STAAR EXAMS (TEXAS) –QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT
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CORE DOMAINS
Domain I: Reading Language Arts (RLA) - Comprehension and Analysis
Domain II: Reading Language Arts (RLA) - Writing and Composition
Domain III: Mathematics - Numerical Representations and Relationships
Domain IV: Mathematics - Computations, Algebraic Relationships, and Geometry
Domain V: Science - Matter, Energy, and Earth Systems
Domain VI: Science - Organisms, Ecosystems, and Heredity
Domain VII: Social Studies - History and Geography
Domain VIII: Social Studies - Government, Citizenship, and Economics
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this comprehensive assessment is to evaluate mastery of the core academic skills and knowledge required by the State of
Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) framework. This rigorous exam structure measures proficiency across primary subject
areas, including reading language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Comprising multiple-choice and scenario-based
questions, the assessment places a strong emphasis on real-world application, critical thinking, and academic decision-making. By
analyzing complex texts, solving multi-step quantitative problems, and interpreting historical and scientific data, students demonstrate the
essential competencies needed for success in higher-level coursework and professional readiness.
Section One: Questions 1–100
Question 1
A third-grade student is reading a passage about standard animal adaptations. The text states that a polar bear has thick white fur to blend
in with the snow and stay warm. Which of the following reading comprehension strategies relies primarily on the student utilizing text-
evidence to form an unstated conclusion?
A. Summarizing the main plot points of the text
B. Making an inference about how fur helps the bear survive predators
C. Identifying the literal definition of adaptation in the glossary
D. Scanning the paragraph to find the specific word white
🟢 B. Making an inference about how fur helps the bear survive predators
🔴 RATIONALE: Inferencing requires students to combine text evidence with their own background knowledge to reach a conclusion that is
not explicitly stated in the text. Summarizing, scanning, and literal identification rely on explicit information.
,Question 2
Solve the following mathematical expression using the correct order of operations: 45 - 3 x (4 + 2) + 8.
A. 260
B. 35
C. 17
D. 41
🟢 B. 35
🔴 RATIONALE: Following the order of operations (PEMDAS), first simplify inside the parentheses: 4 + 2 = 6. Next, perform multiplication: 3
x 6 = 18. Then, perform subtraction and addition from left to right: 45 - 18 = 27, and 27 + 8 = 35.
Question 3
A student investigates the physical properties of an unknown liquid substance in a Texas science laboratory. The student notes that the
liquid flows slowly, changes shape to match its container, and has a boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius. According to standard safety and
state curriculum frameworks, which property represents a quantitative measurement?
A. The liquid changes shape to match its container
B. The substance flows slowly
C. The boiling point is 100 degrees Celsius
D. The color of the liquid is clear
🟢 C. The boiling point is 100 degrees Celsius
🔴 RATIONALE: Quantitative measurements involve numerical data and specific units, such as degrees Celsius. The other choices
describe qualitative properties, which are descriptive and based on observation without numerical values.
Question 4
During the Texas Republic era, Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar held vastly different visions for the future of the state. Which of the
following statements accurately contrasts their approaches to Native American relations?
A. Houston favored peaceful negotiations and land titles, whereas Lamar sought forced removal and military confrontation.
B. Houston advocated for immediate military expulsion, while Lamar established a system of shared reservations.
C. Both leaders completely agreed on full integration and citizenship for all indigenous tribes.
D. Houston refused to sign any treaties, whereas Lamar focused entirely on building international alliances with tribes.
🟢 A. Houston favored peaceful negotiations and land titles, whereas Lamar sought forced removal and military confrontation.
🔴 RATIONALE: Sam Houston advocated for peaceful coexistence, treaties, and establishing defined land areas for Native Americans.
Conversely, Mirabeau Lamar pursued aggressive military campaigns to remove Native Americans entirely from settled areas of Texas.
Question 5
An eighth-grade English teacher reviews the legal and ethical requirements regarding student privacy under the Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA) before posting graded essays on a classroom wall. Which action complies fully with FERPA regulations?
A. Posting the essays with the students' full names and numerical grades clearly visible
B. Displaying the essays without any grades, names, or identifying personal data attached
C. Sharing a spreadsheet of all student grades with the entire class to encourage peer editing
, D. Publishing the graded compositions online via a public, un-indexed personal blog
🟢 B. Displaying the essays without any grades, names, or identifying personal data attached
🔴 RATIONALE: FERPA prohibits the non-consensual disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from education records.
Displaying student work without names, grades, or identifying details protects student privacy and ensures full compliance.
Question 6
Read the excerpt below from a literary text:
The old house creaked under the weight of the howling wind, its dark windows staring out like empty eyes at the abandoned street.
What type of figurative language is utilized most prominently in this sentence?
A. Personification
B. Hyperbole
C. Alliteration
D. Simile
🟢 A. Personification
🔴 RATIONALE: Personification attributes human characteristics to non-human things. Describing windows as "staring out like empty eyes"
and the house creaking under the "weight" of the wind gives human qualities to an inanimate object and weather condition.
Question 7
A geometric pattern uses a sequence where each term increases by a fixed common difference. If the 3rd term of this arithmetic sequence
is 13 and the 6th term is 28, what is the value of the 1st term?
A. 5
B. 3
C. 8
D. 1
🟢 B. 3
🔴 RATIONALE: The difference between the 6th and 3rd terms is 3 steps (6 - 3 = 3). The difference in values is 28 - 13 = 15. The common
difference is = 5. Working backward, the 2nd term is 13 - 5 = 8, and the 1st term is 8 - 5 = 3.
Question 8
Which of the following processes represents a chemical change rather than a physical change?
A. Water evaporating from a puddle on a hot Texas afternoon
B. A piece of copper wire being bent into a circular loop
C. A bicycle frame rusting when left outside in humid weather
D. Crushing an aluminum soda can before recycling it
🟢 C. A bicycle frame rusting when left outside in humid weather
🔴 RATIONALE: Rusting is a chemical change because iron reacts with oxygen to form a new substance, iron oxide, with different chemical
properties. Evaporation, bending, and crushing are physical changes that alter form but not chemical composition.
DOWNLOAD PDF.
CORE DOMAINS
Domain I: Reading Language Arts (RLA) - Comprehension and Analysis
Domain II: Reading Language Arts (RLA) - Writing and Composition
Domain III: Mathematics - Numerical Representations and Relationships
Domain IV: Mathematics - Computations, Algebraic Relationships, and Geometry
Domain V: Science - Matter, Energy, and Earth Systems
Domain VI: Science - Organisms, Ecosystems, and Heredity
Domain VII: Social Studies - History and Geography
Domain VIII: Social Studies - Government, Citizenship, and Economics
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this comprehensive assessment is to evaluate mastery of the core academic skills and knowledge required by the State of
Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) framework. This rigorous exam structure measures proficiency across primary subject
areas, including reading language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Comprising multiple-choice and scenario-based
questions, the assessment places a strong emphasis on real-world application, critical thinking, and academic decision-making. By
analyzing complex texts, solving multi-step quantitative problems, and interpreting historical and scientific data, students demonstrate the
essential competencies needed for success in higher-level coursework and professional readiness.
Section One: Questions 1–100
Question 1
A third-grade student is reading a passage about standard animal adaptations. The text states that a polar bear has thick white fur to blend
in with the snow and stay warm. Which of the following reading comprehension strategies relies primarily on the student utilizing text-
evidence to form an unstated conclusion?
A. Summarizing the main plot points of the text
B. Making an inference about how fur helps the bear survive predators
C. Identifying the literal definition of adaptation in the glossary
D. Scanning the paragraph to find the specific word white
🟢 B. Making an inference about how fur helps the bear survive predators
🔴 RATIONALE: Inferencing requires students to combine text evidence with their own background knowledge to reach a conclusion that is
not explicitly stated in the text. Summarizing, scanning, and literal identification rely on explicit information.
,Question 2
Solve the following mathematical expression using the correct order of operations: 45 - 3 x (4 + 2) + 8.
A. 260
B. 35
C. 17
D. 41
🟢 B. 35
🔴 RATIONALE: Following the order of operations (PEMDAS), first simplify inside the parentheses: 4 + 2 = 6. Next, perform multiplication: 3
x 6 = 18. Then, perform subtraction and addition from left to right: 45 - 18 = 27, and 27 + 8 = 35.
Question 3
A student investigates the physical properties of an unknown liquid substance in a Texas science laboratory. The student notes that the
liquid flows slowly, changes shape to match its container, and has a boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius. According to standard safety and
state curriculum frameworks, which property represents a quantitative measurement?
A. The liquid changes shape to match its container
B. The substance flows slowly
C. The boiling point is 100 degrees Celsius
D. The color of the liquid is clear
🟢 C. The boiling point is 100 degrees Celsius
🔴 RATIONALE: Quantitative measurements involve numerical data and specific units, such as degrees Celsius. The other choices
describe qualitative properties, which are descriptive and based on observation without numerical values.
Question 4
During the Texas Republic era, Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar held vastly different visions for the future of the state. Which of the
following statements accurately contrasts their approaches to Native American relations?
A. Houston favored peaceful negotiations and land titles, whereas Lamar sought forced removal and military confrontation.
B. Houston advocated for immediate military expulsion, while Lamar established a system of shared reservations.
C. Both leaders completely agreed on full integration and citizenship for all indigenous tribes.
D. Houston refused to sign any treaties, whereas Lamar focused entirely on building international alliances with tribes.
🟢 A. Houston favored peaceful negotiations and land titles, whereas Lamar sought forced removal and military confrontation.
🔴 RATIONALE: Sam Houston advocated for peaceful coexistence, treaties, and establishing defined land areas for Native Americans.
Conversely, Mirabeau Lamar pursued aggressive military campaigns to remove Native Americans entirely from settled areas of Texas.
Question 5
An eighth-grade English teacher reviews the legal and ethical requirements regarding student privacy under the Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA) before posting graded essays on a classroom wall. Which action complies fully with FERPA regulations?
A. Posting the essays with the students' full names and numerical grades clearly visible
B. Displaying the essays without any grades, names, or identifying personal data attached
C. Sharing a spreadsheet of all student grades with the entire class to encourage peer editing
, D. Publishing the graded compositions online via a public, un-indexed personal blog
🟢 B. Displaying the essays without any grades, names, or identifying personal data attached
🔴 RATIONALE: FERPA prohibits the non-consensual disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from education records.
Displaying student work without names, grades, or identifying details protects student privacy and ensures full compliance.
Question 6
Read the excerpt below from a literary text:
The old house creaked under the weight of the howling wind, its dark windows staring out like empty eyes at the abandoned street.
What type of figurative language is utilized most prominently in this sentence?
A. Personification
B. Hyperbole
C. Alliteration
D. Simile
🟢 A. Personification
🔴 RATIONALE: Personification attributes human characteristics to non-human things. Describing windows as "staring out like empty eyes"
and the house creaking under the "weight" of the wind gives human qualities to an inanimate object and weather condition.
Question 7
A geometric pattern uses a sequence where each term increases by a fixed common difference. If the 3rd term of this arithmetic sequence
is 13 and the 6th term is 28, what is the value of the 1st term?
A. 5
B. 3
C. 8
D. 1
🟢 B. 3
🔴 RATIONALE: The difference between the 6th and 3rd terms is 3 steps (6 - 3 = 3). The difference in values is 28 - 13 = 15. The common
difference is = 5. Working backward, the 2nd term is 13 - 5 = 8, and the 1st term is 8 - 5 = 3.
Question 8
Which of the following processes represents a chemical change rather than a physical change?
A. Water evaporating from a puddle on a hot Texas afternoon
B. A piece of copper wire being bent into a circular loop
C. A bicycle frame rusting when left outside in humid weather
D. Crushing an aluminum soda can before recycling it
🟢 C. A bicycle frame rusting when left outside in humid weather
🔴 RATIONALE: Rusting is a chemical change because iron reacts with oxygen to form a new substance, iron oxide, with different chemical
properties. Evaporation, bending, and crushing are physical changes that alter form but not chemical composition.
