In this paper, the inferences of data obtained from periodic inspection and type I censoring for the step-stress accelerated life test are studied. The exponential distribution with a failure rate function that a log-linear function of stress and the tampered failure rate model are considered. The maximum likelihood estimators of the model parameters are estimated and also the optimal stress change time which minimize the asymptotic variance of maximum likelihood estimators of parameters is determined. A numerical example will be given to illustrate the proposed inferential procedures and the sensitivity of the asymptotic variance of the estimated mean by the guessed parameters is investigated.