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Free STAAR (Texas) practice test — Grade 8

10 original STAAR (Texas)-style questions for Grade 8, with answers and full explanations. No signup needed.

These free STAAR-style practice questions cover the tested TEKS for your child's grade — the same standards Texas assesses every spring.

Every question is original and comes with a full explanation. Work through a set, then create a free account to practice every subject with an adaptive plan.

Question 1Angle Relationships & Similarity
A satellite dish casts a shadow that forms a right triangle on the ground. The shadow’s base is 12 m long and the angle of elevation of the dish is 30°. How tall is the dish?
  1. A6 m
  2. B7 m
  3. C8 m
  4. D10 m
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

For a right triangle, tan(θ) = opposite/adjacent. tan 30° = height/12 m. tan 30° = √3/3 ≈ 0.577. Height = 12 * 0.577 ≈ 6.93 m, which rounds to 7 m. The closest answer is 7 m (option B). 💡 Strategy tip: Use the tangent function: tan θ = opposite/adjacent.

Question 2Bivariate Data & Scatter Plots
The table shows the weekly advertising dollars spent by a small bakery and the number of loaves of bread sold that week. | Advertising ($) | Loaves Sold | |------------------|-------------| | 200 | 150 | | 300 | 210 | | 400 | 260 | | 500 | 320 | | 600 | 380 | Which statement best describes the association between advertising dollars and loaves sold?
  1. AAs advertising dollars increase, the number of loaves sold tends to increase.
  2. BAs advertising dollars increase, the number of loaves sold tends to decrease.
  3. CThere is no clear association between advertising dollars and loaves sold.
  4. DThe association is curvilinear.
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

All the data points show larger advertising amounts paired with larger loaf sales, indicating a positive (direct) association. 💡 Strategy tip: Look for a consistent increase or decrease in the paired values.

Question 3Exponents & Scientific Notation
The table shows powers of 2. n | 2^n 1 | 2 2 | 4 3 | 8 4 | 16 5 | 32 6 | 64 Which expression is equal to the value shown for n = 5?
  1. A2^5
  2. B5^2
  3. C2^4
  4. D10^5
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

From the table, when n = 5 the value is 32, and 2^5 = 32. The other choices give different numbers. 💡 Strategy tip: Match the exponent to the base shown in the table.

Question 4Interest, Loans & Saving
The table shows three savings accounts. Account A: principal $500, annual simple interest rate 3%. Account B: principal $450, annual simple interest rate 4%. Account C: principal $600, annual simple interest rate 2.5%. Which account will earn the most interest in one year?
  1. AAccount A
  2. BAccount B
  3. CAccount C
  4. DAll earn the same amount
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Interest for each account: A = 500×0.03 = $15; B = 450×0.04 = $18; C = 600×0.025 = $15. Account B earns the most. 💡 Strategy tip: Multiply principal by rate to find simple interest for one year.

Question 5Linear Equations
If \(5x - 7 = 18\), which value of \(x\) satisfies the equation?
  1. A5
  2. B3
  3. C4
  4. D7
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Add 7 to both sides: \(5x = 25\). Divide by 5: \(x = 5\). 💡 Strategy tip: Undo operations in the reverse order they were applied to the variable.

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Question 6Linear Functions & Slope
The table shows the number of miles a bike rider traveled each day. | Day | Miles Traveled | |-----|----------------| | 1 | 12 | | 2 | 20 | | 3 | 28 | | 4 | 36 | Which of the following is the slope of the line that best represents the relationship between Day and Miles Traveled?
  1. A8
  2. B6
  3. C10
  4. D12
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

The slope is the change in miles divided by the change in days. From Day 1 to Day 2, the miles increase from 12 to 20, a change of 8 miles for 1 day. Thus the slope is 8 miles per day. 💡 Strategy tip: Use two points from the table and apply slope = (y₂‑y₁)/(x₂‑x₁).

Question 7Pythagorean Theorem
A ladder leans against a wall. The foot of the ladder is 4 ft from the wall and the top reaches a height of 10 ft. Which expression represents the length of the ladder?
  1. A\sqrt{4^{2}+10^{2}}
  2. B4+10
  3. C4^{2}+10^{2}
  4. D4\times10
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

The ladder, wall, and ground form a right triangle. By the Pythagorean theorem, length = \sqrt{(4)^2+(10)^2}. 💡 Strategy tip: Identify the right‑triangle and write \(c=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}\).

Question 8Rational & Irrational Numbers
Which of the following numbers is irrational?
  1. A\sqrt{2}
  2. B\frac{5}{8}
  3. C3.75
  4. D-2
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

\sqrt{2} cannot be expressed as a fraction of two integers and its decimal expansion goes on forever without repeating, so it is irrational. 💡 Strategy tip: An irrational number cannot be written as a ratio of two integers.

Question 9Systems of Equations
A baker mixes two types of flour to make a batch of 20 kg. Type A costs $2.00 per kg and Type B costs $3.50 per kg. If the total cost of the flour is $55, how many kilograms of Type A flour are used?
  1. A5 kg
  2. B8 kg
  3. C10 kg
  4. D12 kg
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Let a = kg of Type A, b = kg of Type B. a + b = 20 and 2a + 3.5b = 55. Solve: from first, b = 20‑a. Substitute: 2a + 3.5(20‑a) = 55 → 2a + 70 – 3.5a = 55 → -1.5a = -15 → a = 10. Therefore 10 kg of Type A flour (option C). 💡 Strategy tip: Set up two equations: one for total weight, one for total cost, then solve the system.

Question 10Transformations & Congruence
The table shows the original coordinates of a quadrilateral and its image after a translation of (–3, 5). Original: (4,‑1) (7,‑1) (7,2) (4,2) Image: ( ?,?) ( ?,?) ( ?,?) ( ?,?) Which point is the image of (4,‑1)?
  1. A(1,4)
  2. B(7,4)
  3. C(1,-6)
  4. D(7,-6)
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Apply the translation: x‑coordinate minus 3, y‑coordinate plus 5. (4‑3, ‑1+5) = (1,4). The other points do not match the rule. 💡 Strategy tip: A translation (a,b) changes (x,y) to (x+a, y+b).

STAAR (Texas) FAQ

Which grades take the STAAR?

Texas students take STAAR Math and Reading Language Arts in grades 3–8, with Science in grades 5 and 8 and Social Studies in grade 8.

What score does my child need to pass?

STAAR reports four performance levels; 'Approaches Grade Level' or above counts as passing, while 'Meets' and 'Masters' signal stronger command of the standards.

Are these real STAAR questions?

No — they're original questions written to the tested TEKS standards and STAAR formats. Released tests are freely available from TEA and pair well with fresh practice like this.

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