Regents Examinations

Regents Examinations are statewide standardized examinations in core high school subjects required for a Regents Diploma in New York State. In the past, Regents Diplomas were optional and typically offered for college bound students. In recent years graduation requirements have been made more stringent, and currently all students are required to receive a Regents Diploma, and therefore most students, with some limited exceptions, are required to take the Regents Examinations. To graduate, students are required to have earned appropriate credits in a number of specific subjects by passing year-long or half-year courses, after which they must pass Regents Examinations in some of the subject areas. For higher achieving students, a Regents with Advanced Designation and Honors designations are also offered.

The Regents Examinations are developed and administered by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) under the authority of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. Regents exams are prepared by a conference of selected New York teachers of each test's specific discipline who assemble a test map that highlights the skills and knowledge required from the specific discipline's learning standards. The conferences meet and design the tests three years before the tests' issuance, which includes time for field testing and evaluating testing questions.

NYSED also sometimes refers to elementary and intermediate grade statewide standardized tests as Regents Examinations.