The New York State Board of Regents canceled last year’s June and August exams and the January 2021 exam due to COVID.  Recently, however, the Biden Administration released a federal requirement that state standardized exams should not be fully canceled. This led many to argue that administering the same test across New York State would be unfair considering students experienced such varied learning situations. Many students spent the whole year in remote school, others were in school full-time and some followed a hybrid plan. The Board of Regents thus reached an alternative accommodation for June where only exams in four core subjects would be administered: English Language Arts, Living Environment (Biology), Algebra I, and Earth Science. In addition, these exams will be optional.  Legal guardians can opt-out for their children by signing a form which exempts their child from the testing.  As well, for the first time in Regents history, these assessments will not affect graduation requirements. Instead, a passing final grade on the report card will suffice as enough for students to meet state graduation requirements. The other six Regents exams are canceled: Global History, United States History, Geometry, Algebra II, Chemistry, and Physics.

For those students taking the June assessments, the tests will only be conducted in-person, and will go by the following schedule: English Language Arts Living Environment, Algebra I, and Earth Science on Thursday, June 17, Tuesday, June 22, Wednesday, June 23, and Thursday, June 24, respectively, at 9:15 a.m. New York State set these exam dates and testing locations will vary. With all that in mind, this year’s New York State Regents exams are sure to be different. Good luck to all those studying and testing!