TEST TAKING STRATEGIES FOR
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS OF
THE ENGLISH I & II STAAR TESTS
STAAR LAYOUT
Multiple Choice
• Revising
ALWAYS 1 What transition would be the most appropriate to use at the beginning of sentence 6?
A As a matter of concern
• Editing
B For further evidence
4 Answer C To wipe away any doubt
D For this reason among others
Options
• Reading 2 Candice needs a more effective thesis statement for her paper. Which sentence should replace
sentence 8 to serve as the thesis statement?
F There are other barrier reefs in the oceans of the world, but only the Great Barrier Reef is
Written Response
so well known.
G The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is a supreme example of the mysteries of the natural
world because of its wide variety of plant and animal life.
H Some scientists believe the Great Barrier Reef first began to grow about 18 million years
ago.
• Writing
J A coral reef like the Great Barrier Reef can grow only in shallow, warm water because it
needs light from the sun to survive.
3 Candice needs a topic sentence for the third paragraph (sentences 19–21). Which of the
following sentences should be inserted before sentence 19 to introduce the ideas in this
paragraph?
A Over time a vast array of creatures has come to inhabit the Great Barrier Reef.
B Marine animal species that are threatened are protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Authority.
Multiple choice sections are ALWAYS
C The biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef ensures its long-term existence.
D The waters along the Great Barrier Reef provide a habitat for marine animals that
researchers study.
set up with a text followed by set of
questions related to the text. English I
Page 6
Read the next two selections and answer the questions that follow.
A Baseball School for Big League
Dreamers
The Reading Section
by Robert Benincasa
All Things Considered, National Public Radio
August 15, 2012
1 If you have ever dreamed of playing big-league baseball, chances are the dream
started to fade sometime in high school.
2 It gradually becomes clear: You won’t be starting in Game 7 of the World Series,
and tipping your cap after hitting a walk-off homer. So at some point you go
from player to fan—watching others chase greatness on the diamond.
As mentioned before, the setup
3 But not every baseball dreamer is willing to give up so early. And in Bradenton,
Florida, there’s a place that lies somewhere between the Little League field and
will ALWAYS be the text first,
then the multiple choice
Yankee Stadium.
Use “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” (pp. 26–28) to answer
4 questions
It’s 90 degrees and sunny for an intrasquad 19–25.
game, one Then
of the last fill
of the in at
year the answers on your answer document.
IMG Academies, a private sports school where dreams of baseball glory are
nurtured. Ketchum Marsh, a high school senior from Chatham, Massachusetts,
looks in from third base as a lanky sophomore teammate winds up on the
mound.
questions.
19 Which sentence from “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” best supports the main
5 For Ketch, as he’s known, a passion for idea
baseball began
of the when he was 8 years old,
article?
when his mother offered room and board for some players from college
baseball’s elite Cape Cod League. A Tuition, room and board here for the combined academic and sports program is about
6
$70,000 a year.
The players started tossing the ball around with him and soon made him a
B Mosttoplayers
batboy. Ketch says they were like big brothers here won’t
him. Before ever
long, he put he
says, on a bigleague uniform, but they come to IMG trying to
The Reading Section also
7
was captivated. find and reach their potential.
C He remembers being fascinated by how the players and coaches talked and how fans
He remembers being fascinated by how the players and coaches talked and how
follows this order, but it
reacted to the game.
fans reacted to the game. “You kind of just don’t want to leave the field at the
end of the night,” he says. “You want toDjust
stay there.”
keepdoesn’t
Ketch going back.
think You just
about want
the to
numbers. provides 2 texts first, then
8
Nurturing Potential
So, when Ketch was in the eighth grade, his mother sent him here, where
provides the questions.
students spend half the day in the classroom and the other half on the field.
9 20 Based
IMG baseball chief Ken Bolek says Ketch’s on debut
school the article, the than
was less coaches at IMG can best be described as —
stellar.
10 F concerned
“There weren’t a lot of things that just came
Bolek says, chuckling. “His first semester
naturally about
G here, the on
focused
to himthe
coaches
as effectiveness
an athlete,” of their coaching ability
evaluated
becoming a at a professional level
coaches
successful day by the fact that he wasn’t maimed or killed out on the field from
How will you know which
a lack of proficiency.” H dismissive of the mistakes students make
J caring about the future success of the students
questions go with which text?
English I
Page 26
Instructions will be provided to
indicate which text the
questions belong to.
English I
Page 31
Revising Instruction Types
STAAR Instruction Types
Editing Instruction Types
Reading Instruction Types
The Traditional and “Proper” Way
• Read the text, in its entirety, first
• Read each question
• Read each answer carefully
• Consider each answer
• Select the correct answer
Though the traditional and proper way may
work, it can be tedious and tiring.
Remember, the STAAR can tiresome
because:
• It is a 5 hour test with NO breaks
• It tends to contain BORING texts
The traditional way can work for the STAAR, it will
just take longer & you will work harder.
Don’t you want to work smarter, not harder?
THERE IS
Strategies
1. Read the question first.
2. Read ALL the answer options.
3. Eliminate wrong answers.
4. Select the BEST answer.
5. Skip it and come back.
6. Use other questions as clues.
Tool
• Dictionary
By reading the questions first, you can:
• Determine what the question is actually asking.
• Determine if the question is question, sentence, or paragraph specific.
• Question specific: Everything you need to answer the question is
contained within the question and answers.
• Sentence specific: Everything you need to answer the question is
contained within a specific sentence or two.
• Paragraph specific: Everything you need to answer the question is
contained within a single paragraph
By reading the answer options, you can:
• Confirm what the question is actually asking.
• Confirm if the question is question, sentence, or paragraph specific.
By eliminating obviously wrong answers, you can:
• Focus on determining which answer is right out of the remaining two choices.
The best answer will be the best option because:
• All parts of the answer connect.
• Do all the parts of the answer connect within the answer itself ?
• If the question is a paragraph specific question, does the answer connect
with the information provided within the paragraph?
• Answers the question completely.
• Some answers might seem like the right choice; however, on closer
inspection, does not answer 100% answer the question.
By skipping the question and coming back later, you can:
• Avoid overanalyzing the question.
• Give yourself time to possibly gather more information.
Other questions might provide clues and clarity on a skipped question by:
• Rephrasing the question in a clearer way.
• Providing context for the difficult question.
TEST TAKING STRATEGIES FOR
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS OF
THE ENGLISH I & II STAAR TESTS
Strategies
1. Read the question first.
2. Read ALL the answer options.
3. Eliminate wrong answers.
4. Select the BEST answer.
5. Skip it and come back.
6. Use other questions as clues.
Tool
• Dictionary
Strategies in Practice:
Example #1
Pulled from the Revising Portion of the 2019 English 1 STAAR
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #1: Read the question first.
What is the question asking?
To combine sentences 6 & 7.
Is this question question, sentence, or paragraph specific?
At first, you might think it is sentence specific because it indicates sentences 6 &
7; however, strategy #2 might indicate otherwise.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #2: Read all the answer options.
After reading all the answer options, you should realize that the question is actually
question specific.
Why?
Because everything you need to answer the question is contained within the question and
answers.
We need to combine the information that the sister “attends one of the elementary schools that feeds
into our high school” and that she “is having a hard time in math.”
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #3: Eliminate wrong answers.
As you were reading ALL the answers, normally two answers will instantly pop
out to you as wrong. Eliminate these answers.
In this case, A and D should be eliminated because they are clearly wrong.
A: When read, it makes little sense. Basically, it just sounds wrong.
D: Grammatically, this one is all wrong. The “flip-it” trick shows us it is a comma splice.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #4: Choose the best answer.
Of the two remaining options, which option has all its parts connected and answers the
question completely?
In this case, option C is the best answer.
The information connects to each other, using the “Remove it” trick, we can see that the commas are correctly
placed around additional information, and it is the most “effective” combination of the information.
Why?
Even though B sounds good, its parts do not connect. The sentence contains “although” which does not make
sense because the sister struggling with math has nothing to do with her attending the elementary that feeds into
the high school.
Strategies in Practice:
Example #2
Pulled from the Editing Portion of the 2019 English 2 STAAR
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #1: Read the question first.
What is the question asking?
What is the “correct,” or grammatically correct, to write sentence 5?
Is this question question, sentence, or paragraph specific?
It appears sentence specific, but are we sure?
Let’s use strategy #2 to find out.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #2: Read all the answer options.
After reading all the answer options, you should realize that the question is actually
question specific.
Why?
Because everything you need to answer the question is contained within the question and
answers.
We need to figure out the grammatically correct way to combine “I pull gently at its crisp brown shell”
and “the aroma of its gooey sweetness that teases at my nostrils.”
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #3: Eliminate wrong answers.
As you were reading ALL the answers, normally two answers will instantly pop
out to you as wrong. You can also use your grammar tricks to eliminate these
answers.
In this case, A and C should be eliminated because they are clearly wrong.
Both A & C are comma splices. You can identify them as comma splices because they do not pass the
“flip-it” test.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #4: Choose the best answer.
Of the two remaining options, which option has all its parts connected and answers the
question completely?
In this case, option B is the best answer.
The information connects to each other. Using the “Flip it” trick, we can see that the commas are correctly placed
and is the most grammatically correct option
Why?
Even though D sounds good, its parts do not connect. First, there is a comma before ”and,” which is
grammatically incorrect. Secondly, the sentence is incomplete. When they pull gently and the aroma hits their
nostrils, what happens? We don’t know; therefore, it is incorrect.
Strategies in Practice:
Example #3
Pulled from the Reading Portion of the 2019 English 2 STAAR
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #1: Read the question first.
What is the question asking?
The question wants to know what speaker is trying to say in lines 20 & 21.
Is this question question, sentence, or paragraph specific?
It appears sentence specific, but are we sure?
Let’s use strategy #2 to find out.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #2: Read all the answer options.
After reading all the answer options, you should realize that you are right. It is sentence
specific.
Why?
Because you cannot determine what the speaker is trying to say without reading lines 20
and 21, which are not provided in the question.
We need to go read lines 20 and 21 FIRST, then move on to Strategy #3. Let’s take a look at the text,
but remember to keep the question in mind!
Strategies in Practice
Read the next two selections and answer the questions that follow. Remember, we are looking at
To a Daughter with Artistic Talent
by Peter Meinke
Lines 20-21. That means we will
I know why, getting up in the cold dawn
you paint cold yellow houses
focus on those lines and NOT the
entire text.
and silver trees. Look at those green birds,
almost real, and that lonely child looking
5 at those houses and trees.
You paint (the best way) without reasoning,
to see what you feel, and green birds
are what a child sees.
Some gifts are not given: you
Line 20 – 21 states, “And you never
10 are delivered to them,
bound by chains of nerves and genes
stronger than iron or steel, although
unseen. You have painted every day
know why (I was lying before when
for as long as I can remember
15 and will be painting still
when you read this, some cold
I said I knew.)
and distant December when the child
is old and the trees no longer silver
but black fingers scratching a grey sky.
20 And you never know why (I was lying
What are these lines talking about?
before when I said I knew).
You never know the force that drives you wild
to paint that sky, that bird flying,
• Not knowing why something is
the way it is
and is never satisfied today
25 but maybe tomorrow
when the sky is a surreal sea
• Lying about knowing why
in which you drown . . .
I tell you this with love and pride
before
and sorrow, my artist child
30 (while the birds change from green to blue to brown).
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” from Liquid Paper: New and Selected Poems by Peter Meinke, ©1991. All rights are
controlled by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Used by permission of the University of Pittsburgh
Press.
The speaker, is therefore, talking
about honesty.
Now, we can go on to Strategy #3.
English II
Page 26
*I know the question belongs to this text because the instruction box at the beginning of the questions told me that questions 19-23 refer to
“To a Daughter With Artist Talent.”
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #3: Eliminate wrong answers.
As you were reading ALL the answers, normally two answers will instantly pop
out to you as wrong. You will use what you learned from the two lines in the
text. The speaker is talking about honesty.
In this case, H and J should be eliminated.
H is not talking about honesty. Instead, it is talking about hurting someone’s feelings. Nothing in the
two lines talked about this.
J focuses on confusion about life choices. Again, nothing in lines 20-21 discussed this.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #4: Choose the best answer.
Of the two remaining options, which option has all its parts connected and answers the
question completely?
In this case, option F is the best answer
The information connects to both lines 20-21. The speaker is trying to be honest which he indicates in ”(I was lying
before when I said I knew.)” and he indicates that he does not understand by saying “And you never know why…”
Why?
Even though G sounds good, its parts do not completely connect to the two lines. The ”mislead” portion does
connect to honesty, but the part about his daughter believing in her special talent does not.
Strategies in Practice:
Example #4
(Text Box Questions)
Pulled from the Revising Portion of the 2019 English 1 STAAR
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #1: Read the question first.
What is the question asking?
Where would the sentence, contained in the box, best fit?
Is this question question, sentence, or paragraph specific?
This is definitely a sentence specific; however, you will have to read each
sentence to see where it fits.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #2: Read all the answer options.
Again, this is a sentence specific question.
But…this type of question is different. We can read the options all we want, but we won’t
be able to tell what is wrong or right.
Instead, we need to go to each option sentence and insert the boxed sentence BEFORE
we can move on to strategy #3.
Strategies in Practice
Remember, we are inserting:
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in
the answer on your answer document. “Some students may say that they don’t have enough
Melody feels that students in her high school should start a mentoring program. She
has drafted a persuasive essay that she wants to submit to the school newspaper.
time to participate in a mentoring program because of
other activities in which they are involved.” before the
Read Melody’s essay and look for any revisions she should make. Then answer the
questions that follow.
The Case for a Mentoring Program sentence options.
(1) They are continually telling us that we should become more involved in
Sent. 5: With a mentoring program, these students
the community by volunteering our time. (2) After thinking about this, I have a
suggestion that would not only help high school students get involved but would also
help elementary students in our district. (3) It would be helpful for our high school
to start a mentoring program.
could put their skills to use by helping younger students
(4) Many of the students at our high school have excellent academic skills.
(5) With a mentoring program, these students could put their skills to use by helping
who are struggling academically.
younger students who are struggling academically. (6) My own sister attends one of
the elementary schools that feeds into our high school. (7) She is having a hard Sent. 10: A mentoring program in which high school
time in math. (8) Her classroom is crowded, and she can’t always get the
one-on-one attention that she needs to understand a new concept. (9) She has told students tutor elementary school students could be a
me that she has many friends who also need help. (10) A mentoring program in
which high school students tutor elementary school students could be the solution.
solution.
(11) By using a mentoring program, struggling youngsters could get the individual
attention they need to master new concepts.
(12) According to an article published in the November 2005 Education World,
Sent. 13: Furthermore, volunteering seems to have a
elementary school students raised their reading levels significantly in a short period
positive influence on the high school mentors
of time after being tutored by high school students. (13) Furthermore, volunteering
seems to have a positive influence on the high school mentors themselves. (14) As themselves.
students learn how to be good mentors, they focus on effective communication skills,
Sent. 21: Fortunately, starting the program would
including how to share and how to listen. (15) Generally speaking, these skills are
valuable for everyone. (16) Additionally, mentors get the satisfaction of meaningfully
contributing to their community and future generations. (17) What student, at any
age, wouldn’t be proud to have that kind of influence?
require only a few students available and willing to help
(18) Because mentoring programs have proven to be so successful, they now
exist in schools around the country. (19) Some schools pair high school students
others.
English I
Page 8
Now, we can go on to Strategy #3. (We will do it here)
*I know the question belongs to this text because the instructions
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #3: Eliminate wrong answers.
As you were reading ALL the answers, normally two answers will instantly pop
out to you as wrong.
In this case, as we discussed on the previous slide, A and C should be
eliminated.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #4: Choose the best answer.
Which option has all its parts connected and answers the question completely?
In this case, option d is the best answer
The information connects with the following sentence. Even though MANY say they do not have time, the
program only needs SOME students who could dedicate their time.
Why?
Even though sounds good because it included the phrase “could be a solution,” the solution was actually a tutoring
program for elementary kids, which does not connect to the idea that some students do not have the extra time.
Strategies in Practice:
Example #5
(Text Box Questions)
Pulled from the Reading Portion of the 2019 English 1 STAAR
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #1: Which answer contains the opposite attitude from the one in the box?
Attitude: Thinking they are better than, elite. Question specific.
Strategy #2: Confirms that the question is question specific. (Only pay attention to the
box and the answer options!)
Strategy #3: F (not wanting to quit) & J (dedication)
Strategy #4: G (understanding that not everyone can be or is the best). It connects because it is the
opposite; therefore, it contrasts.
Why not H: The idea expressed is there is more to life than the job, which does not connect.
Strategies in Practice:
Example #5
(Text Box Questions)
Pulled from the Reading Portion of the 2019 English 1 STAAR
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #1: What does the word etched mean? Question specific
(Tool: Dictionary: etched means to produce a pattern on something. Synonyms: engrave, inscribe)
Strategy #2: When considering the answers, ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE BOX!
Strategy #3: F (no flaws) and J (to ruin or make dirty)
Strategy #4: G (to mark with pressure). It connects to the sentence, especially the term
“indentions.”
Why not H: Remembered is to not forget something; therefore, it does not connect to the sentence.
Strategies in Practice:
Example #7
(Text Box Questions)
Pulled from the Reading Portion of the 2019 English 2 STAAR
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #1: What feeling do BOTH speakers feel? Question specific.
Strategy #6: we determined the lines from “To a Daughter” focused on being honest
about not knowing something.
Strategy #2: Consider the answers in relation to the boxes only!
Strategy #3: F (neither speaker is trying to prove anything) and G (neither are embarrassed)
Strategy #4: J connects to both passages as they are being honest that they do not know
how to explain something.
Why not H: No one is forcing them, or compelling, them to admit they do not know and not knowing is not
necessarily a “mistake.” It sounds good, but it does not fit.
Strategies in Practice:
Example #8
(Comparison Questions)
Pulled from the Reading Portion of the 2019 English 2 STAAR
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #1: How are the fathers portrayed differently? Whole Text (exception).
Strategy #2: Read each answer option first.
Before moving on to strategy #3, you will have to read both texts. While reading the texts,
remember the question and answer options.
Strategies in Practice
How are the fathers portrayed
differently?
How is the father portrayed in
“To a Daughter with Artist
Talent?”
He is caring towards his
daughter. He even says he has
“love and pride.”
Strategies in Practice
How are the fathers
portrayed
differently?
How is the father
portrayed in “Big
Fish?”
He is self-centered.
The story is about
what he wanted and
what he thinks. He
even says, “I wanted
to be a great man.”
* The story is 3 pages long, but you only need to read the first half to get the gist of what the father is like.
Strategies in Practice
Strategy #3: C (neither father is judging anything, so they are neither open-minded or judgmental) and D
(the father in the first piece is far from defensive so that does not fit at all).
Strategy #4: B connects to both passages as the first father has a caring tone for his
daughter while the other father is self-centered and talks only of himself.
Why not A? Neither father is expressing optimism or cynicism. Even though it sounds like one is optimistic and the
other is cynical about life, B is the best option.
Quick Recap:
When it comes to
• The Revising, Editing, and Reading
Sections are ALWAYS multiple
choice.
• Each section will consist of several
texts followed by multiple choice
the STAAR
questions.
• The Reading section will be grouped
English Tests,
by two texts followed by questions
that target each individually and then WORK
by questions that compare the two
texts.
Multiple Choice Questions Strategies
1. Read the question first.
2. Read ALL the answer options.
3. Eliminate wrong answers.
4. Choose the BEST option.
5. Skip it and come back.
6. Use other questions as clues.
Tool: Dictionary
