What are Regents exams?
4 min read · updated 2026-09-01
Regents exams are New York State's subject exams, taken at the end of specific high school courses. Students need to pass required Regents subjects to earn a Regents diploma, which makes them real graduation checkpoints.
Which subjects are tested
- ✓ Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II
- ✓ Living Environment, Earth Science, Chemistry and Physics
- ✓ Global History and Geography
- ✓ US History and Government
- ✓ English Language Arts
When students take them
Regents exams run in January, June and August, usually at the end of the course year. A typical student sits several across high school, and results feed diploma requirements. Students aiming at competitive colleges also treat strong Regents scores as transcript support.
How tutoring helps
Regents papers are public and repeat their structure, so targeted practice with past papers, marked against the state scoring guides, is the standard preparation. Weekly support in the weakest Regents subject typically starts a few months before the sitting.
FAQs
How many Regents exams do you need to pass?＋
It depends on the diploma type; students typically pass five Regents exams across English, maths, sciences, global history, and US history under the standard requirements.
What happens if a student fails a Regents exam?＋
They can retake it in a later administration. Targeted support between sittings, focused on the exact missed standards, is the efficient route.
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