How to Ace Every Regents
Article by Jeremy Karson, Kweller Prep Intern
The New York State Regents Examinations can be a major obstacle for students to
overcome. Passing these standardized tests is typically required for
graduation, and they serve as important indications of a student’s progress and
success. However, many students struggle on these exams unnecessarily. Here is
a list of tips (both general and specified) about the best and most efficient
ways to prepare for these examinations. If you follow them, you are sure to see
a boost in your score.
For Further information please contact the team at Kweller
Test Prep.
We offer private tutoring and regents crash courses in every
subject the weekend before each test.
Website www.Kwellerprep.com
Call 1 (800) 631-1757
Email info@kwellerprep.com
There are 16
Regents Exams offered. Links to past tests, solutions, and scoring keys for all
exams can be found here: http://www.nysedregents.org/
Math:
·
Integrated Algebra
·
Geometry
·
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
Social Studies:
·
Global History and Geography
·
United States History and Government
Science:
·
Chemistry*
·
Earth Science*
·
Living Environment
·
Physics*
Languages Other than
English:
·
French
·
German
·
Hebrew
·
Italian
·
Latin
·
Spanish
English Language
Arts:
·
Comprehensive English
* - The star indicates that a reference table is given on
the exam. All reference tables can be viewed here: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/reftable/home.html
Note: Most
regents examinations are offered 3
times a year: in June, January, and August. June is the most common time for students to take regents exams.
Students can earn different types of diplomas based on the
number of regents they take, and their scores on these exams. This information
is listed below, and can also be found here: http://www.hesc.ny.gov/content.nsf/SFC/Regents_Requirements
Requirements for a
New York State Regents Diploma:
Passing grades (65+) in:
·
Comprehensive English
·
Any Mathematics regents exam
·
Global History
·
U.S. History
·
Any Science regents exam
Requirements for a
New York State Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation:
Passing grades (65+) in:
·
Comprehensive English
·
Integrated Algebra
·
Geometry
·
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
·
Global History
·
U.S. History
·
Living Environment
·
Chemistry or Physics or Earth Science
·
Any Foreign Language regents exam
“With Honors”:
Either the regular or the
advanced regents diploma is given “with honors” if the average of the student’s
scores on all required regents exams is 90 or higher.
General Tips
·
Pay attention in class! It’s easier to learn a
subject in a year than the week before the test. However, if this doesn’t work…
·
Buy a review book! Barron’s works well. Our hero
Frances Kweller says that it is best to start from the back of the book. *Kweller Prep offers Regents Crash Courses as
well!!
·
***Take
at least four practice exams, and go over each one in detail. EVERY PAST REGENTS EXAM FROM THE PAST TEN
YEARS IS EASILY FOUND ONLINE! For each test, know what you got right, what
you got wrong, and why. If you can’t figure out why a certain answer is right,
get help from a review book, tutor, or classmate. Don’t stop until you feel
confident that you can correctly answer every question on all four exams. If
you do this, I guarantee you will get a high score. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BULLET POINT!!!
·
For tests with short answers: SHOW A LOT OF
WORK. Not showing work is a really stupid reason that a lot of people lose a
lot of points. Don’t make this mistake!
·
For tests with essays: Focus primarily on
general essay-writing techniques. Introduction, conclusion, topic sentences,
sentence structure, grammar, spelling, legibility… these are the components that will make or break your essay score.
On the global history, U.S. history, and English regents exams, the essay
questions are either extremely open-ended or all the relevant information will
be given to you. Therefore, writing ability becomes far more important than
specific knowledge for the essays, which make up a large portion of your
overall score.
·
To reiterate: LEARN TO WRITE WELL! This will
help you at every stage of your life, so you might as well get good at it now.
·
For tests with reference tables: Be familiar
with the reference tables! The vast majority of questions can be answered with
information taken directly from the table. Read over the whole table the night
before your exam, and understand what each section/table/chart signifies. That
being said, don’t take time trying to memorize the information in the reference
table, as it is provided on the test.
Chemistry
·
Main tip: Understand the significance of the
periodic table. Ionization energies, bonding, redox… almost all of that good
stuff they ask about on the Chemistry regents exam can be explained using this
table. Understanding this one page can teach you most of what you need for this
exam!
Earth Science:
·
Main tip: I never took this exam, so it is hard
for me to give any real advice. But perhaps that is good advice in itself: even
an Advanced Regents Diploma can be attained without taking every Regents exam.
Physics:
·
Main tip: Understand the relationships amongst
variables in an equation. Know the meaning of a direct relationship, inverse relationship,
direct square relationship, and inverse square relationship. You should also what
the graphs of these four relationships look like.
Living Environment:
·
Main tip: This is the one science regents exam
in which you will not get a reference
table. This makes practice tests and studying all the more important. One key
thing to note is that a large portion of the test is on the environment, a topic
that is often covered quickly and late in the school year. This is a good area
to spend some extra studying time.
Global HistoryMain tip: In most schools, the material of this
exam is covered in both ninth and tenth grade. While this allows you to get a
deeper understanding of the material, it also ma
Written by Jeremy Karson, Kweller Prep Intern
As a rising senior at Stuyvesant, I know the school like
the back of my hand. With firsthand experience, I can describe the pros and
cons of the school in a way that a guidance counselor or guide book will
probably fall short. Here are the true reasons why you should (or, perhaps,
should not) go to Stuy:
Stuyvesant
Pros:
·
Probably the most Advanced Placement courses in
New York City.
·
One of the best computer science programs in the
country. Students can take up to three years of CompSci classes.
·
Extremely smart and motivated students.
·
Many intriguing electives in every field,
including Genetics, Molecular Biology, Poetry, Civil Law, Watercolor, Systems
Level Programming, and more.
·
Great food options nearby. After a long day of
classes, this becomes very important. There is enough variety to keep pretty
much everyone satisfied.
·
Battery Park on the Hudson River, located just
one block from the school, provides a really nice area for relaxation.
·
The Stuyvesant Sing! Production seems to bring
the whole school together for a few months every year.
·
You will leave college ready. Many Stuyvesant
graduates say Stuyvesant High School makes college seem easy.
·
Exam-based grading makes evaluations less
arbitrary and more fair
Cons:
·
Very competitive.
·
Surprisingly low acceptance rates into top
colleges due to strong applicant pool.
·
Persistent tension between administration and
student body.
·
You will not get enough sleep.
·
Athletes beware: the lack of sports facilities
this past year left the Soccer, Lacrosse, Football, Track, and Swimming teams
without a true “home” to practice in.
·
It is huge. The school contains about 3300
students, which can be a little overwhelming at times.
·
Stuyvesant is in the news every single year due
to some kind of argument or scandal.
Overall, there is no question in my mind that the pros
outweigh the cons. It’s a very special place, and you will get a tremendous
free education. That being said, make sure you know what you’re signing up for.
Although I’m sure you will have a lot of fun, Stuyvesant can be unpleasant and
stressful at times. In the end, though, it will be worth it. Now go study for
your SHSAT.
