ACING THE ENGLISH REGENTS EXAM; A GUIDE FOR INCOMING 10 GRADERS

June 27, 2024

ACING THE ENGLISH REGENTS EXAM; A GUIDE FOR INCOMING 10 GRADERS

I aced with a 91% on the English Regents. This is a guide to help those who want to ace as well as those who want to pass. This is to also help overachievers to score a higher grade than I did. 🙃

At the end there will be links to google documents that I created that helped me exceedingly with my English Regents.

❤️If I can do it, so can you.

What Are the Regents Exams?

The Regents Exams are standardized tests in New York State designed to measure students’ knowledge and skills in core high school subjects. These exams have been a cornerstone of the state’s educational system, ensuring that students meet specific academic standards before graduating. Among these exams, the English Regents is crucial as it assesses reading comprehension, literary analysis, and writing skills. The passing grade for all regents is a 65 or higher.

Points Distribution in the English Regents

Understanding how the points are distributed in the English Regents is key to strategizing your study plan. The exam is typically divided into three parts:

1. Part 1: Reading Comprehension - This section includes multiple-choice questions based on several reading passages (more specifically 3). This part tests your ability to understand and analyze written texts. This is collective to have 24 multiple choice. The first and third reading comprehension texts have the most questions. The second which is mostly likely a poem is comprised of less questions.

2. Part 2: Argumentative Essay - You will be required to read a set of texts on a given topic and write an argumentative essay. This essay assesses your ability to develop a coherent argument supported by evidence from the texts. The argumentative essay will be graded accordingly. 6 being the highest and 0 being the lowest. When grading the number you receive scaling from 0-6 will be multiplied by 4 to accumulate to the 56 points the English Regents is worth. 24 multiple choice points and 24 points in total for the argumentative essay

3. Part 3: Text Based Analysis - In this section, you need to write a response analyzing a single passage. This analysis tests your critical thinking and ability to interpret literary elements. The TBA will be graded accordingly as well. 4 being the highest and 0 being the lowest. When grading the number you receive scaling from 0-4 will be multiplied by 2 to accumulate to the 56 points the English Regents is worth. 24 multiple choice points, 24 points in total for the argumentative essay and 8 points total for the TBA.

⭐This is the scoring chart for more reference :

How to Ace the English Regents

Acing the English Regents requires a combination of strategic preparation and effective test-taking techniques. Here are some tips to help you excel:

1. Practice Regularly: Familiarize yourself with the exam format by practicing with past Regents exams. This will help you understand the types of questions asked and the level of detail required in your responses. Consider purchasing the Barron’s book set on Amazon. It is extremely helpful, especially since it is used to help write the ENGLISH Regents. It contains practice exams and other insightful information that you will also accumulate to know during English 10 classes.

2. Enhance Reading Skills: Read a variety of texts, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Focus on improving your reading comprehension and analytical skills.

3. Develop Writing Skills: Practice writing essays and responses to different prompts. Pay attention to organizing your thoughts clearly and providing textual evidence to support your arguments. Also advance your vocabulary. In the documents that will be provided at the end there will be a number of words that you should consider going over during the course of your school year to became familiarized with in time for the exam.

4. Time Management: Learn to pace yourself during the exam. Allocate specific time slots for each section to ensure you complete all parts of the test.

Essential Knowledge for Success

To pass or ace the English Regents, you need to be proficient in:

1. Reading Comprehension: Understand main ideas, themes, and details in various texts. Questions that will help you:

What is the author’s purpose?
What is the theme?
And more specially where in the text is this stated

⭐️Almost all the multiple choice will ask you to go back and look at a selective stanza or line in the text to answer the questions.

🌟Some may not use this method however it is a very effective method that helps you complete your questions in the appropriate manner, depending on the amount of time you have left to complete the exam ➡️ Advice: Read the story first before the questions to become familiar with the text and then read the questions and answer accordingly. Do not make your own interpretation of the text, use what they give you to answer the questions. Your first choice is most likely the right choice. Do not second guess yourself, go with your gut.

2. Literary Analysis: Identify and analyze literary elements like theme, character development, and figurative language.

Be familiar with the difference in rhetoric techniques, figurative languages and themes/ mood
Changes is syntax, the text structure is also very helpful.

3. Writing: Craft clear, coherent essays with well-supported arguments and proper grammar. (Advanced Vocabulary)

Importance of Passing the Regents

Passing the English Regents has traditionally been a requirement for high school graduation in New York State. However, starting in 2024-2025, come fall of the new school year, a new law states that students will no longer need to pass the Regents exams to graduate. Despite this change, excelling in the English Regents and all the others remains important for several reasons:

1. College Applications: A high score on the English Regents can enhance your college applications, showcasing your proficiency in critical reading and writing skills.

2. Academic Achievement: Doing well on the Regents demonstrates your academic capabilities and can be a point of pride and accomplishment.

Pacing Yourself During the Test

Effective pacing is crucial during the English Regents to ensure you complete all sections. Here’s how you can manage your time:

1. Allocate Time Wisely: Spend about 30 minutes max on the multiple-choice section, 90 minutes on the argumentative essay, and 45 minutes on the text analysis. All Regents exam are a total of 3 hours.

2. Stay Calm: Keep track of time, but avoid panicking. Practice relaxation techniques to stay focused.

3. Review: If time permits, review your answers, especially the essays, to correct any errors and ensure clarity.

🌟Advice : The part that you are best at, do it first. For instance if you are good at writing, work backwards and start the TBA first, then the argumentative essay and then the multiple choice and vice versa.

All in all

While the Regents exams may no longer be a graduation requirement, excelling in the English Regents can still significantly benefit your academic and future endeavors. By understanding the exam structure, honing your reading and writing skills, and effectively managing your time during the test, you can ace the English Regents and showcase your academic prowess to colleges and universities. Good luck, incoming 10th graders!

With these documents below they will be extremely helpful :