STAAR Math Test Practice

Note: the STAAR Practice Pack is NOT included in our Premium Membership.

• What is the STAAR Math Test?
• STAAR Math Topics
• STAAR Performance Standards
• How to Pass the STAAR Test
• STAAR Test Practice - Online

Students in grades 3–8 take at least two STAAR assessments, one of which is Math. The STAAR Math test contains Readiness Standards and Supporting Standards unique to each grade level. These standards ensure that students are assessed only on material that serves an important role in preparing them for the next grade's material, college, and their future careers.

The STAAR Math test presents students with problems arising in everyday life and asks them to develop a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a method to acquire a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating it. Students should be able to select tools and mathematical techniques to solve problems and communicate mathematical ideas. Students are encouraged to demonstrate their reasoning, analyze mathematical relationships, and comprehend deep mathematical understanding. 

While the mathematical concepts and skills change each grade and require different levels of understanding, some topics are taught, in one form or another, in all or almost all grades:

• Fractions
• Plotting data
• Analyzing graphs
• Units of measurement
• Geometry
• Number properties
• Algebra
• Statistics and probability
• Problem-solving, reasoning, and proofs

Find out more about the various STAAR Tests for 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. The topics in the STAAR are sometimes mixed within the questions. Some questions about graphs for example will still require you to use the basic operations, arithmetic, and number properties to solve.

STAAR Math assessments cover a mix of straightforward single-answer questions worth one point each, as well as more involved, multi-step, or open-ended problems worth two points to fully assess students' mathematical knowledge and skills. Here is a guide to the questions students will encounter on the STAAR Math tests based on the grade level.  

The one-point questions include both multiple-choice questions where students select one answer choice, as well as non-multiple-choice questions that could involve filling in a blank, gridding a response, or another format. 

The two-point questions are all open-ended questions, requiring students to show more work or provide more comprehensive answers. These carry more weight than the one-point items. 

Learn more about the STAAR Math Test 

The Performance Standards change from one year to the next. Students need to score above the Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance to pass the STAAR. These are the Performance Standards for STAAR Math for the year 2021:

• Third Grade –1486
• Fourth Grade – 1589
• Fifth Grade – 1625
• Sixth Grade – 1653
• Seventh Grade – 1575
• Eighth Grade – 4000

Here are five tips to ace the STAAR Math assessment:

• Reach out to your child’s math teacher. No one knows your child’s mathematical abilities better than your child’s math teacher. See if you can set up an appointment with the instructor to discuss both areas of strength and growth. This will help you map out your child’s prepping process, and let you know what material to prioritize.
• Step away from the text book! Well, not always. But enough to allow your child to acquire a better understanding of mathematical processes. We recommend a mathematically themed game, or even certain activities that involve math, such as cooking and baking.
• Use past STAAR math problems. This will give your child a feel for the format of the questions as well as their content. You can even set a timer to help ease your child into the required time limit of the test.
• Bring on the brain food. As you probably know, math involves a good amount of thinking and concentration. Make sure your child is well-equipped for this task by providing him or her with the appropriate nutrition to succeed. Have a look at this list of recommended brain foods to help you.
• Before you start studying and practicing with the full-length simulation, go over the study guides and read up on what you have seen in class to refresh your memory.

The STAAR is an important test that can influence and shape your child's future academic development. Make sure your child is ready for the test by preparing with TestPrep-Online’s STAAR test practice pack. TestPrep-Online’s interactive and comprehensive practice packs will help your child master the skills and knowledge necessary for test day. The STAAR test practice pack includes realistic practice tests, in-depth answer explanations, and helpful study guides, allowing your child to become familiar with the test structure and providing him or her with the confidence needed to succeed.

The STAAR focuses more on theoretical solutions rather than the result of a calculation. For example, a typical word problem in math for the STAAR could be expressed in the context of purchasing an object or organizing things in a room and the question requires you to understand which basic operations you need to use. The answer choices in this case will be the calculations that you would have to make to get to the correct answer (the distracting answer choices involve the same numbers but different operations). Make use of the detailed explanations in our practice packs to learn new and interesting strategies to solve the STAAR questions.