2024 10th Grade STAAR Test Study Guide (With Practice Questions)
High school students have a lot going on, from puberty hormones, socialization, and hobbies, to academic success and studying. The high-school STAAR test, given as an End of Course (EOC) test, is one of the mandatory exams that 10th graders need to pass.
The best way of passing any exam (the STAAR EOC included) is to know the testing material, the format of the questions, and undertake timely preparation.
This article will cover all the necessary info you need for the STAAR EOC test for 10th grade.
Table of Contents
What is the STAAR test for 10th grade?
The STAAR test is a mandatory end-of-school-year test that all students take in the state of Texas.
In high school, the test is given at the end of a certain course. As such, it’s not required as proof of a students’ readiness to go into the next grade. Instead, it just measures the depth and quality of knowledge that was acquired during a course.
The score of an EOC test is then added to the in-school grade, shaping the final grade for the subject. The EOC score accounts for 15% of the final grade. Furthermore, if the STAAR EOC exam is not passed, while the in-school grade was good, the student won’t pass the subject.
So, the EOC test is an external measure of students’ knowledge, making sure that each student knows the subject.
Previously, we also covered STAAR tests for grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, as well as STAAR in the 9th grade.
What STAAR EOC tests are required for 10th grade?
These are the subjects and the themes students are tested on:
Algebra I
- The Math STAAR EOC assessment will measure students’ abilities in:
- Algebraic expressions and operations
- Numeric expressions and operations
- Equations
- Inequalities
- Linear functions (writing, describing, solving, and graphing)
- Quadratic functions and equations
- Exponential functions and equations
English I and II
The English I test is a combination of both writing and reading capabilities.
The Reading test introduces a couple of paragraphs, and the student needs to read and understand while being able to analyze the content of the paragraph.
The test includes:
- Understanding and usage of technical and subject-specific words and vocabulary;
- Distinguishment between the denotative and connotative meaning of words;
- Meaning and usage of foreign words, word roots from Latin or Greek;
- Correct punctuation, structure, grammar, and spelling;
- Understanding genres and their characteristics;
- Understanding and analyzing text (formal and informal);
- Analyzing a theme of a literary text;
- Understanding the purpose of a paragraph/text and the authors’ idea/motive behind it;
- Making connections between different texts or relating text with their personal experience;
- Drawing conclusions based on info and debating/supporting those conclusions;
- Understanding of diction, imagery, and use of language for specific purposes such as mood, poetic value, dramatic effect, irony and oxymoron, figurative speech, satire, etc.
- Ability to summarize, paraphrase, analyze given text;
- Ability to develop and organize ideas, do edits and clarifications;
- Ability to compose an essay with a main idea and supporting evidence;
The Writing English STAAR has multiple-end answers where students need to edit and revise a certain paragraph while making sure they use the right sentence structure and grammar, the right usage of words, formats, and patterns.
The writing part also contains two types of essays for English I:
- Expository – explaining a personal opinion about a matter.
- Literary – writing a story or explaining a situation.
English II has two types of essays:
- Expository
- Persuasive – taking a stand for a matter and giving logical arguments to support it.
Biology
Biology questions will cover topics as:
- Cell structure and functions
- Genetics
- Evolution and classifications
- Biological systems and processes
- Interdependence of ecological systems
U.S. History
The U.S. History STAAR EOC test contains inter-disciplinary questions about historical events, geography, culture, government and politics, economic and social factors, etc.
Those topics include:
- Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution
- Federal Government policies and legislation
- Industrialization and advances in technology
- U.S. progress towards becoming a world power
- American expansionism
- World War I, World War II, and the Holocaust
- American Civil Right movements and cultural changes
- Migration and immigration
- Cultural and Art movements
- The richness of American multi-ethnic culture
- Influence of scientific, technological, and economic discoveries and innovations
- Interconnection of all factors
Sample questions for the 10th-grade STAAR test
Algebra I
- What is the equation in slope-intercept form of the line that passes through the points (-4, 2) and (12, 6)?
F y = 0.25x + 3
G y = 0.25x – 4.5
H y = 4x + 18
J y = 4x – 42
- What is the positive solution to this equation?
4x² + 12x = 135
Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document.
- A college student completed some courses worth 3 credits and some courses worth 4 credits.
The student earned a total of 59 credits after completing 18 courses.
How many courses worth 3 credits did the student complete?
A 13
B 5
C 20
D 39
English I and II
- J.T. has included an extraneous sentence in his paper. Which of these sentences should be deleted from this paper?
F Sentence 9
G Sentence 13
H Sentence 18
J Sentence 20
F Change being to I am
G Insert a comma after childhood
H Change plays to playing
J Sentence 2 should not be changed
- What does the graphic best suggest about the different levels of baseball competition?
F More athletes prefer playing college baseball than minor-league baseball.
G Most Little League baseball players participate in multiple sports when they reach high school.
H Playing Little League baseball is necessary to becoming a major-league player.
J Baseball leagues become more selective as players advance.
Biology
- Which four body systems interact to allow a person to sneeze?
A Muscular, immune, nervous, respiratory
B Nervous, respiratory, circulatory, skeletal
C Respiratory, endocrine, skeletal, circulatory
D Lymphatic, skeletal, respiratory, muscular
- Gibberellins are hormones produced in the root tips of plants. The plant uses these hormones to stimulate the growth of shoots.
How are gibberellins able to affect other parts of the plant?
F Gibberellins are absorbed through the stomata and attach to chloroplasts.
G Gibberellins are transported through vascular tissue to other parts of the plant.
H Gibberellins become concentrated within the tissue of the plant during mitosis.
J Gibberellins become modified once they infect healthy cells and are later released to infect other cells.
U.S. History
- Which event prompted the United States to enter World War II?
A The German annexation of Austria
B The Soviet occupation of Germany
C The landing of Allied soldiers on Normandy Beach
D The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
- Which statement best describes how investment in the stock market during the mid-to-late 1920s contributed to the Great Depression?
F People were unable to repay the loans used to purchase stocks.
G Government taxes on stock transactions made it difficult to repay investors.
H Financial institutions were not required to report earnings to stock investors.
J Foreign countries were not required to immediately pay stockholder earnings.
What is the passing grade for the STAAR test?
The STAAR test has three levels of proficiency:
- The lowest level is called “Unsatisfactory Performance,” and it means that the student failed the exam
- The medium level is “Satisfactory Performance,” and it states that the student did pass the test, but showed average results
- The highest level is the “Advanced Performance,” which is awarded to students that passed the test with higher than average scores
The passing score varies with each STAAR EOC since the minimum number of right answers for passing is in close correlation with the total number of questions on the test. As a rule of thumb, more than half of the questions need to be answered correctly for a passing grade. For the Advanced Performance, the student needs around 80-85% correct answers.
The English Writing test is graded a little differently, with the essays each giving 1,2,3, or 4 points, which are then added to make the final score. The lowest grade for the essays can be 2 (one point for each essay), and the highest can be 8 (four points for each essay.)
What happens if you don’t pass the STAAR test in 10th grade?
If you don’t pass the STAAR EOC test the first time it was given, you still have each subsequent year to retake the test. That gives you more than enough time to get ready and study for it. Since this is a mandatory test, students who don’t pass won’t be able to get their high school degree until they do so.
As previously stated, the score on the STAAR test makes up for around 15% of the total score for a particular course. In some cases, just passing it is not enough. Especially for students that are part of some special educational plans or receive scholarships. So, if a student is not happy with the STAAR report, even if they passed, they can still apply to retake it the following year.
The score which will be taken into account will be the highest one from all tries. So, a student could pass the test the first time, retake it twice and still end up with the highest score on the first try. In that case, the first score will be the counting score.
Can you practice the STAAR EOC test?
Preparing for the STAAR EOC is the first and most certain way to pass it. Without practice, there are risks of not passing the test. After all, there is so much you learn during one course, so it’s highly possible to forget some things while learning others. So, practicing and going over the lectures is not only advisory, it’s necessary.
Test Prep Online is the biggest online library of testing and practicing materials for the STAAR test. Their library is extensive and regularly updated. With it, you ensure that you get:
- The right material to practice
- The same format of questions as on the test
- The most updated samples
- The biggest database of practice materials
Tips to successfully pass the STAAR test
To pass the STAAR EOC test, you need to start practicing on time. This is the first and most important tip.
- Create a learning schedule and stick to it
- Find a study buddy
- Take small breaks between study sessions
- Determine your strong and weak points
- Practice and dedicate a lot of time to what is hard for you
- Use practice materials and practice what you need
On the day of the testing, make sure that you are rested and feel comfortable in your body. Any physical problems will only distract you.
If you are anxious, take some time before starting the test and relax. Use some breathing techniques and don’t let your anxiety or fear get in the way.
First, start on the easy questions you’re sure of, and gradually move to the harder ones. Go back to the hard questions last. If, by chance, you aren’t sure of an answer, don’t leave it blank- you still have a chance to get it right by luck.
Use all the testing time you have. If you finish all the answers long before the ending time, go over your answers and check them.
Conclusion
The STAAR test is an obligatory test for the students in Texas. As opposed to middle school, the STAAR test in high school is harder and subject/course-based. Once the course is done, the student needs to successfully pass the STAAR EOC test. The score they get will be added to the previously given grade and thus make the final grade for the course.
To make sure that you pass the exam and pass it with the highest score possible, you can use the help of Test Prep Online. Thor testing materials are drawn from previous STAAR tests, they give you sample questions and thousands of practice questions you can try.
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Sarah is an accomplished educator, researcher and author in the field of testing and assessment. She has worked with various educational institutions and organisations to develop innovative evaluation methods and enhance student learning. Sarah has published numerous articles and books on assessment and learning. Her passion for promoting equity and fairness in the education system fuels her commitment to sharing insights and best practices with educators and policymakers around the world.
