New York State (NYS) Regents Exams
Overview
The New York State (NYS) Regents Exams are a set of required tests administered to students in the state of New York, which allow them to receive a high school diploma after passing.
More information on regents can be found here.
Timing
The exams are given each year during January, June, and August. All of the exams are available during January and June, but only some can be taken in August.
Test Structure
There are about 10 different NYS Regents Exams overall. Five need to be taken and passed in order to graduate from high school in the state of New York. Many middle schools in NY also offer regents in Algebra I and Environmental Science. Required subjects are English, mathematics, science, and social studies. A fifth
Regents exam can consist of:
1. One additional exam from English, mathematics, science, and social studies
2. One Career and Technical Education (CTE) exam
3. One non-English language (French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Spanish)
Content
Below are subjects that are offered in Regents:
English
Comprehensive English
English Language Arts - Common Core
Mathematics
Algebra I - Common Core
Geometry - Common Core
Algebra II/Trigonometry
Science
Living Environment
Physical Setting/Physics
Physical Setting/Earth Science
Physical Setting/Chemistry
Social Studies
Global History and Geography
United States History and Government
Scoring
65 is the minimum passing score for each exam. However, students with a documented disability can be eligible to pass with a lower score. Students are eligible to earn distinctions on their diplomas on the NYS Regents Exams by meeting specific testing mandates:
NYS Regents with Honors
A student can obtain an NYS Regents diploma with honors by having an average score of 90 across the exams.
NYS Regents with Advanced Designation
To acquire an advanced designation with your diploma, students need to pass additional tests with a 65 or higher. Students can choose one of four different exam groupings that each contain a total of eight exams.
By getting an 85 or higher on either three math exams or three science exams, students can also have Mastery in Math or Mastery in Science added to their Regents with an Advanced Designation diploma.