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Exam Overview
About the STAAR Grade 6 Mathematics Test
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Grade 6 Mathematics test is the statewide end-of-year mathematics assessment for sixth graders in Texas public schools. It is developed and administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and measures the Grade 6 mathematics Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
The test is given in the spring and is taken online on the state testing platform. Paper, large-print, and braille versions are available for students who qualify for them.
Test Format at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | About 36 questions |
| Total points | About 43 points: most questions are worth 1 point; several non-multiple-choice questions are worth 2 points |
| Question types | Multiple choice plus non-multiple-choice items (multiselect, equation editor, text entry, drag and drop, hot spot, inline choice, graphing, and number line items) |
| Testing time | Designed so most students finish in about 3 hours; sessions are usually scheduled for 3 to 4 hours, and students who need more time may continue until the end of the regular school day |
| Calculator | Not permitted on the Grade 6 test (allowed only for students approved for a calculator accommodation) |
| Reference materials | The STAAR Grade 6 Mathematics Reference Materials (formulas and measurement conversions) are provided |
| Delivery | Online, in one day, during the spring testing window |
Reporting Categories
TEA's test blueprint organizes the Grade 6 TEKS into four reporting categories. The five sections of this guide cover all four, as shown below.
| Reporting Category | What It Includes | Where It Is in This Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Numerical Representations and Relationships | Classifying numbers, integers and opposites, absolute value, ordering rational numbers, equivalent fractions, decimals, and percents | Section 1; Section 2 (Percents) |
| 2. Computations and Algebraic Relationships | Operations with integers, fractions, and decimals; ratios, rates, and percents; expressions, equations, inequalities, and the coordinate plane | Sections 1, 2, and 3 |
| 3. Geometry and Measurement | Triangle angle and side relationships, area of parallelograms, triangles, and trapezoids, volume of rectangular prisms, unit conversions | Section 4 (Topics 4.1 and 4.2) |
| 4. Data Analysis and Personal Financial Literacy | Dot plots, stem-and-leaf plots, histograms, box plots, measures of center and spread, banking, credit, paying for college, and lifetime income | Section 4 (Topics 4.3 to 4.5); Section 5 |
About one-third of the points come from readiness standards, the skills TEA considers most important for success in the next grade. The rest come from supporting standards. Every standard can appear, so study all five sections.
Scoring and Performance Levels
Your raw score (the number of points you earn) is converted to a scale score. The scale score places you in one of four performance levels:
| Performance Level | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Masters Grade Level | Strong command of Grade 6 mathematics; well prepared for Grade 7 |
| Meets Grade Level | Prepared for Grade 7 mathematics; may need short-term support in some areas |
| Approaches Grade Level | Likely to succeed in Grade 7 with targeted academic support |
| Did Not Meet Grade Level | Unlikely to succeed in Grade 7 without significant support |
The raw scores needed for each level are set for each test form. On a recent Grade 6 form worth 43 points, about 16 points reached Approaches Grade Level, 25 points reached Meets Grade Level, and 34 points reached Masters Grade Level. Partial credit on 2-point questions counts, so always enter an answer.
What the Test Looks Like
- Most questions are set in real-world situations: shopping, travel, sports, school events, and money decisions
- Many questions include a table, graph, number line, dot plot, box plot, or figure
- Multi-step questions are common: you may need to find a unit rate, then use it, or convert units before finding an area
- Non-multiple-choice items ask you to type a number, build an equation, plot a point, or choose every correct answer, so you cannot rely on answer choices alone
Changes Ahead
Texas law (House Bill 8) replaces STAAR with three shorter assessments given at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year, starting in a later school year. The end-of-year STAAR test described in this guide is the test for the school year this edition covers. The mathematics TEKS tested stay the same, so the content review in this guide applies to both.
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