Comparison

Desmos Test Mode vs STAAR Online Testing Program

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Desmos Test Mode

This app provides restricted versions of graphing and scientific calculators designed to meet exam requirements. It allows users to practice for specific state or national assessments by selecting the appropriate test mode. Full, unrestricted calculator features are available in separate applications.

Highlights
  • Exam-compliant calculator modes
  • Graphing capabilities
  • Scientific calculator functions
  • Data tables and statistics
  • Interactive sliders
  • Points of interest on graphs
Read full description

** These are restricted versions of the Desmos Calculators that comply with exam requirements. To prepare for specific state or national assessments, select the corresponding test from the menu in the app. Find out whether Desmos is used for your test at www.desmos.com/testing. If you’d like to use full, unrestricted versions of the calculators, download the Scientific or Graphing Calculator apps or visit www.desmos.com. ** At Desmos, we imagine a world of universal math literacy where math is accessible and enjoyable for all students. To that end, we’ve built simple yet powerful calculators. They’re intuitive, beautiful, and completely free. - - - Graphing Calculator Features: Graphing: Plot polar, Cartesian, and parametric graphs. There’s no limit to how many expressions you can graph at one time—and you don’t even need to enter expressions in y= form! Sliders: Adjust values interactively to build intuition, or animate any parameter to visualize its effect on the graph. Tables: Input and plot data, or create an input-output table for any function. Statistics: Use regressions to find the lines (or other curves!) that best fit your data. Zooming: Scale the axes independently or at the same time with the pinch of two fingers, or edit the window size manually to get the perfect view of your graph. Points of Interest: Touch a curve to show its maximum and minimum values, intercepts, and points of intersection with other curves. Tap any of these points of interest to see their coordinates. Hold and drag along a curve to see the coordinates change under your finger as you trace. - - - Scientific Calculator Features: Variables: Assign values to variables that you can use in other expressions. Since all of your work is held in the expressions list, you can compute a value once and use it in many places simultaneously. Take advantage of the “ans” key, which always stores the value of the previous expression. Arithmetic: Beyond the four basic operations, the scientific calculator also supports exponentiation, radicals, absolute value, logarithms, rounding, and percentages. Trigonometry: Evaluate the fundamental trigonometric functions and their inverses using either radians or degrees for angle measure. Statistics: Compute the mean and standard deviation (sample or population) of a list of data. Combinatorics: Count combinations and permutations and calculate factorials. - - - Four-Function Calculator Features: Simple and Beautiful: Just the basics done right. Add, subtract, multiply, divide, and take square roots. Multiple Expressions: Unlike many four-function calculators, all of your previous work remains visible on the screen. The special “ans” key always holds the value of the previous computation (and updates automatically!), so you never have to remember or copy a result.

About

STAAR Online Testing Program

This secure browser is utilized by Texas school districts to administer state-mandated academic readiness assessments to students in grades 3-8 and for end-of-course exams. It supports various versions of the STAAR test across all applicable grades and content areas.

Highlights
  • Administers state academic readiness tests
  • Supports grades 3-8 assessments
  • Includes end-of-course exams
  • Covers STAAR, STAAR A, STAAR L, and SOA
  • Secure testing environment
Read full description

The Texas STAAR Online Testing Program Secure Browser is used by Texas school districts to administer the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness to their students. This includes 3-8 and EOC for STAAR, STAAR A, STAAR L, and SOA for all applicable grades and content areas.

Screenshots

Desmos Test Mode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: STAAR Online Testing Program at 2.2 against Desmos Test Mode's 1.6. STAAR Online Testing Program also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). Desmos Test Mode's advantage is ratings volume (368 vs 30). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

STAAR Online Testing Program holds the better App Store score, 2.2 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Desmos Test Mode has 368 ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of Desmos Test Mode's written reviews are positive against 14% of STAAR Online Testing Program's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Desmos Test Mode ships an update every 4 months, STAAR Online Testing Program every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and July 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Desmos Test Mode versus STAAR Online Testing Program: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDesmos Test ModeSTAAR Online Testing Program
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.6 (368 ratings)2.2 (30 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.5% of reviews — better14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings368 — better30
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPad
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB216 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDesmosNWEA

Customer experience

Desmos Test Mode

All ratings368 ratings
Positive14.4%
Neutral2.4%
Negative83.2%
Written reviews139 reviews
Positive16.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative78.4%

STAAR Online Testing Program

All ratings30 ratings
Positive26.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative70.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative78.6%

Bugs and requests

Desmos Test Mode

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and freezes during use
  • Unexpected phone behavior and lockouts
  • Compatibility issues across different devices and OS versions

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add customization options for the calculator interface
  • Improve compatibility with older devices
  • Provide more flexible calculator modes during tests

STAAR Online Testing Program

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Desmos Test Mode

No in-app purchases

None

STAAR Online Testing Program

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Desmos Test Mode free?
Desmos Test Mode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is STAAR Online Testing Program free?
STAAR Online Testing Program is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Desmos Test Mode or STAAR Online Testing Program?
STAAR Online Testing Program is rated higher. Desmos Test Mode averages 1.6 out of 5 from 368 ratings, while STAAR Online Testing Program averages 2.2 from 30 ratings.
Do Desmos Test Mode or STAAR Online Testing Program have ads?
Neither Desmos Test Mode nor STAAR Online Testing Program shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Desmos Test Mode or STAAR Online Testing Program?
Desmos Test Mode ships an update every 4 months, and STAAR Online Testing Program every 7 months. Most recently, Desmos Test Mode was updated on September 10, 2026 and STAAR Online Testing Program on July 4, 2026.

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