Abstract: The rock deformation and failure tests are performed along various stress paths under true triaxial stress state. The experimental results have shown that the change of three principal stresses (the increase of the maximum principal stress, the decrease of the minimum principal stress, the decrease of the confining pressure and the increase or decrease of the intermediate principal stress ) can lead to deformation and failure in rocks. The strength, the deformability and the failure precursors of rocks are related with stress paths. Based on the results of the study, the problems of the stress path in rock engineering are discussed.