The Regents Comprehensive English exam measures your ability to apply the reading and writing skills you'll need for college and career success. This exam is typically offered in January and June, and you must achieve a passing score of at least 65 to receive a Regents diploma.
Check out the suggestions below to get some idea of how you might go about getting ready for this exam in time for your test date.
As you prepare to take the Regents Comprehensive English exam, it's helpful to familiarize yourself with the structure of this test so you'll know what to expect. Below is an outline of the exam format and the skills tested in each section:
| Section | Format | Skills Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | A brief literary passage is read by the exam proctor, after which you will answer a set of multiple-choice questions. | Listening skills, ability to interpret a passage's themes and meaning |
| Part 2 | You will be asked to read two passages and then answer the multiple-choice questions following each passage. | Reading comprehension, ability to analyze literary elements |
| Part 3 | Two more reading passages will be given along with corresponding multiple-choice questions. You will then respond to two essay prompts asking you to analyze one or both of these passages. | Reading comprehension, critical-thinking and writing skills |
| Part 4 | You'll be asked to compose an essay in response to the provided quotation and writing prompt | Essay organization, critical-thinking and writing skills; ability to use evidence to support an argument |
To get first-hand experience with the test format, you can take previously administered exams available on the New York State Board of Education website. Each exam comes with a scoring key for the multiple-choice questions in addition to sample responses to the essay prompts and the ratings guides used to score them. A conversion chart is also included to help determine your score.
If you're unsatisfied with the results of your practice test or just want a thorough review of concepts covered on the exam, Study.com offers a NY Regents Comprehensive English test prep course which contains several useful resources, including short video and text lessons taught by expert instructors, practice quizzes and exams, and printable worksheets and transcripts.
Each lesson in this test prep course reviews the key concepts that will be tested on your exam. This course also offers the convenience of self-paced, engaging instruction from any mobile-ready device. Watch the lessons or take the quizzes in any order to address areas you need to work on before test day.
