Each type of TAKS test consists of several dozen questions divided among a variety of formats:

Multiple Choice — selecting an answer from four or, occasionally, five options;

Short Answer — composing a brief response such as a short statement of one to three sentences;

Open Response — a numerical answer to a computational problem which is entered into a grid-like answer box by selectively darkening areas within the grid

Writing Prompt — generating a composition typically relating to a brief reading passage.

The question formats used depend on the knowledge domain of the test. The table below shows the question types appearing on the exit level TAKS tests corresponding to the four knowledge domains:

The learning objectives for each knowledge domain and their corresponding strands remain consistent across grade levels. Only the complexity of the required knowledge and skills varies, with increasing demands in terms of detail and conceptual abstractions associated with increasing grade levels. Strands represented within each knowledge domain may be viewed by clicking the Test Overview buttons to the left.