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If your child takes the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, usually called STAAR, you are preparing for a TEKS-aligned achievement test, not an aptitude or admissions exam. STAAR checks how well students have learned the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for the grade level or course they have completed. It is not an intelligence test and it is not designed to measure every strength a student has.
Key takeaway: treat the Texas Education Agency and your school as the controlling sources for tested subjects, performance categories, accommodations and official practice materials. Use the original questions below to build skills, not to forecast a TEA performance level.
For the most current assessment information, families should use TEA’s STAAR page and student assessment page. Requirements, accessibility supports and reporting details can change, so school communications and TEA information should take priority over older guidance.
What STAAR covers
STAAR is Texas’s statewide assessment system for public-school students. The assessments are aligned with the TEKS curriculum and are used alongside classroom work, teacher assessment and local school information. A student’s report can show performance by subject and category, which helps families see areas that may need more attention.
For grades 3 to 8, STAAR includes Reading Language Arts, often shortened to RLA, and Math each year. Science is assessed in grades 5 and 8. Social Studies is assessed in grade 8. Spanish-language options are available for grades 3 through 5 in the subjects TEA designates for that pathway.
At high-school level, students take end-of-course assessments, usually called EOC assessments, for Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology and U.S. History. These courses have their own standards and school requirements. A student moving between schools or taking an accelerated course should ask the school which assessments apply.
Most STAAR assessments are delivered online. Students use the testing system provided through TEA and Cambium Assessment, and schools arrange the test session, login process and permitted tools. The screen format matters: students may need to scroll, select evidence, type a response or use online tools, so practice should include calm familiarity with digital questions rather than paper worksheets alone.
STAAR is not one identical test for every student. The content depends on grade and subject, and the exact number of questions, session arrangements and item types can vary by assessment administration. TEA does not publish one universal duration that applies to every grade and subject, so follow the instructions supplied by the school for the student’s own test date.
Performance levels and what they mean
STAAR reports use four performance categories:
- Did Not Meet Grade Level
- Approaches Grade Level
- Meets Grade Level
- Masters Grade Level
TEA states that students who achieve Approaches Grade Level or higher have passed the STAAR assessment, while Did Not Meet Grade Level means they have not. Approaches is still only one of four performance categories: Meets and Masters describe stronger performance relative to the assessed grade-level expectations. A performance category is not the same thing as a local promotion, graduation, or accelerated-instruction decision, so review the official report with the school. TEA’s STAAR performance standards page explains the categories and their intended meaning.
There is no useful universal cut score that a family can apply to every STAAR test, grade and year. A scaled score, raw score and performance category can be interpreted only in the context of the particular assessment and reporting year. Use the student’s official report and school guidance rather than an online score calculator.
The bands below are preparation labels for this page only. They are not TEA score ranges or predictions.
| Practice result | Unofficial preparation band | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|
| 0-44% | Build foundations | Review one skill at a time with untimed examples. |
| 45-64% | Developing | Practice familiar skills and explain each correction. |
| 65-79% | On track for practice | Add mixed sets and controlled timing. |
| 80-100% | Strong practice readiness | Maintain accuracy and revisit any missed category. |
STAAR compared with MAP and i-Ready
STAAR is a Texas standards-based state summative assessment linked to specific grade-level or course expectations. MAP Growth and i-Ready are different programs that schools may use for screening, progress monitoring or instructional planning. They may adapt to a student’s responses or report results differently, and a score on one program cannot be converted directly into a STAAR performance category.
The most helpful preparation overlaps in sensible ways: careful reading, number sense, evidence-based reasoning and steady test habits. However, students should not assume that the interface, question sequence, reporting scale or content emphasis will be the same across programs.
How to prepare effectively
Start with official school and TEA resources. TEA publishes practice and released materials that are the clearest way to learn the live interface, item types and expectations for the grade or course being tested. Use those materials before you spend time on any third-party pack.
RLA practice should build a habit of reading the whole passage, identifying its central idea or theme, and returning to the text for evidence. Students should distinguish a reasonable inference from a guess by asking which detail supports it. For revising and editing, read the sentence in context and check whether the wording is clear, grammatical and suited to the purpose.
In Math, students benefit from organizing each calculation, labeling quantities and checking whether an answer is sensible. Practice fractions, decimals, ratios, expressions, geometry and data in a mixed order, because the test will not always announce which operation to use. When online tools are available in class practice, learn when a calculator or reference tool helps and when mental estimation catches an error.
Science questions often ask students to interpret evidence, models, diagrams, tables or investigations rather than recall a definition in isolation. In Social Studies, practice identifying cause and effect, comparing viewpoints and using a primary or secondary source carefully. In both subjects, underline the question word first: explain, support, cause, effect, most likely and best evidence all require slightly different reasoning.
Some students receive designated supports or accommodations through an individual education program, Section 504 plan, language-proficiency plan or other school process. Depending on eligibility and the assessment, supports may include accessibility features, content and language supports, oral administration, extra time or a different setting. Families should speak with the student’s teacher, case manager, campus testing coordinator or school counselor well before testing. The school determines eligibility and confirms what can be used on the official assessment.
Common preparation mistakes include starting with a full timed test before reviewing earlier errors, choosing an RLA answer because it sounds familiar rather than because the passage supports it, rushing multi-step Math questions without writing down units or intermediate steps, treating every online practice question as official STAAR content, and ignoring sleep, meals, school attendance and a calm test-day routine.
Optional third-party practice
After you have used official TEA and school materials, some families want extra drills for pacing or weak skills. One independent option is STAAR practice materials from TestPrep-Online.
TestPrep-Online is an independent third-party preparation provider. It is not the assessment publisher, school, school district, university, education authority, healthcare institution or official test administrator. Its materials are not endorsed by, affiliated with or supplied by TEA, Cambium Assessment or a Texas school district. They may help families build familiarity with common school-assessment question types, but they are not TEA materials and do not predict a student’s official result. Check the provider’s current product details before purchasing and use school and TEA guidance for official decisions.
STAAR-style practice questions
These original questions are for skill practice only. They are not official STAAR questions, and they do not reproduce secure test material. Try each question before reading its answer and explanation.
Reading Language Arts
1. Maya wanted to join the robotics club, but she had never built a machine before. At the first meeting, she watched older students test a small vehicle. When its wheels stopped turning, Maya noticed a loose wire and pointed it out. The team fixed it, and the vehicle moved again. Which idea is best supported by the passage?
A. Careful observation can be useful even when someone is new to an activity. B. Robotics clubs should only accept experienced members. C. Older students did not want Maya to participate. D. Building a vehicle is easier than Maya expected.
Correct answer: A Explanation: Maya has no previous experience, yet she notices a loose wire that helps the team. The passage supports the value of her careful observation, not the broader claims in the other choices.
2. Read the sentence: “The librarian’s quiet reminder settled the restless room.” What does settled most nearly mean in this sentence?
A. Moved the room to a new location. B. Paid an overdue library fine. C. Made the people in the room calmer. D. Ended the school day early.
Correct answer: C Explanation: A restless room is noisy or unsettled, and a quiet reminder changes that mood. Here, settled means calmed the people rather than physically moving anything.
3. In a speech about planting trees, a student says, “One sapling may look small today, but its shade can welcome many people for years.” What is the speaker mainly trying to show?
A. Young trees need less water than old trees. B. Parks should close during hot weather. C. A small action can create a lasting benefit. D. People should avoid sitting under trees.
Correct answer: C Explanation: The contrast between a small sapling now and shade for many people later emphasises long-term benefit. The sentence does not provide information about water, park hours or avoiding trees.
4. Which sentence would best support the claim that walking to school can reduce traffic near a campus?
A. Many students enjoy talking with friends before class begins. B. The school garden has paths made of smooth stones. C. Some families live too far away to walk safely. D. Fewer cars need to enter the drop-off line when nearby students walk.
Correct answer: D Explanation: This sentence directly connects students walking with fewer cars in the drop-off line. The other sentences may be true but do not provide evidence about traffic reduction.
5. Read the paragraph.
Elena practised her violin passage slowly each afternoon. At first, the fast notes sounded uneven. She circled the difficult measures, played them separately, and then joined them back into the music. By Friday, she could play the passage smoothly.
Which action most helped Elena improve?
A. Focusing on difficult parts before playing the whole passage. B. Practising only on Friday. C. Playing the fastest notes without stopping. D. Replacing the passage with a different song.
Correct answer: A Explanation: Elena isolates the difficult measures and then returns them to the full piece. That focused practice explains why the passage becomes smooth by Friday.
6. Which sentence uses a transition that best shows contrast?
A. Jordan packed his bag, and he checked the weather. B. Jordan arrived early because the bus was on time. C. Jordan smiled after the coach thanked him. D. Jordan wanted to stay for the game; however, he had promised to help his neighbour.
Correct answer: D Explanation: However signals that the second idea conflicts with Jordan’s wish to stay. The other transitions show addition, cause or sequence rather than contrast.
7. A student is writing about a community clean-up. Which sentence is the most relevant detail for the paragraph’s main idea that volunteers improved the local park?
A. The volunteers wore hats in several bright colours. B. Volunteers collected litter, painted benches and planted native flowers. C. The park was named after a former mayor. D. Some volunteers had visited other parks before.
Correct answer: B Explanation: The actions named in this sentence are direct improvements to the park. The other details are background information and do not show how the volunteers improved it.
8. Read the sentence: “After the debate, Niko conceded that Priya’s evidence was stronger than his own.” What does conceded mean?
A. Repeated the same claim loudly. B. Asked the audience to vote. C. Admitted that something was true. D. Changed the subject completely.
Correct answer: C Explanation: Niko acknowledges that Priya’s evidence is stronger. To concede is to admit a point, often after initially holding a different view.
9. Which revision best combines the sentences while keeping their meaning clear?
The rain began at noon. The field trip moved to the museum.
A. The rain began at noon, the field trip moved to the museum. B. Because rain began at noon, the field trip moved to the museum. C. The field trip moved to the museum, and rain began. D. Rain began at noon after the museum moved the field trip.
Correct answer: B Explanation: The word because clearly shows that rain caused the change of location. Choice A is a comma splice, while C and D weaken or reverse the relationship.
10. A passage describes a baker who measures ingredients carefully, records each change to a recipe and compares the results. Which word best describes the baker?
A. Methodical. B. Careless. C. Impatient. D. Secretive.
Correct answer: A Explanation: Measuring, recording and comparing are organised, step-by-step actions. Those details support methodical, not a trait based on carelessness, impatience or secrecy.
11. Read the sentence: “The coach said the team had to keep its eye on the ball during the final minutes.” What does the idiom mean?
A. Watch only the ball and ignore teammates. B. Keep the ball hidden from the other team. C. Avoid playing during the final minutes. D. Stay focused on the important task.
Correct answer: D Explanation: The idiom means to concentrate on the goal or task. It is figurative language, so it does not instruct players to ignore all other parts of the game.
12. Which source would be most reliable for finding the opening hours of a city swimming pool?
A. A five-year-old social media post from a visitor. B. A friend’s memory of visiting last summer. C. A newspaper article about a local athlete. D. The city parks department’s current website.
Correct answer: D Explanation: The city department manages the pool and can publish current hours. A visitor post, personal memory and unrelated article are less likely to be accurate or updated.
13. Read the sentence: “Although the trail was steep, the hikers reached the lookout before sunset.” Which relationship does although show?
A. A comparison between two locations. B. A sequence of events over many days. C. A contrast between difficulty and success. D. A definition of a hiking term.
Correct answer: C Explanation: The trail being steep could make success harder, yet the hikers still reach the lookout. Although introduces that contrast.
14. Which detail best supports the inference that the town expected a large crowd at the festival?
A. The festival poster used blue and gold paint. B. Workers set up extra water stations and marked additional parking areas. C. A musician tuned a guitar behind the stage. D. The festival began after the morning announcements.
Correct answer: B Explanation: Extra water and parking are preparations for many visitors. The other details describe the event but do not strongly indicate the expected crowd size.
15. Which sentence has the clearest pronoun reference?
A. The science club displayed its model beside the entrance. B. When Lila spoke to Ana, she explained the project. C. The students gave the teacher their notes, and they were organised. D. Omar placed the book on the desk because it was heavy.
Correct answer: A Explanation: Its clearly refers to the singular science club. The other sentences have unclear pronouns because more than one noun could be the person or object described.
16. Read the excerpt.
Mr Chen did not answer Rosa’s question immediately. Instead, he handed her a map and asked her to trace the river from the mountains to the sea. Rosa paused, studied the lines and then smiled.
Why does Mr Chen give Rosa the map?
A. He wants Rosa to memorise every city on it. B. He wants Rosa to discover the answer using evidence. C. He does not know the answer to her question. D. He needs Rosa to return the map to the library.
Correct answer: B Explanation: Mr Chen guides Rosa to examine the map rather than simply telling her the answer. Her pause and smile suggest that she finds the answer through the map’s evidence.
17. A writer wants to add a conclusion to an article about conserving water at home. Which sentence is the best conclusion?
A. My cousin collects postcards from different states. B. The first indoor plumbing systems were built long ago. C. Water is made of hydrogen and oxygen. D. Small daily choices can protect a resource that every household needs.
Correct answer: D Explanation: A conclusion should return to the main point and leave the reader with a clear takeaway. This sentence connects everyday actions to the importance of conserving water.
18. Which sentence best shows that a narrator’s viewpoint has changed?
A. “I placed my backpack beside the door.” B. “The bus arrived later than usual.” C. “At first I thought the assignment was pointless, but the interview taught me why it mattered.” D. “Our class met in the library after lunch.”
Correct answer: C Explanation: The narrator explicitly contrasts an earlier opinion with a new understanding. The other sentences report events but do not show a change in viewpoint.
19. A recipe uses 3/4 cup of oats for one batch of snacks. How many cups of oats are needed for 6 batches?
A. 4 1/2 B. 3 1/2 C. 4 D. 4 1/4
Correct answer: A Explanation: Multiply 3/4 by 6: 18/4 = 9/2 = 4 1/2. The answer must be greater than 4 because each of the six batches uses three quarters of a cup.
20. A school store sells notebooks for $2.50 each. What is the cost of 7 notebooks?
A. $14.50 B. $17.50 C. $19.50 D. $21.00
Correct answer: B Explanation: Multiply 2.50 by 7 to get 17.50. Estimating with $2 times 7 also confirms the total should be a little more than $14.
21. Solve: 5x - 8 = 27.
A. x = 5 B. x = 19 C. x = 35 D. x = 7
Correct answer: D Explanation: Add 8 to both sides to get 5x = 35. Then divide by 5, so x = 7.
22. A rectangular garden is 9 metres long and 6 metres wide. What is its area?
A. 54 square metres B. 15 square metres C. 30 square metres D. 108 square metres
Correct answer: A Explanation: Area of a rectangle is length multiplied by width. Multiplying 9 by 6 gives 54 square metres, while 15 is the perimeter-related sum.
23. A backpack is discounted from $48 to $36. What is the percentage decrease?
A. 12.5% B. 25% C. 30% D. 75%
Correct answer: B Explanation: The decrease is $12. Divide 12 by the original price of 48: 12/48 = 1/4 = 25%.
24. Which value is greatest?
A. 0.62 B. 3/5 C. 0.625 D. 61%
Correct answer: C Explanation: Convert the values to decimals: 0.62, 0.60, 0.61 and 0.625. Since 0.625 is larger than 0.620, it is the greatest.
25. A taxi charges a $3 starting fee plus $2 per mile. Which expression gives the cost for m miles?
A. 3m + 2 B. 2m + 3 C. 2(m + 3) D. 3(m + 2)
Correct answer: B Explanation: The per-mile charge is 2m and the fixed starting fee is 3, so they are added as 2m + 3. For 1 mile, this gives $5, matching the described charges.
26. A triangle has angles of 48 degrees and 67 degrees. What is the measure of the third angle?
A. 65 degrees B. 55 degrees C. 75 degrees D. 115 degrees
Correct answer: A Explanation: The angles in a triangle total 180 degrees. Subtract 48 + 67 = 115 from 180 to get 65 degrees.
27. The table shows the number of books read by four students.
| Student | Books read |
|---|---|
| Aisha | 4 |
| Ben | 7 |
| Carla | 5 |
| Diego | 8 |
What is the mean number of books read?
A. 5 B. 7 C. 6 D. 8
Correct answer: C Explanation: Add the values: 4 + 7 + 5 + 8 = 24. Divide 24 by 4 students, which gives a mean of 6.
28. A map uses a scale of 1 centimetre = 4 kilometres. Two towns are 7.5 centimetres apart on the map. How far apart are they in reality?
A. 11.5 kilometres B. 30 kilometres C. 19 kilometres D. 26 kilometres
Correct answer: B Explanation: Multiply 7.5 by 4 kilometres per centimetre. The result is 30 kilometres.
29. What is the value of 3^2 + 4^2?
A. 49 B. 12 C. 7 D. 25
Correct answer: D Explanation: Evaluate the exponents first: 3^2 = 9 and 4^2 = 16. Then add 9 + 16 to get 25.
30. A jar contains 5 red, 3 blue and 2 green marbles. What is the probability of selecting a blue marble at random?
A. 1/2 B. 1/3 C. 3/10 D. 3/5
Correct answer: C Explanation: There are 10 marbles in total and 3 are blue. The probability is therefore 3/10.
31. A student saves $15 each week. If the student already has $40, how much money will the student have after 8 weeks?
A. $120 B. $175 C. $160 D. $320
Correct answer: C Explanation: Eight weeks of saving adds 8 x 15 = $120. Add the original $40 to get $160.
32. A cube has an edge length of 4 centimetres. What is its volume?
A. 64 cubic centimetres B. 16 cubic centimetres C. 32 cubic centimetres D. 48 cubic centimetres
Correct answer: A Explanation: Volume of a cube is side x side x side. Calculating 4 x 4 x 4 gives 64 cubic centimetres.
33. Which equation represents a line with slope 2 and y-intercept -1?
A. y = x - 2 B. y = -2x + 1 C. y = 2x + 1 D. y = 2x - 1
Correct answer: D Explanation: In y = mx + b, m is the slope and b is the y-intercept. Here m = 2 and b = -1, giving y = 2x - 1.
34. A 12-litre container is 3/4 full. How many litres of water are in the container?
A. 3 litres B. 9 litres C. 12 litres D. 16 litres
Correct answer: B Explanation: Find three quarters of 12: 12 divided by 4 is 3, and 3 x 3 is 9. The result is less than the full 12-litre capacity.
35. Which statement is true about the numbers -4 and -7?
A. -7 is greater because 7 is greater than 4. B. The numbers are equal because both are negative. C. Neither number can be placed on a number line. D. -4 is greater because it is closer to zero.
Correct answer: D Explanation: On a number line, values farther right are greater. Since -4 lies to the right of -7, -4 is greater.
36. The ratio of cats to dogs at an animal shelter is 3:5. If there are 40 animals in total, how many are dogs?
A. 10 B. 25 C. 12 D. 20
Correct answer: B Explanation: The ratio has 3 + 5 = 8 equal parts. Each part is 40/8 = 5, so dogs account for 5 x 5 = 25. The answer is D.
37. In an investigation, students place identical plants in different amounts of sunlight while keeping the soil, water and pot size the same. What is the independent variable?
A. Amount of sunlight B. Type of soil C. Amount of water D. Size of the pot
Correct answer: A Explanation: The independent variable is what the students deliberately change. Here they change the amount of sunlight while controlling the other listed conditions.
38. A student observes that ice melts faster on a metal tray than on a wooden tray in the same room. Which explanation is best?
A. Wood creates cold energy. B. Ice can melt only when it touches metal. C. The wooden tray has no temperature. D. Metal transfers thermal energy more effectively than wood.
Correct answer: D Explanation: Metal is generally a better conductor of thermal energy than wood. Thermal energy from the surroundings can therefore reach the ice more effectively through the metal tray.
39. A food web shows grass being eaten by rabbits and rabbits being eaten by foxes. What is most likely to happen to foxes if the rabbit population decreases greatly and no other food source is available?
A. The foxes will immediately become producers. B. The fox population may decrease because less prey is available. C. The grass will stop needing sunlight. D. The rabbits will become decomposers.
Correct answer: B Explanation: Foxes depend on rabbits as food in this simplified web. With much less prey available, fewer foxes may survive or reproduce.
40. Which observation is the strongest evidence that a chemical change has occurred?
A. A metal surface forms a new rust-coloured substance. B. Water changes from liquid to solid. C. Paper is cut into smaller pieces. D. Salt disappears when stirred into water.
Correct answer: A Explanation: Rusting produces a new substance, which is evidence of a chemical change. Freezing, cutting and dissolving can be physical changes because no new substance is necessarily formed.
41. A graph shows that a town’s population increased after a railway station opened. Which conclusion is most careful?
A. The railway station was the only possible reason the population changed. B. Population growth proves every resident uses the railway. C. The railway station may have contributed to population growth, but other factors should be investigated. D. The graph shows that the station opened before the town existed.
Correct answer: C Explanation: The timing suggests a possible relationship, but one graph alone cannot prove a single cause. Careful historical reasoning considers other evidence and factors.
42. A primary source is best described as
A. a modern textbook that summarises an event. B. an account or object created at the time of the event. C. a website that copies information from several books. D. a fictional story set in a past period.
Correct answer: B Explanation: A primary source comes directly from the time or participant context, such as a letter, photograph or official record. A textbook often interprets or summarises sources and is usually secondary.
43. Why did the US Constitution include a system of checks and balances?
A. To limit the power of each branch of government. B. To give one branch complete control over laws. C. To prevent citizens from voting in elections. D. To require all states to have identical local laws.
Correct answer: A Explanation: Checks and balances allow branches to limit one another’s powers. This structure helps prevent too much authority from being held by one branch.
44. A historian compares two newspaper articles about the same event and notices that they disagree. What should the historian do next?
A. Accept the article with the longer headline. B. Ignore both articles because disagreement is useless. C. Choose the article published first without checking it. D. Compare each article’s evidence, purpose and possible perspective.
Correct answer: D Explanation: Different accounts can reflect different evidence or viewpoints. Comparing sourcing, purpose and perspective helps the historian evaluate reliability.
45. In an ecosystem, decomposers such as fungi are important because they
A. make their own food using sunlight. B. hunt all the organisms in a food chain. C. break down dead material and return nutrients to the environment. D. stop energy from entering an ecosystem.
Correct answer: C Explanation: Decomposers break down dead organisms and wastes, returning nutrients to soil or water. Producers make food using sunlight, which is a different ecosystem role.
Answer key
| # | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| 2 | C |
| 3 | C |
| 4 | D |
| 5 | A |
| 6 | D |
| 7 | B |
| 8 | C |
| 9 | B |
| 10 | A |
| 11 | D |
| 12 | D |
| 13 | C |
| 14 | B |
| 15 | A |
| 16 | B |
| 17 | D |
| 18 | C |
| 19 | A |
| 20 | B |
| 21 | D |
| 22 | A |
| 23 | B |
| 24 | C |
| 25 | B |
| 26 | A |
| 27 | C |
| 28 | B |
| 29 | D |
| 30 | C |
| 31 | C |
| 32 | A |
| 33 | D |
| 34 | B |
| 35 | D |
| 36 | B |
| 37 | A |
| 38 | D |
| 39 | B |
| 40 | A |
| 41 | C |
| 42 | B |
| 43 | A |
| 44 | D |
| 45 | C |
FAQ
Is STAAR the same as an IQ test?
No. STAAR is a standards-based assessment aligned to Texas grade-level and course expectations. It is not designed to measure a student’s full ability, potential or intelligence.
What does Approaches Grade Level mean?
Approaches Grade Level is one of the four TEA performance categories. On TEA’s performance-standards page, Approaches Grade Level or higher is described as having passed the STAAR assessment, and Did Not Meet Grade Level is described as not having passed. Families should still review the full student report with the school, because a category label does not by itself settle every promotion, graduation, or intervention question.
Can a student practice for STAAR without using official questions?
Yes. Students can practice the underlying skills, such as reading evidence, solving multi-step problems and interpreting data. Independent questions should be described honestly as practice rather than presented as official or secure STAAR content.
Does a MAP or i-Ready score predict a STAAR result?
Not directly. These programs differ in purpose, scoring and administration. A teacher can help explain how school assessment information fits together, but one score should not be converted into another program’s category.
Related guides
Next steps
Start by identifying the student’s grade, subject and weakest skill category. Review official school and TEA information, complete a short mixed practice set, and discuss accommodations or test-day arrangements with the school early. Progress usually comes from regular, focused practice and thoughtful correction, not from trying to memorise a score target.