New York to Remove Regents Exam Graduation Requirement
The state will shift to a single diploma model starting with the Class of 2028 to prioritize student proficiency.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Secondary Education
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New York State will eliminate Regents exams as a mandatory requirement for high school graduation beginning with the Class of 2028. This change is part of an initiative to move toward a single diploma system while continuing to use assessments to track student learning standards.
Why it matters
The NY Inspires initiative aims to shift the focus of secondary education from standardized testing to critical thinking, problem-solving, and real-world skill development. Officials determined that Regents exams were better suited for measuring individual subject achievement than overall graduation readiness.
Federal law mandates statewide assessments in English, math, and science, while state accountability systems will continue to require social studies testing. Regents exams will remain in use to monitor progress toward state learning standards.
The players
New York State
The state government is responsible for setting educational standards and graduation requirements for all public high school students within its jurisdiction.
The details
Schools will determine student proficiency using a combination of classroom tests, coursework, student projects, and teacher observations. The state plans to consolidate current diploma types, such as local and Advanced Designation, into one uniform New York State high school diploma.
Timeline
The new graduation system is scheduled to launch in the 2027-28 school year.
The Class of 2028 will be the first group not required to pass Regents exams to graduate.
Culture Shift
This policy change represents a major shift in secondary education priorities driven by the NY Inspires initiative. The state is moving away from a system defined by standardized high-stakes testing toward a model that emphasizes varied demonstrations of student competency.
Current high school seniors must continue to follow existing graduation requirements. Families of younger students should prepare for a transition to new assessment methods including projects and teacher-led evaluations starting in the 2027-28 school year.
The takeaway
Students and families should focus on maintaining strong classroom performance and completing coursework as these factors will become central to earning a diploma. This transition signals a broader move to value sustained academic engagement over success on a single high-stakes test.
Further reading
For more context on academic policies, visit the Secondary Education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Q105.
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