STAR Math Test: Practice & Tips

What is the STAR Math Test?

The  STAR Assessments are a series of short tests administered by Renaissance Learning to children in grades K-12. The STAR Math is a multiple-choice test used to measure math achievement and progression and provide teachers and parents with actionable insights into each student's math proficiency.

Since the test provides an exact picture of students' abilities, it predicts performance in standardized state testing. Therefore, it could be used as an indicator for selection into the Accelerated Math programs.

Learn more about Renaissance STAR Testing

STAR Math Test Format & Administration

The STAR Math test is a computer-adaptive test that provides a personalized assessment by adapting to each student's learning level. Each question's difficulty is determined by how the student has answered the previous question.

The STAR Math Enterprise version is designated for screening and benchmarking periodic assessment, consists of 34 questions, and is administered a few times a year. The test also has a shortened version set for progress monitoring that consists of 24 questions and is designed to be distributed more often.

The test is not timed, and students may take as much time as they need to complete it, although some questions do have a time limit to keep the test moving and for security reasons. On average, the STAR Math test takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. 

Students are only allowed to use pen and paper during the test and cannot use external resources such as calculators. However, in questions that require complex calculations or formulas, a calculator or other assisting tools may appear on the examinee's test screen. 

Renaissance Math Domains & STAR Sample Questions

The STAR Math focuses on measuring student performance and skills aligned with the US Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. All questions on the test are multiple-choice questions with four answer choices and cover the following four domains

• Numbers and Operations – Covers essential arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) in solving mathematical problems.

• Algebra - Covers the applications of algebraic concepts, such as basic arithmetic skills, solving equations and inequalities, identification of points on the coordinate plane, expression simplification, etc.

• Geometry and Measurement – Covers the understanding of geometric concepts, including identifying and classifying figures, line segments, angles, etc., using measurement units, conversion, and calculation of geometric measures such as circumference, area, surface area, and volume.

• Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability – Covers methods of organizing, reading, interpreting, and analyzing data representations such as charts and graphs and the ability to use probability concepts to make predictions.

STAR Math Scores

The STAR Math Score Report (or Parent Report) summarizes the student's performance on the test. This report contains norm-referenced scores, comparing the student's results to those of other students who have taken the test. There are four different score measures:

• Scaled Score (SS): This scoring method provides a single common scale for measuring students' math achievement from first through twelfth grade. The Scaled Scores are formed from the conversion of all the STAR Math test scores into a standard scale, ranging from 0 to 1400, estimating the location of each student on a math ability scale. Scaled scores are therefore valid as a way of monitoring performance over time and across grades.
• Grade Equivalent (GE): This score indicates the student's rank in the grade placement level for which their score is typical (regardless of the student's actual grade). Grade Equivalent STAR Math scores range from 0.0 to 12.9+, indicating grade placement and months of the school year. For example, a GE of 7.5 means that the student scored as well as did the typical student in the middle of seventh grade (the fifth month of the school year, to be exact).
• Percentile Rank (PR): This scoring system measures students' performance relative to other students in the same grade and indicates the percentage of students at the same point of time in the school year who obtained a lower score than the individual student. For example, a Percentile Rank of 70 states that the student performed better than 70% of students in that grade at the same time of the year. Percentile Ranks range from 1 to 99.

How to prepare for the STAR Math Test?

The Renaissance Star Math Assessment can significantly impact a child's academic career. Moreover, since STAR tests primarily examine students' math proficiency according to the school curriculum, practicing for the exam can also enhance the students' ability and knowledge and help them excel in school in a regular studying routine.

The test may be somewhat intimidating for some students since math anxiety affects many people and start appearing as early as first grade. However, preparing before the exam and working on the student's motivation can significantly reduce the pressure accompanying the STAR Math Test. Here are some helpful tips to help prepare for test day:

• Refresh your familiarity with mathematical definitions, such as decompose, regrouping, numerator and denominator, quadrilateral, mean, mode, median, etc.; It is highly likely to encounter some of these (and other) terms in the STAR Math, so it is crucial to make sure you go through standard terms that you are not comfortable with.
• Practice reading and interpreting graphs, pictographs, dot plots, and comparing tables and graphs. Graph problems are common in STAR tests, and therefore it is essential to make sure you are familiar with the different ways of data presentation and analysis.
• Make sure you know and understand different units of measurement. Some questions may require converting from standard units (inches, pounds, pints, yards) to metric units (centimeters, liters, grams). Practice these conversions.

The optimal preparation technique is to practice answering the same types of questions that are asked on the actual STAR Math test. Practicing the different mathematical topics and various question types enables students to deepen their understanding of the material and enhance their problem-solving skills. Our STAR Math Practice Packs are tailored for this purpose precisely, simulating the real test conditions and including multiple sample questions and complete practice tests.

Looking for information on the STAR Reading test, click here! 

Online STAR Math Practice Test

TestPrep-Online provides extensive STAR Math preparation packs designated to upgrade students' test performance and help them improve their mathematical skills with ease.

Our packs include full-length practice tests, accurately simulating the real STAR exam, alongside additional practice quizzes with many sample questions that allow practicing as much as needed. All practice questions are coupled with complete solutions and thorough explanations, ensuring everything is well understood.

The practice pack also contains a complete and comprehensive STAR Math study guide with an elaborated manual on the various mathematical concepts of the STAR, together with insightful solving tips and preparation methods. All practice tests on our packs are administered in a user-friendly online system and include elaborated score reports to monitor progress over time.

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