Mount Sinai NY
9-15-2026 11:40pm

New York Moves Forward With Plan to End Regents Exams as High School Graduation Requirement

LONG ISLAND, NY — A major change is coming to high school graduation requirements across New York, as the state moves forward with plans to phase out the requirement that students pass Regents exams in order to earn a high school diploma.

The New York State Board of Regents has taken another significant step toward changing the state’s graduation system, which for decades has relied heavily on Regents examinations as part of determining whether students qualify for a diploma.

Beginning with the 2027–28 school year, New York students will no longer be required to pass Regents exams in order to graduate, according to the state’s planned transition.

The change does not mean Regents exams will immediately disappear from New York schools. Instead, the state is moving toward a system in which the exams will no longer serve as a mandatory gateway to receiving a high school diploma.

For Long Island families, the change could significantly alter the high school experience for students attending public schools throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Regents examinations have long been a familiar part of high school education in New York, with students traditionally taking state exams in subjects including English, mathematics, science and social studies.

Under the state’s changing graduation framework, greater emphasis is expected to be placed on students demonstrating that they have developed the knowledge and skills needed after high school through multiple measures rather than relying primarily on standardized exit examinations.

The transition represents one of the most significant changes to New York’s graduation requirements in decades.

Supporters of changing the system have argued that a student’s ability to graduate should not depend so heavily on performance on standardized exams and that students should have additional ways to demonstrate what they have learned.

At the same time, the transition is likely to generate questions among parents, educators and school districts about academic standards, accountability and exactly how student achievement will be measured under the new system.

With implementation beginning in 2027–28, Long Island school districts will have time to prepare students, families and educators for the transition.

For generations of New Yorkers, taking the Regents exams has been considered a rite of passage before high school graduation. The state’s new direction could fundamentally change that experience for future graduating classes.

Long Island Daily News will continue following changes to New York’s graduation requirements and what they mean for students, parents and school districts across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

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