Composition researchers have become increasingly concerned with the issue of knowledge transfer: the use of knowledge and skills learned in one setting to complete tasks in a different setting. In terms of writing-related knowledge transfer, research suggests that rigid rules and formulas for writing do not transfer as successfully as flexible strategies. Teachers in Texas confront a dilemma in that STAAR [State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness] writing tests seem to encourage formulaic writing that may be effective for the exam but that is unlikely to help students succeed on writing tasks they encounter in later educational stages and beyond. One technique that has been found to increase transfer is to teach students how to analyze a rhetorical situation and adapt their writing accordingly. The authors propose an approach to STAAR test preparation that combines knowledge of the rhetorical situation with practical advice for how to pass the test. This approach promises to help teachers meet their obligations to prepare students for STAAR tests without abandoning their commitment to rhetorical instruction.