST, consider the grade/subject scale score, Achievement Level, Percentile Rank, reporting categories, and progress from PM1 to PM3.

Florida Level 3 generally represents satisfactory grade-level performance, but a student below Level 3 can still make meaningful progress. Similarly, a student can meet i-Ready Typical Growth without yet reaching on-grade placement. Growth and achievement must be discussed together.

If a result is unexpectedly low or high, compare it with classroom evidence before making a major decision. One assessment should not become the entire story of a student.

Frequently asked questions

Is FAST the same as i-Ready?

No. i-Ready is a Curriculum Associates assessment and instructional system. FAST is Florida’s statewide progress-monitoring assessment program.

Does FAST use Star?

Florida FAST uses Renaissance Star assessments in VPK and Kindergarten–Grade 2. Grades 3–10 FAST Reading and Grades 3–8 FAST Mathematics use Florida’s statewide computer-adaptive system.

Can i-Ready scores be converted to FAST scores?

Do not assume a direct conversion. Use a projection only when an identified, current linking study supports the exact grade, subject, test versions, population, and intended use.

What is a FAST Equivalent Score?

In K–2 Florida reporting, the FAST Equivalent Score links the Star Unified Scale with the B.E.S.T. scale so progress can be viewed in Florida’s reporting framework. It is not an i-Ready conversion.

What do PM1, PM2, and PM3 mean?

They are the beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year FAST progress-monitoring administrations. PM3 provides the final statewide achievement result.

Is FAST PM1 a final grade-level judgment?

No. PM1 is an early progress-monitoring result before most current-grade instruction has occurred. It should guide planning and be compared with later evidence.

Is i-Ready placement the same as FAST Achievement Level?

No. Both add grade-level context, but the criteria, scales, content, and reporting rules are different.

Is Percentile Rank the same as percent correct?

No. Percentile Rank compares the score with a reference group. Percent correct describes the portion of items answered correctly and is not the main reported adaptive score.

Why can FAST take longer than i-Ready?

They are designed for different purposes and collect different evidence. FAST Grades 3–10 is a secure statewide assessment, while i-Ready is usually used as a school or district instructional benchmark. Time also varies by grade, subject, and administration.

Can a Florida school use both?

Yes. FAST fulfills the statewide role, while i-Ready may support local placement, instructional planning, growth goals, or personalized lessons. Schools should minimize unnecessary duplication and explain how each result will be used.

Bottom line

i-Ready Inform and Florida FAST both measure Reading and Mathematics, but they do not report the same number or serve the same role. i-Ready emphasizes an instructional scale score, grade-level placement, national percentile, domains, and individualized Typical and Stretch Growth. FAST emphasizes progress toward Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards through PM1, PM2, and PM3, with official scale scores, Achievement Levels, percentiles, and reporting categories.

Florida’s early-grade FAST system uses Star assessments and an official FAST Equivalent Score. That connection is specific to Florida’s K–2 reporting and does not provide an i-Ready crosswalk.

Never convert i-Ready and FAST scores with an unsupported internet table. Interpret each report with its current official guidance, compare broad patterns with classroom evidence, and focus on the next instructional step.

Official sources

• Florida Department of Education: FAST Assessments
• Florida Department of Education: 2026–2027 statewide assessment schedule
• Florida Department of Education: FAST K–2 fact sheet
• Florida: Understanding Statewide Assessment Reports for Families
• Curriculum Associates: i-Ready Inform 2026–2027 announcement
• Curriculum Associates: i-Ready scores, placement, norms, and growth resources
• Curriculum Associates: i-Ready resources for families

RevisionTown is not affiliated with Curriculum Associates or the Florida Department of Education. This educational guide does not replace an official score report, district policy, Florida law, graduation guidance, or professional evaluation.