The NYS Algebra Regents High School Examination is based on the Algebra I Common-Core Curriculum administered in New York and is intended to measure a student’s proficiency in Algebra I. By giving the same exam to all students, students throughout the state are tested fairly. The test is curved based on the performance of all students on each individual test, so a student’s grade should not be impacted by having a more difficult test than a previous test. The Common Core version of the Algebra I Regents was first administered June 3, 2014
Format of the Test
The test is three hours long and comprises four parts, which can be taken in any order.
- Part I – Multiple Choice: 24 multiple choice questions worth 2 points each. No partial credit is given.
Multiple choice questions from June 2017 Algebra I Regents - Part II – Open-Ended: 8 short answer questions worth 2 points each. Partial credit is given.
Part II question from June 2017 Algebra I Regents - Part III – Open-Ended: 4 open-ended questions worth 4 points each. Each question may have more than one part. Partial credit is given.
Part III question from June 2017 Algebra I Regents - Part IV – Open-Ended: 1 question worth 6 points. This question almost always has multiple parts to it. Partial credit is given.
Part IV question from June 2017 Algebra I Regents
Preparing for the Algebra Regents
There’s a lot that students can do to prepare for the test. The topics on the test should have been covered during the school year, so good students should be prepared for the test. However, even good students should review material from the year that appears on the test. Material covered in the beginning of the year or even more recent material is easily forgotten by many students.
Students who may not have done well during the school year can still do well on the test. Based on previous tests, many of the question types repeat. A student can study the topics that appear on the test most often and prepare for test.
With all test prep, it is advised for a student to take a practice test first and identify her strengths and weaknesses. We offer a free Algebra Regents practice test with diagnostics. If a student wants to prepare more, we also have online test prep for the Algebra Regents.
Use of a Calculator
It is important to note that calculators are permitted during the test. When preparing, a student use the calculator that she plans on using during the test, so she is familiar with it. Many answers to the test can be easily found with the use of a graphing calculator. However, students shouldn’t expect to be able to answer all of the questions with a calculator. For example, there are questions which will ask students to interpret the meaning of specific mathematical terms in a given function or to write their own functions based on given information. On the day of the test, students may be asked to clear the memory from their calculators, so they cannot store information or formulas.
Other Resources
All of the Algebra Regents that have been administered since June 3, 2014 can be found here: http://www.nysedregents.org/algebraone/, along with the answer keys and charts to convert the raw score to a scaled score.
