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100+ Free TExES STR 293 Practice Questions

Pass your TExES Science of Teaching Reading (293) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Teaching a student to use context clues within a sentence to infer a word's meaning is an example of:

A
B
C
D
to track
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: TExES STR 293 Exam

90 + 1

Selected-Response and Constructed-Response Questions

TExES STR 293 preparation manual

5h / ~4h45m

Appointment / Testing Time

TExES STR 293 test page

240

Scaled Passing Score

Texas educator testing program

$116

Computer-Based Testing Fee

TExES fees page

43%

Weight of Domain II Foundational Skills

TExES STR 293 exam framework

13 competencies

Across Four Domains

TExES STR 293 preparation manual

EC-6

Required for Early Childhood Through Grade 6 Certificates

TEA educator certification requirements

5

Essential Components of Reading Tested

Science of teaching reading framework

For 2026 planning, the official Science of Teaching Reading (293) exam has 90 selected-response questions and 1 constructed-response question in a 5-hour appointment, with a 240 scaled passing score and a $116 fee. The framework weights Domain I Reading Pedagogy at 13%, Domain II Reading Development: Foundational Skills at 43%, Domain III Reading Development: Comprehension at 24%, and Domain IV Analysis and Response at 20%. Because Domain II carries the largest weight, candidates should invest the most study time in phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, and fluency.

Sample TExES STR 293 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your TExES STR 293 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which list correctly names the five essential components of scientifically based reading instruction?
A.Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension
B.Spelling, handwriting, grammar, fluency, and comprehension
C.Print awareness, rhyming, blending, decoding, and prosody
D.Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing
Explanation: The National Reading Panel and the science of teaching reading identify five essential components: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The TExES STR (293) framework is built around these pillars in Competency 001.
2A teacher notices a student can read words accurately in isolation but reads connected text slowly and word-by-word. Reciprocal teaching aside, what relationship best explains how this affects comprehension?
A.Slow, labored reading consumes cognitive resources, leaving fewer available for comprehension
B.Accurate word reading guarantees comprehension regardless of rate
C.Comprehension depends only on vocabulary, not fluency
D.Reading rate has no measurable connection to understanding
Explanation: Fluency is the bridge between decoding and comprehension. When reading is slow and effortful, working-memory resources are spent on decoding rather than constructing meaning, so comprehension suffers even when accuracy is adequate.
3Which scenario best illustrates the reciprocal relationship between decoding and encoding?
A.A student who practices spelling words by sounds also becomes more accurate at decoding those patterns when reading
B.A student memorizes whole words by sight and never analyzes letters
C.A student improves handwriting speed and therefore reads faster
D.A student listens to audiobooks and improves oral fluency
Explanation: Decoding (reading print to sound) and encoding (spelling sound to print) draw on the same phoneme-grapheme knowledge. Strengthening one reinforces the other, which is why integrated phonics and spelling instruction is recommended.
4A first grader consistently reverses letters, struggles with rapid letter naming, and has difficulty connecting sounds to letters despite strong oral language. These are early indicators most associated with which condition?
A.Dyslexia
B.A hearing impairment
C.An expressive language disorder
D.Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Explanation: Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition, poor spelling, and weak phoneme-grapheme mapping, often despite adequate oral language. Slow rapid automatic naming is a recognized risk marker.
5Within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS/RTI), what is the primary purpose of Tier 1 instruction?
A.High-quality, evidence-based core instruction provided to all students
B.Intensive one-on-one intervention for students with disabilities
C.Small-group targeted intervention for students below benchmark
D.Diagnostic testing to identify dyslexia
Explanation: Tier 1 is the universal core instruction delivered to all students using evidence-based practices. Tiers 2 and 3 add increasing intensity of intervention for students who need more support.
6A teacher wants to determine whether a new reading assessment consistently produces similar scores when the same student is tested on different days under similar conditions. Which assessment concept is being examined?
A.Reliability
B.Validity
C.Equity
D.Authenticity
Explanation: Reliability refers to the consistency or stability of assessment results across administrations. Validity, by contrast, concerns whether an assessment measures what it claims to measure.
7A student reads a passage with 95% word accuracy and comprehends most of it with minimal teacher support. According to standard criteria, this text is at the student's:
A.Instructional reading level
B.Independent reading level
C.Frustration reading level
D.Listening comprehension level
Explanation: Instructional level is typically defined as roughly 90-94% accuracy (some frameworks use 95%) with adequate comprehension and some support, the ideal level for guided instruction. Independent level is about 95-100% accuracy with little support, and frustration level is below about 90%.
8Which of the following is the best example of a formative, informal classroom reading assessment?
A.A teacher's running record taken during a student's oral reading
B.A state standardized end-of-year reading test
C.A nationally normed achievement battery
D.A formal diagnostic dyslexia evaluation by a specialist
Explanation: A running record is an informal, formative tool teachers use during instruction to monitor decoding and self-correction in real time and adjust teaching. The other options are formal, summative, or specialized assessments.
9When communicating a young student's reading progress to families, which practice is most appropriate?
A.Share specific strengths and needs in clear, jargon-free language with concrete examples
B.Provide only the numerical percentile rank with no explanation
C.Compare the child publicly to higher-performing classmates
D.Limit communication to a single end-of-year report card
Explanation: Effective family communication uses accessible language, highlights both strengths and needs, and offers concrete examples and suggestions families can act on. This builds partnership and supports the child's reading development.
10Which assessment is primarily code-based rather than meaning-based?
A.A nonsense-word decoding fluency measure
B.A retelling rubric for a narrative passage
C.An inferential comprehension question set
D.A vocabulary-in-context cloze task
Explanation: Code-based assessments measure foundational decoding skills such as letter-sound knowledge and decoding of pseudowords. Nonsense-word reading isolates decoding because the words cannot be recognized by sight or meaning, unlike meaning-based comprehension and vocabulary tasks.

About the TExES STR 293 Exam

TExES Science of Teaching Reading (293) is the Texas reading-science exam required for early childhood through grade 6 and several related certificates. The official framework covers reading pedagogy, foundational reading skills, comprehension, and the analysis of student assessment data to plan instruction.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

5h appointment (about 4h 45m testing)

Passing Score

240 (scaled)

Exam Fee

$116 (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program / Pearson)

TExES STR 293 Exam Content Outline

13%

Reading Pedagogy

Foundations of the science of teaching reading, the five essential components, reading development stages, dyslexia indicators, differentiated and tiered support, and foundations of reading assessment including validity, reliability, and reading levels.

43%

Reading Development: Foundational Skills

Oral language development, phonological and phonemic awareness, print concepts and alphabet knowledge, phonics and word identification, syllabication and morphemic analysis, and reading fluency.

24%

Reading Development: Comprehension

Vocabulary development and word tiers, comprehension across literal, inferential, and evaluative levels, and comprehension of literary and informational texts including text structures and features.

20%

Analysis and Response

Analyzing individual student reading assessment data, identifying the most significant foundational and comprehension needs, and selecting and justifying research-based instructional strategies in a written constructed response.

How to Pass the TExES STR 293 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 240 (scaled)
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 5h appointment (about 4h 45m testing)
  • Exam fee: $116

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

TExES STR 293 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Spend the most time on Domain II foundational skills since it is 43% of the exam, especially phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, and fluency
2Learn the phonological awareness continuum (word, syllable, onset-rime, phoneme) and be able to classify any task by its level
3Distinguish phonological awareness (broad, includes syllables and rhyme) from phonemic awareness (individual sounds) and know which activities target each
4Memorize the five essential components of reading and how decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension build on one another
5For Domain IV, practice reading assessment data, naming the most significant need, and justifying a research-based strategy in a few clear sentences
6Know syllable types, common morphemes, vocabulary tiers, and informational text structures with their signal words for quick recall

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the TExES STR 293?

The Science of Teaching Reading (293) exam has 90 selected-response questions and 1 constructed-response question. The appointment is 5 hours, including about 4 hours 45 minutes of actual testing time after the tutorial and administrative steps.

What passing score do I need for the TExES STR 293?

The passing standard is a scaled score of 240. TExES scaled scores range from 100 to 300, so aim for consistent performance across all four domains rather than targeting a guessed raw-score cutoff.

How much does the TExES STR 293 exam cost?

The current computer-based testing fee is $116. Always confirm the current fee during registration because Texas educator test fees can change.

Which domain is weighted most heavily on the TExES STR 293?

Domain II, Reading Development: Foundational Skills, is the largest at 43%. Domain III Comprehension is 24%, Domain IV Analysis and Response is 20%, and Domain I Reading Pedagogy is 13%.

Who has to take the TExES Science of Teaching Reading exam?

Texas requires candidates seeking early childhood through grade 6 (EC-6) certification and several related certificates to pass the Science of Teaching Reading (293) exam, in addition to the relevant content exam and pedagogy exam.

How should I study for the TExES STR 293 constructed response?

Practice analyzing a student's reading assessment data, identifying the single most significant need, and explaining a research-based instructional strategy with clear reasoning. The constructed response in Domain IV rewards precise, evidence-linked justification.