STAAR Algebra 1 Passing Score: Raw Points You Need in 2026

The STAAR Algebra 1 passing score is a scale score of 3550 (Approaches Grade Level) for students who first took an EOC in spring 2023 or later. On the spring 2026 test that took 19 of 59 raw points, about 32%. Spring 2025 needed 20 points. Meets took 31 to 32 points and Masters took 41. The next retest window is December 1 to 11, 2026.

STAAR Algebra 1 raw score cuts, 2025 and 2026

Every STAAR Algebra I form is worth 59 raw points. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) converts your raw points to a scale score, and the scale score decides your performance level. The scale cuts stay fixed: 3550 for Approaches, 4000 for Meets and 4345 for Masters. The number of raw points needed to reach them moves a little from form to form, because some forms are slightly harder than others. Here are the cuts from TEA’s official raw score conversion tables for the last five administrations.

On the spring 2026 form, 18 raw points converted to 3536, just short of passing, and 19 points converted to exactly 3550.

The December 2026 cuts do not exist yet. TEA publishes each table after the test is scored. The recent pattern is 19 or 20 points to pass, so aim well above that rather than for the line itself.

Older students have a lower standard

The passing scale score depends on when you took your first EOC test, not your current grade. The spring 2026 table lists three Approaches standards:

• First EOC before December 2015: 3489 (raw 17 on spring 2026).
• First EOC from December 2015 through December 2022: 3541 (raw 19 on spring 2026, since raw 18 was only 3536).
• First EOC in spring 2023 or later: 3550 (raw 19 on spring 2026).

Almost every student retesting this December falls in the third group.

What is on the test

TEA’s Algebra I blueprint (effective 2022-23) lists 50 questions worth 59 points. Forty-one questions are worth 1 point each, and 9 non-multiple-choice questions are worth 2 points each, for 18 points. The five reporting categories are number and algebraic methods; describing and graphing linear functions, equations and inequalities; writing and solving linear functions, equations and inequalities; quadratic functions and equations; and exponential functions and equations. The two linear categories together carry the most points.

Key dates: the December 2026 retest

Your district picks the exact day, so ask your counselor. Results appear in the Texas Assessment Family Portal, which you open with the access code printed on your student report.

What happens if you don’t pass

Algebra I is a graduation requirement in Texas, and the passing standard is Approaches Grade Level. TEA’s assessment FAQ (October 2026) explains what follows a missed score:

• You can retest. EOCs are offered in fall, spring and summer, three chances a year, and you may keep testing at any later administration. TEA sets no maximum number of retests.
• Your school must give you accelerated instruction. Texas Education Code §28.0211 requires it for any student who does not pass a STAAR test.
• A substitute test may count. A qualifying score on an approved test, such as SAT mathematics, can stand in for STAAR Algebra I. The list is in 19 TAC §101.4002, and you must still take the STAAR EOC at least once.
• Juniors and seniors may qualify for an Individual Graduation Committee (IGC). Under TEC §28.0258, a committee can approve graduation for an eligible student who has not passed up to two required EOCs.

House Bill 8 (2025) replaces STAAR beginning in 2027-28 and drops English II from the graduation tests. TEA’s August 2026 letter on HB 8 describes no change to the Algebra I requirement. For students graduating after August 31, 2027, IGC eligibility is based on not more than two of four courses.

Turning a practice score into a plan

Suppose a student earned 14 raw points last spring. On the spring 2026 table that is a scale score of 3358, which is 14 ÷ 59, or about 24% of the points. To reach 19 points the student needs 5 more. That is a small gap: two 2-point questions and one 1-point question, or five 1-point questions. Below are three quick problems from the most heavily tested areas, the kind of points a retester can reliably add.

Example 1: solve a linear equation

Solve 2(x + 3) = 5x − 9.

1. Distribute: 2x + 6 = 5x − 9.
2. Subtract 2x from both sides: 6 = 3x − 9.
3. Add 9: 15 = 3x, so x = 5.
4. Check: 2(5 + 3) = 16 and 5(5) − 9 = 16.

Example 2: zeros of a quadratic

Find the zeros of f(x) = x² − 5x − 14.

1. Look for two numbers that multiply to −14 and add to −5: −7 and 2.
2. Factor: (x − 7)(x + 2) = 0.
3. The zeros are x = 7 and x = −2.

Example 3: exponential growth

A town of 2,000 people grows 5% each year. Write a function and find the population after 3 years.

1. The growth factor is 1 + 0.05 = 1.05, so P(t) = 2000(1.05)^t.
2. P(3) = 2000 × 1.157625 = 2,315.25, or about 2,315 people.

Common mistakes and myths

• “You need 70% to pass.” No. Passing has taken 19 or 20 of 59 points, about a third. A 70% raw score is close to Masters.
• “Meets is passing.” Some calculators online treat a Meets cut of 33 as the target. Approaches Grade Level is the graduation standard; Meets is a higher goal.
• “The raw cut is fixed.” The scale score is fixed. The raw points can shift by one or two between forms.
• Skipping 2-point questions. These non-multiple-choice items are worth 18 of the 59 points together, so always answer them.
• Using the wrong cohort row. The 3489 and 3541 standards apply only to students who started EOC testing before spring 2023.

How to prepare in the next four weeks

1. Take one full timed practice test and score it out of 59.
2. Sort missed questions by reporting category. Start with linear equations and functions, since those categories carry the most points.
3. Learn the STAAR reference materials so you are not memorizing formulas you can look up.
4. Retake a second practice test about a week before your test day.

Start with the Texas STAAR Algebra 1 online center, which links every tested topic to a lesson and worksheet. Then try the STAAR Algebra 1 EOC practice test PDF with answers, the free STAAR Algebra 1 worksheets and the Algebra 1 EOC formula sheet guide. If equations are your weak spot, review multi-step equations first.

STAAR Algebra 1 passing score practice quiz: 10 questions

Test yourself with 10 multiple-choice questions. Choose an answer and press Submit to see if you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.

Frequently asked questions

What raw score do you need to pass the STAAR Algebra 1 EOC?

For students who first took an EOC in spring 2023 or later, passing means a scale score of 3550. On the spring 2026 form that took 19 of 59 raw points. The June 2026, December 2025 and June 2025 forms also needed 19, and spring 2025 needed 20. The exact December 2026 cut will be published by TEA after the test.

Is the STAAR Algebra 1 passing score the same every year?

The scale score stays the same: 3550 for Approaches, 4000 for Meets and 4345 for Masters. The raw points needed can change by a point or two because each form differs slightly in difficulty. TEA's scale is common to all forms, so a 3550 means the same level of skill on every version of the test.

When is the next STAAR Algebra 1 retest?

TEA's 2026-2027 calendar sets the December EOC window for December 1 to December 11, 2026, with make-ups due by December 11. After that, Algebra I is offered April 20 to 30, 2027, and June 15 to 25, 2027. Your district chooses the exact testing day inside each window.

What happens if I fail the STAAR Algebra 1 test?

You can retest at the next administration, with three chances each year and no set limit. Your school must provide accelerated instruction. You may also meet the requirement with an approved substitute score, such as SAT math, or, as a junior or senior, through an Individual Graduation Committee if you are eligible.

Is STAAR Algebra 1 still required for graduation after HB 8?

Yes, based on TEA's August 2026 guidance. HB 8 replaces STAAR starting in 2027-28 and removes the English II EOC as a graduation requirement, but TEA's letter describes no change for Algebra I. Students graduating after August 31, 2027, still need Algebra I as one of four required EOC courses.

Sources

• TEA Raw Score Conversion Table, Algebra I, Spring 2026 (checked November 2026)
• TEA Raw Score Conversion Table, Algebra I, June 2026 (checked November 2026)
• TEA Raw Score Conversion Table, Algebra I, December 2025 (checked November 2026)
• TEA Raw Score Conversion Table, Algebra I, June 2025 (checked November 2026)
• TEA Raw Score Conversion Table, Algebra I, Spring 2025 (checked November 2026)
• TEA 2026-2027 Student Assessment Testing Calendar (checked November 2026)
• TEA STAAR Algebra I Blueprint (checked November 2026)
• TEA Texas Assessment Program Frequently Asked Questions (checked November 2026)
• TEA Individual Graduation Committees FAQ (checked November 2026)
• TEA letter: HB 8 Phaseout of English II EOC Graduation Requirement (checked November 2026)