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What Is Renaissance STAR Testing?
Watch this short video to learn everything you need to know about the Renaissance STAR test:
The Renaissance Star Assessments are a series of three short tests administered to grades K-12, produced by Renaissance Learning. These assessments are used to monitor students' progress in the subjects of reading, math and early literacy throughout the school year. In some cases, they are used as admission tests for gifted programs.
There is also a Spanish version of the tests called Renaissance STAR Spanish.
The STAR tests do not have a time limit. Each test usually takes between 15-30 minutes to complete, but it depends on the individual student.
The tests can be administered separately or together (see more information below about the STAR 360 test), depending on the needs of the school or the teacher administering the test.
Renaissance STAR Testing Format
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Grades |
Number of Questions |
Score Range |
Average Time to Complete |
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k-12 |
34 |
0-1400 |
20-30 minutes |
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k-12 |
34 |
0-1400 |
20-30 minutes |
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Pre k-3 |
27 |
300-900 |
20 minutes |
How do I Prepare My Child for the Renaissance STAR Testing?
- Make sure your child does his homework and understands the different subjects taught in the classroom. The STAR exam is based on the material your child has learned and skills he has developed throughout the current and past school years.
- Review the mathematical concepts associated with your child’s grade level, as they correspond to the STAR testing levels. For example, in 1st grade, your child needs to know the basic arithmetic operations.
- See that your child understands that he or she is required to answer all the questions on the STAR tests. If they do not know the answer to a given question, they should take a guess.
- Speak regularly to your child’s teacher to keep track of where he or she needs improvement and what can be done to fill in learning gaps.
- Get your child as many practice questions and simulations of Star assessments that you can beforehand so that on the actual test, the types of questions will be familiar and your child will be ready to answer them with ease!
- Encourage your child to read regularly and establish a steady reading routine for him or her.
- Play word games with your child, such as scrabble and typo, to make learning new vocabulary fun!
TestPrep-Online's complete STAR Preparation Packs include
Tutorials, Practice Tests, and Expert Tips from $59
Are you looking for other levels that you don't see here? Check out our MAP Packs, which contain a thorough preparation for the NWEA assessment test, as they feature many similar materials to the ones used on the STAR. Although the MAP test has a different format and method of administration, practicing with MAP materials could provide an excellent preparation alternative if your desired STAR level and topic is missing.
For the complete Teachers solution, click here!
Contact us at ask_ariav@testprep-online.com if you are having trouble deciding which practice packs are right for you, and we will help you get the materials you need.
What is the Renaissance STAR Reading Test?
The STAR Reading test is administered in grades k-12. It measures a student’s overall reading progression and helps the teacher gather essential data on their abilities and skillset for a more targeted learning experience.
The STAR Reading is also used to predict a student’s performance in standardized state testing and could be used as an indicator for selection into the Accelerated Reader program.
The STAR Reading test is comprised of 34 questions and takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. The questions vary from sentences to short passages, and they are all multiple-choice. The Star Reading test covers five major domains:
- Word Knowledge and Skills - Covers vocabulary knowledge and comprehension, as well as the ability to apply those strategies in different contexts.
- Comprehension Strategies and Constructing Meaning - Covers strategies for making predictions and utilizing text structure to draw conclusions.
- Analyzing short Literary Text - Involves examining and understanding elements of a literary text, such as plot, setting, characters, and theme.
- Understanding Author’s Craft - Understanding and analyzing the author’s use of language and literary devices.
- Analyzing Argument and Evaluating Text - Includes recognizing, analyzing, and comprehending argumentative language, persuasive techniques, and claims in editorial, literary, and academic articles.
| STAR Reading Test Practice Question-5th Grade |
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Which of the following is a run-on sentence? |
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Answer & Explanation ▼ | ▲ The correct answer is (B). A compound sentence is two sentences joined by a comma or a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so. To convert a run-on sentence into a complete sentence, separate it into two sentences and add a period after the first sentence. The only run-on sentence is in answer (B). It is made up of two sentences: "I ate a lollipop" and "it was sweet and tasty." These sentences are joined without end punctuation or a conjunction. Therefore, the correct answer is (B). |
What is the Renaissance STAR Math Test?
The STAR Math assessment is administered in grades k-12. It is used for measuring math achievement and progression. In addition, it provides the teacher’s actionable insight into each student’s math proficiency to help focus learning for each student.
The STAR Math is used to predict a student’s performance in standardized state testing and could be used as an indicator for selection into the Accelerated Math program.
The STAR Math test is comprised of 34 questions and takes about 15-30 minutes to complete.
The questions are all multiple-choice and cover four domains:
- Numbers and Operations - Recognizing each of the basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and using them appropriately to solve problems.
- Algebra - Covers basic arithmetic skills including equations, variables, complex calculations, coordinate systems, etc.
- Geometry and Measurement - Understanding the connection between the form and function of common and complex shapes, the properties of shapes and objects, and the ability to measure them.
- Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability-Analyzing and inferring conclusions from different representations of data (graphs, charts, etc.). Being familiar with specific terms such as mean, median, etc.
| STAR Math Test Practice Question-5th Grade |
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A motorcyclist is travelling at a constant speed of 40 miles an hour. How far will he travel in two and a half hours? |
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Answer & Explanation ▼ | ▲ The correct answer is (D).
The speed of the motorcyclist is 40 miles per hour. If he is travelling for two and a half hours, then split this time period up into two hours and a half hour. In two hours, he would cover double the distance than in an hour, so 40 × 2 = 80 miles. In a half hour, he would cover half the distance than in an hour, so 40 ÷ 2 = 20 miles. So, in two and a half hours, he would cover 80 miles plus the 20 miles, which is 100 miles. Therefore, the correct answer is (D). |
What is the Renaissance STAR Early Literacy Test?
The Renaissance STAR Early Literacy assessment is administered in grades pre K-3. It is used to measure a student’s reading ability, phonological awareness, and early numeracy skills, all in one short test. The STAR Early Literacy test is comprised of 27 questions and takes about 20 minutes to complete.
The questions are all multiple-choice and cover nine domains:
- Alphabetic Principle(only in grades pre-k through k) - Covers relationships between written letters and spoken sounds.
- Concept of Word(only in grades pre-k through k) - Covers the ability of a reader to match spoken words to written words while reading.
- Visual Discrimination(only in grades pre-k through k) - Covers the ability to detect differences and to classify letter symbols in a verbal context.
- Phonemic Awareness(only in grades pre-k through 1) - Covers the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
- Phonics(only in grades k through 3) - Covers the ability to match the sounds of spoken English with individual letters or groups of letters.
- Structural Analysis(only in grades 1 through 3)- Covers the ability to divide words into parts and understand the words’ meanings.
- Vocabulary(only in grades k through 3)- Covers the ability to understand words’ meanings and match them to pictures.
- Sentence-Level Comprehension(only in grades 1 through 3) - Covers the comprehension of words within sentences.
- Paragraph-Level Comprehension(only in grades 1 through 3) - Covers the comprehension of short texts and passages.
| STAR Early Literacy Practice Question |
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Read the sentence. Which word correctly completes the sentence? |
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Answer & Explanation ▼ | ▲ The correct answer is (C).
The word that completes the sentence is a relative pronoun. A relative pronoun introduces a dependent (or relative) clause that describes a noun or pronoun. A dependent clause is a group of words that have a subject and a verb but do not form a complete thought. The five main relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and that. The relative pronouns who and whom give information about people. The relative pronoun whose shows possession. The relative pronouns which and that add unnecessary information about things. To figure out whether to use who or whom, restate the dependent clause with a personal pronoun. If the clause uses a subject pronoun (he, she, or they), use who. If the clause uses an object pronoun (him, her, or them), use whom. The dependent clause in the sentence can be stated as "She was born in Russia." Therefore, the correct relative pronoun that completes the sentence is who, and the correct answer is (C). |
What is Renaissance STAR 360 Testing?
The STAR 360 test consists of all three STAR Assessments: STAR Reading, STAR Math, and STAR Early Literacy (All of these tests are also available in the STAR Spanish test).
The STAR 360 provides an encompassing overview of each student’s abilities in these domains, with informative reports and dashboards so that teachers can track the student’s progress and create a more targeted learning experience.
How is the Renaissance STAR Test Scored?
The Renaissance STAR assessments use a scaled score (SS) system, which is calculated by the number of correct answers and the average difficulty of the questions. Scaled scores are a good indicator of a student’s performance over time.
STAR Math and STAR Reading scaled scores range from 0-1400. STAR Early Literacy scaled scores range from 300–900. The STAR Math Spanish and STAR Reading Spanish scaled scores range from 600 to 1400. The STAR early literacy Spanish scaled scores range from 200-1100.
Renaissance STAR Test Scores
The Renaissance STAR chart above depicts the distribution of STAR Math and STAR Reading score percentiles by grade level in winter 2016. To determine how well a student performed on the test, his or her Scaled Score (SS) is compared to the results of all other students in the same grade.
This is known as a percentile, and it tells you what percentage of your peers you have outperformed on the test.
Renaissance STAR Administration
The Renaissance STAR assessments are computer-adaptive tests, which means that the test’s difficulty adapts depending on how the student answered previous questions. For example, if a student responds to a question incorrectly, the next question will be easier, and vice versa.
The tests are not timed, although some questions are timed to keep the test moving and for security reasons.
The tests are multiple-choice with 3-4 answer choices for each question.
Students are allowed a pen/pencil and paper during the test.
Each school purposes the STAR tests in different ways, yet they are usually administered three times throughout the academic year: at the beginning (September-October), middle (January-February), and end (May-June).
FAQ
The STAR acronym used to mean “Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading.” This is no longer the case, as Renaissance Learning has created STAR assessments for math and early literacy skills. The company decided to keep the name.
The Star test keeps track of students’ reading and math skills throughout the year and serves as an indicator of a student’s performance in standardized state testing. In some cases, it is used to determine placement into Accelerated Math and Accelerated Reader programs.
Students cannot use external resources such as dictionaries or calculators during the test; they can only use a pen and paper.
The Accelerated Math program is a daily tracking and progression computer-based program for monitoring mathematical skills and abilities, from preschool math through calculus.
The Accelerated Reader is a computer-based reading program that helps teachers manage and track students’ independent reading abilities. Students select a book at their reading level. When they finish the book, they take a short test that has questions related to the understanding of the book. The program is mainly used in elementary and middle school.
