Texas STAAR — The Complete 5 EOC Guide for Graduation

If you are a Texas parent or student trying to make sense of STAAR, this is the one guide that pulls all five End-of-Course (EOC) exams together. We cover what each EOC tests, how Texas reports performance levels, what counts as passing, the retake windows, the Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) backup path, how the classroom grade and the EOC are tracked separately, and where families most often get confused. Plain language, no panic, with links to deeper subject-specific guides for each EOC.

This is an independent guide. We are not affiliated with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Cambium Assessment (the STAAR delivery vendor), or any Texas school district. Anything specific about score scales, schedules, or graduation requirements should be confirmed with your school counselor or the official TEA STAAR resources before you act on it.

What is STAAR and why does it matter?

STAAR — the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness — is the state-mandated testing program in Texas. At the high-school level, STAAR consists of five End-of-Course (EOC) exams, each tied to a specific high-school course. Performance on these EOCs is one of the requirements for the standard high-school diploma in Texas.

The five required EOCs are:

• Algebra 1 — typically taken in 8th or 9th grade, depending on the student’s math sequence.
• English I — typically taken in 9th grade.
• English II — typically taken in 10th grade.
• Biology — typically taken in 9th or 10th grade.
• U.S. History — typically taken in 11th grade (covers 1877-present).

Note: Chemistry and Physics STAAR EOCs were discontinued years ago. Biology is now the only science EOC.

Since the 2022-23 STAAR redesign, all EOCs are delivered fully online through Cambium Assessment, with a mix of question types: multiple-choice, multi-select, drag-and-drop, table completion, equation editor (for math), drop-down items within a passage, and a small number of short constructed-response items. Each test window is 4 hours.

The four performance levels

Texas reports STAAR results in four performance levels — the same four levels across all EOCs:

• Did Not Meet Grade Level — below the graduation standard.
• Approaches Grade Level — the minimum standard for graduation credit. This is the cutoff that matters for graduation.
• Meets Grade Level — on-track performance for the grade level.
• Masters Grade Level — advanced performance.

For graduation, “Approaches Grade Level” is the threshold a student must reach on each of the five EOCs. The exact scale-score cut for Approaches is set by the State Board of Education and posted on TEA’s assessment site — confirm the current numbers before testing.

An important and confusing point: the classroom course grade and the EOC are tracked separately. A student can pass Algebra 1 in class with a regular grade but still score below Approaches on the Algebra 1 EOC. The transcript records both, and both matter for graduation in different ways.

The retake schedule — same three windows for all five EOCs

Texas administers all five STAAR EOCs in the same three windows each year:

• December retake — typically early December. Open to students who didn’t pass earlier and to summer-promoted students.
• Spring administration — typically late April through May. The main testing window for first-time takers.
• Summer retake — typically late June through July. The last window before the next school year starts.

Exact dates vary slightly each year and by district. Check with your school counselor or your district’s assessment calendar (Dallas ISD, Houston ISD, Austin ISD, NEISD, Plano ISD, Frisco ISD, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, and other large districts publish theirs on their websites).

Retakes are free, unlimited, and the highest score is the one that counts for graduation.

Each EOC in brief — with deeper guides

STAAR Algebra 1 EOC

Aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Algebra 1 (TEC §111.39). Five Reporting Categories: Number and Algebraic Methods; Describing and Graphing Linear Functions, Equations, and Inequalities; Writing and Solving Linear Functions, Equations, and Inequalities; Quadratic Functions and Equations; Exponential Functions and Equations. Heavy on quadratics and exponentials.

For a full breakdown of the test format, common failure patterns, a 4-week retake plan, and the IGC route specifically for Algebra 1, see our dedicated STAAR Algebra 1 EOC Retake Guide.

STAAR English I and English II EOCs

The English I and English II EOCs assess reading comprehension across literary and informational texts, vocabulary in context, author’s purpose and craft, response writing, composition (a longer constructed-response essay), and revision/editing skills. Both follow the TEKS for English I and English II respectively.

These are the two most reading-heavy STAAR EOCs, and they include extended constructed-response writing that is hand-scored along with the auto-scored items. Strong reading fluency and the ability to organize a written response under time pressure are the highest-leverage skills.

Note: Texas CBE™ does not currently offer practice for English I or English II. We focus on STEM and U.S. History. For English I and English II prep, the official TEA STAAR sample items and your campus’s ELA department are the best resources.

STAAR Biology EOC

Aligned to the TEKS for Biology (TEC §112.34). Five Reporting Categories: Cell Structure and Function; Mechanisms of Genetics; Biological Evolution and Classification; Biological Processes and Systems; Interdependence within Environmental Systems. Biology is the only science EOC required for graduation.

For a full breakdown of the test, common failure patterns, a 4-week practice plan, and the IGC route specifically for Biology, see our dedicated STAAR Biology EOC Practice and Retake Guide.

STAAR U.S. History EOC

Aligned to the TEKS for U.S. History Studies Since 1877 (TEC §113.41). Five Reporting Categories: History; Geography and Culture; Government and Citizenship; Economics; Social Studies Skills. Note: the course covers 1877 to the present — not the full sweep of American history. Topics before 1877 (Colonial America, Revolution, Constitution, Civil War) are covered in earlier grades.

For a full breakdown of the test, the heavy-leverage eras (Civil Rights and Cold War), document-analysis strategies, a 4-week practice plan, and the IGC route, see our dedicated STAAR U.S. History EOC Practice and Retake Guide.

The Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) backup route

Under Texas Education Code §28.0258, a student who fails no more than two STAAR EOCs may be eligible for a graduation determination by an Individual Graduation Committee (IGC). The IGC is a school-level committee — principal, teacher of the failed subject, department head, counselor, and the student’s parent — that reviews the student’s overall academic record, completed coursework, attendance, and other evidence of mastery. The committee can determine that the student is qualified to graduate even without one or two EOC passes, provided the student meets the additional requirements the IGC sets (often a project, additional coursework, or a portfolio).

Strategic implications:

• The IGC is a real, statutory path — not a workaround. It exists in Texas Education Code specifically for this situation.
• Cap: IGC eligibility is for students who failed at most two EOCs and are otherwise on track. Failing three or more EOCs typically removes IGC eligibility.
• The IGC route does not replace continuing to attempt the retake. Most counselors will encourage both paths in parallel.
• Different districts and different campuses run their IGCs differently. Ask the school counselor early what their campus typically asks for.

For families with a student who has failed one EOC, the IGC conversation should happen before the next testing window, not after. Some campuses prefer to see continued retake attempts on record before convening an IGC.

How our practice fits into a STAAR EOC plan

Texas CBE™ is a Texas-focused practice platform. Our question banks are built directly around the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for each subject — the same TEKS standards that STAAR tests.

Coverage map:

• Algebra 1 — 518 TEKS-tagged questions covering all five Reporting Categories. Direct STAAR alignment.
• Biology — TEKS-tagged questions covering all five Reporting Categories. Direct STAAR alignment.
• U.S. History — TEKS-tagged questions covering all five Reporting Categories. Direct STAAR alignment.
• English I and English II — not currently in our question bank. Use TEA’s official sample items and your campus’s ELA resources.

The practical truth: three of the five STAAR EOCs (Algebra 1, Biology, U.S. History) can be prepped directly with our practice bank. One $19.99 6-month purchase covers TEKS-aligned practice for all three.

What we do not claim: we are not aligned to specific STAAR item specifications, and we are not the official TEA STAAR practice. The official TEA STAAR sample items and online practice tests should be part of every prep plan — they are free and show the exact item formats and the Cambium online platform. Use ours for volume, fluency, and topic coverage; use TEA’s for format and platform familiarity.

Want to see where your child actually stands on the three EOCs we cover? Try our free samples — no signup, no payment. Algebra 1, Biology, U.S. History. Scoring 85%+ cold on the sample is a good sign they’re tracking well for Approaches Grade Level on the actual STAAR EOC. Related subjects also available: Geometry, Algebra 2, Chemistry.

A realistic timeline for STAAR-prep families

For families with a high-school student on the standard graduation path, here is a realistic STAAR-prep timeline:

• End of 8th / start of 9th grade — if the student is in accelerated math, Algebra 1 EOC happens in 8th grade. Start light TEKS-aligned practice in the spring before.
• 9th grade — Algebra 1 EOC (if not accelerated), English I EOC, possibly Biology EOC. Heaviest year for first-time STAAR EOCs.
• 10th grade — English II EOC, Biology EOC (if not in 9th).
• 11th grade — U.S. History EOC.
• 12th grade — clean-up retakes for any EOC the student didn’t pass, with the summer-before-senior-year retake as a target. If still below Approaches at the end of senior year, IGC conversation.

What if the student has failed one or two EOCs?

Two parallel actions are usually right:

1. Continue working the retake plan for each failed EOC. Another attempt is not penalized, retakes are free, and the highest score counts.
2. Talk to the counselor about IGC eligibility — especially if two EOCs are unpassed and senior year is in progress.

If the student has failed three or more EOCs, the path becomes harder. IGC eligibility is typically not available, and the focus often shifts to alternative paths (e.g., GED for some students, additional retake attempts for others).

For Spanish-speaking families

STAAR EOC items are presented in English by default at the high-school level. Texas does offer Spanish-language STAAR for some grade levels, but the high-school EOCs are primarily administered in English for graduation credit. Practice in English — with vocabulary support where needed — is the realistic path. Our content is available in multiple languages for context, but the actual problem-solving practice should be in English.

Sources and where to verify

• Texas Education Agency — STAAR assessed curriculum, blueprint, and Reporting Category breakdowns for each EOC.
• Texas Education Code §28.0258 — Individual Graduation Committee eligibility and process.
• Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101 — STAAR EOC administration and graduation requirements.
• TEA STAAR Online Practice Test and released items for each EOC.
• Cambium Assessment — STAAR delivery platform documentation.

Always confirm current scores, dates, and rules with your school counselor before acting on them. This guide reflects publicly available information at the time of writing.

This is an independent guide. Texas CBE™ is not affiliated with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Cambium Assessment, UT High School (UTHS), The University of Texas at Austin, the State Board of Education, Dallas ISD, Houston ISD, Austin ISD, NEISD, Plano ISD, Frisco ISD, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, or any other Texas school district. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.