by Grace McCullagh

For decades, Regents exams have been one of the defining features of high school education in New York. Students traditionally have spent their high school careers studying for exams in subjects such as English, Math, Science, and Social Studies, with their performance sometimes determining not only their grades, but also the type of diploma they may receive. The system has provided New York with a statewide way to measure whether students mastered specific learning standards. 

However, the system is now undergoing a major transformation. New York State is moving toward a future in which passing Regents exams will no longer be required for a high school diploma, beginning with students graduating in 2028. Regents exams themselves are not disappearing; their role is simply being separated from the basic requirements of graduation.

The movement away from mandatory Regents exams comes from a broader effort known as NY Inspires, which grew out of recommendations from New York’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures.

The basic argument behind the change is that a student’s knowledge and readiness for life after high school cannot necessarily be captured by a handful of standardized examinations. NYSED’s new approach places greater emphasis on a broader set of skills and competencies, including areas such as critical thinking, communication, and other characteristics.

Supporters of the change argue that students have different strengths and different ways of demonstrating what they know. A student who struggles with high-pressure standardized testing, for example, may nevertheless demonstrate substantial mastery through coursework, projects, presentations, or other forms of assessment.

That does not mean that Regents exams will disappear.

NYSED specifically states that Regents examinations will continue. Their purpose will become more focused on measuring student achievement of New York State learning standards rather than serving as a mandatory collection of graduation requirements. Students may still take Regents exams to demonstrate their knowledge and potentially use them toward seals or endorsements. 

This distinction is important. Saying that “Regents are being eliminated” would be inaccurate. A better description is that New York is separating Regents examinations from the basic requirement for earning a diploma.