How to Study for the TExES Science of Teaching Reading (STR 293)

The fastest way to pass the TExES Science of Teaching Reading (293) is to study by domain, spend most of your time on foundational reading skills, and practice with real questions instead of rereading. Foundational skills alone are about 43 percent of the exam, so phonological awareness, phonics, decoding and fluency deserve the largest share of your prep. The exam has 90 selected-response questions and one written constructed-response task, with 4 hours 45 minutes of testing time, and you need a scaled score of 240 to pass. Here is a plan that works whether you have six weeks or two.

How do you study for the Science of Teaching Reading test?

Start with the official framework. The STR is built from four domains and 13 competencies, and the state publishes exactly what each one covers. Map your study time to the weights: put the most hours into Domain II, Reading Development: Foundational Skills, because it is the largest slice of the test. Then move to Domain III, Comprehension, followed by Domain I, Reading Pedagogy, and Domain IV, Analysis and Response, which is the written assignment. Studying in that order means your effort tracks where the points are.

The single biggest mistake candidates make is treating this like a test of general reading ability. It is not. It is a test of how children learn to read and how you would teach and assess that process. You have to know precise distinctions: phonological awareness versus phonemic awareness, the role of decodable text, how to diagnose a comprehension breakdown from a student work sample. You build that precision by answering questions, checking your reasoning, and drilling the ones you miss.

A study plan for the STR 293

Adjust the timeline to fit your schedule, but keep the sequence. The point is to front-load foundational skills and finish with timed, mixed practice that mirrors test day.

What is the hardest part of the STR 293?

For most candidates it is the depth of the foundational skills domain. General education coursework often skims phonics, so questions about syllable types, morphology, or the exact progression from phonemic awareness to decoding can feel unfamiliar. The good news is that this content is finite and learnable. Once you have drilled it, those questions become some of the most reliable points on the test, and they make up the largest domain.

The written assignment is the second sticking point. It asks you to look at information about a student and describe appropriate, research-based reading instruction. Graders want to see that you can name a specific skill, explain why it matters, and describe how you would teach it. Vague answers that could apply to any student score poorly. Practice writing three or four tight paragraphs that connect a diagnosis to a concrete instructional plan.

How to prepare for the constructed-response question

Treat the written task as its own skill. Read the prompt and the student evidence carefully, identify the specific reading need, and organize your response around it. State the skill or area of concern, explain the reading science behind it, then describe a research-based strategy and how you would check whether it worked. Keep the writing plain and organized. You are not being scored on eloquence; you are being scored on whether your instructional reasoning is sound and specific.

Rehearse this a handful of times before test day so the structure is automatic. When you review your practice responses, ask whether a colleague could act on your plan as written. If it is too general to implement, tighten it. Turning your notes into a study deck can help here: pulling your key strategies into a few slides you can review forces you to state each one crisply, which is exactly what the written response rewards.

Practice with real questions, not just reading

Retrieval practice is the highest-yield study method for an exam like this. Every time you answer a question and check it, you strengthen the memory and expose a gap. Passive rereading feels productive but rarely moves your score. Build the habit of answering, checking, and re-drilling early, and keep it going all the way to test day.

You do not need a stack of prep books to get volume. Take the notes and study guides you already have and turn them into STR practice questions, then aim each set at the domain you are studying that week. Because the tool writes fresh questions every time and shows the reasoning behind each answer, you get an endless, self-scoring bank targeted at the exact skills the exam checks.

Do not forget the other Texas exams

The STR is one of three tests most Texas elementary candidates take. You also need a content exam and the pedagogy exam. If you are certifying for early childhood through grade 6, that usually means the Core Subjects EC-6 content exam and the PPR EC-12 pedagogy exam alongside the STR. Plan and budget for all three, and confirm your exact requirements with your educator preparation program, because the exams and fees add up.

Frequently asked questions

How long should you study for the STR 293?

Most candidates need four to six weeks of steady study, more if phonics and foundational reading skills are unfamiliar. What matters more than total weeks is how you spend the time: heavy on foundational skills, regular practice questions with review, and several rehearsals of the written response before test day.

What is a passing score on the Science of Teaching Reading test?

You need a scaled score of 240. Every TExES exam is reported on a 100 to 300 scale with 240 to pass. A 240 is not 240 raw questions correct; it is a scaled score, so the number of items you need right varies slightly by test form. Aim comfortably above the line in practice.

Is the STR 293 multiple choice only?

No. It has 90 selected-response questions plus one constructed-response written assignment in Domain IV. Most of your points come from the multiple choice items, so drill those hard, but budget real practice time for the written task because vague, generic responses lose points that are easy to keep.

How many times can you take the STR 293?

Texas limits you to five total attempts per certification test, with a waiver process beyond that, and you wait 30 days between tries. Because the STR is a single exam, a retake means the whole test again, so it pays to close your weak domain before you re-register.

Does Core Subjects EC-6 cover the reading requirement?

No. The Science of Teaching Reading (293) is a separate required exam for many elementary and early childhood certificates and is not part of the Core Subjects EC-6 (391) umbrella. You take and pass it on its own, in addition to your content exam and the PPR.