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Taking a Star Math Test

  • Updated

For students with special accessibility needs taking the Star Math test, please refer to the "Accommodations and Accessibility" section of the Star Math Test Administration Manual.

Before students can take the test, you should check the following:

  • Students must be added to the Renaissance database and enrolled in a Star Math class.
  • Students must be in grades K–12 in order to take the Star Math test.
  • Students can only test within the current school year or subscription year.
  • We recommend enabling "full screen" mode on your browser to ensure no scrolling is required. Browsers with customizations (bookmark tabs, extensions, etc.) and low-resolution screen settings result in a smaller available space which could result in needing to scroll to see the Next button during testing.
  • If a student is taking a test using audio, make sure the computer or tablet has a working set of headphones and that the volume is set at a level so the student can hear the audio without disturbing other students.
  • You should use the Star Math Test Administration Manual to explain the test to the students before they begin testing.
  • If you are administering the test with a tablet computer:
    • Make sure the battery is adequately charged before you begin.
    • Make sure you are successfully connected to Renaissance.
  • Make sure you have a list of all your students' user names and passwords.

Students follow these steps to log in and take a test:

  1. Start the web browser and go to the address provided by your school network or school. The Renaissance Welcome page opens.
  2. Select I'm a Student.
  3. The student enters his or her username and password, and then selects Log In.
  4. On the Home page, the student selects Star Math.
    The Star Math tile.
  5. If the student is asked if they are taking the test inside their school, the student should answer either No or Yes. (If the student is not asked this question, go ahead to the next step.)

    The message reads: Are you inside your school? The No and Yes buttons are at the bottom.

  6. If Star Math asks the student to choose a class, the student should select the class name, then select Next. (This happens when the student is enrolled in more than one Star Math class.)

    The Choose Your Class window, with two classes shown; the first one has been selected. The Next button is at the bottom.
  7. If Star Math asks for a monitor password (determined by the Password Requirement Preference), the teacher or test monitor enters it and selects Start.

    The Start Test Window, with a field to enter the monitor password. The Start and Cancel buttons are at the bottom.

    If no password is required, go ahead to the next step.

    • You cannot substitute your Renaissance password for the monitor password.
    • If you forget to enter a password before selecting Start, you will be reminded to enter it, and you can try again.
    • If you enter the wrong password, you can try again.

      The Password Incorrect window, stating 'The monitor password is incorrect. Please try again.' The OK button is at the bottom.

      However, if you enter the wrong password three times in a row, you will not be able to start the student's test.

      The Too Many Attempts window, stating 'Too many attempts. Can't start test.' The OK button is at the bottom.

      Check the Monitor Password - Star Tests Preference to make sure you are using the correct monitor password.
  8. If the student has not taken a Star Math test in the past 180 days, the student must answer a few simple practice questions to make sure the student understands how to answer them.

    A sample practice question; an answer has been selected, but it has not been entered yet by selecting the Next button at the bottom. A clock at the top means time for the question is running out.

    • A list of two to four possible answers is shown below each question. The student can choose an answer by pressing its corresponding letter (A, B, C, or D) on the keyboard, clicking an answer with the mouse, or tapping the answer (if you are using a tablet). The student can choose a different answer, but only before entering it—once the choice has been entered, it cannot be changed.
    • If the student is using audio while taking the test, the student can use the button in the upper part of the screen to pause, resume, or replay the audio. The student does not have to wait for the audio to finish before entering an answer.
    • Once the student is satisfied that he or she has chosen the correct answer, the student enters the answer, either with the keyboard (by pressing Enter or return), with the mouse (by clicking Next), or by tapping Next (if using a tablet).

    Although scores are not based on how quickly students answer questions, practice questions have a 90-second time limit and the test questions have a 3-minute time limit (these time limits can be extended or set to "unlimited").

    A clock appears on the screen when the student has 15 or fewer seconds left to answer the question.

    • During the practice, if the student does not choose an answer to a question before time runs out, or if the student has chosen an answer but does not enter it before time runs out, Star Math considers it an incorrect answer.

    The student will be notified if time runs out on a question; the test will move on to the next question.

    • If the student answers two of the three practice questions correctly, a message tells the student that the test is about to start; go ahead to the next step.

      The message states: Great job on the practice. Let's go to the test.

      If the student does not answer two of the three practice questions correctly, the student will be given another set of three practice questions. Once the student answers two of those three practice questions correctly, the test will begin. If the student does not answer two of those three practice questions correctly, Star Math ends the practice and the test will not start. The student is told to ask for help.

      The message states: Practice Complete. The practice is over. Please ask the monitor to help you the next time you practice. The OK button is at the bottom.
  9. The test starts; the test questions are similar to the practice questions. The methods used for choosing and entering answers are the same as those for the practice questions, except:

    • If the student has chosen an answer, but does not enter it before time runs out, Star Math will count the chosen answer as the student's answer to the question.
    • If the student has not chosen an answer before time runs out, Star Math considers it an incorrect answer.

    The Progress Monitoring test has 24 questions; the Enterprise Test has 34 questions.

    For students in grade 7 or above, certain algebra and geometry test questions will include an on-screen calculator and/or an on-screen formula reference sheet for the students to use.

    An example geometry question, with the calculator and formula reference sheet on the right.

  10. When the test is over, have the student select OK. The program will log the student out.

    The message states: 'ongratulations! You've finished the test. The OK button is at the bottom.
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