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Standards and Instruction

General Education and Diploma Requirements

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Regents Diploma with Honors

To earn a Regents Diploma with Honors, a student needs to have a computed average score of 90 or higher on all Regents examinations required for the Regents diploma (no rounding up is permitted).

The examination requirements include a passing score on the following Regents exams or Department Approved Alternatives:​

Students who substitute more than 2 Department Approved Alternatives for these required Regents exams are not eligible for the honors endorsement.

In instances where students received exemptions from Regents Examinations, the calculation for the honors endorsement will be dependent upon the number of scored Regents Examinations the student has.

  • Students with a minimum of three scored Regents Examinations applicable to the diploma
    • In instances where students have at least three scored Regents Examinations to be included in the assessments required for the diploma type, exemptions due to COVID-19 would be removed from the calculation. If the computed average of the Regents Examination scores required for the diploma (not including exemptions) equals 90 or above, the student earned the honors endorsement.
  • Students with fewer than three scored Regents Examinations applicable to the diploma
    • The student’s final course grade for each exempted Regents Examination will be substituted in the calculation for honors. If the computed average of the scored Regents Examinations and the final course grades for courses for which exemptions were granted equals 90 or above, the student earned the honors endorsement.

Note:  Additional information regarding the honors endorsement and Regents exam exemptions can be referenced in questions 44-46 of the Frequently Asked Questions Related to the June 2021 and August 2021 Exemptions from Diploma Requirements. 

Example 1:

English Language Arts (ELA) 97
Algebra I 76
Living Environment 99
US History & Government 88
CDOS n/a
Average 90

This student earned a Regents Diploma with Honors.  The student's computed average equals 90 (97 + 76 + 99 + 88 = 360; 360/4 = 90).  The CDOS commencement pathway represents the final diploma requirement; therefore, the average is based only on the 4 Regents exam scores. 

Example 2:

English Language Arts (ELA) 65
Geometry 100
Chemistry 95
Global History & Geography 96
Algebra II 98
Average 90.8

This student earned a Regents Diploma with Honors.  The student's computed average equals 90 (65 + 100 + 95 + 96 + 98 = 454; 454/4 = 90.8).  The additional math Regents exam represents the pathway for this student; therefore, the average is based on the 5 Regents exam scores.

Example 3:

English Language Arts (ELA) 88
Algebra I 96
Living Environment 100
US History & Government 77
AP Biology Exam 3
Average 90.25

This student earned a Regents Diploma with Honors.  The student's computed average equals 90 (88 + 96 + 100 + 77 = 361; 361/4 = 90.25).  The AP Biology exam represents the pathway for this student; therefore, the average is based only on the 4 Regents exam scores. 

Example 4 (with exemptions):

English Language Arts (ELA)

Final Course Grade: 94

 E
Algebra I 92
Earth Science 89

Global Studies & Geography

Final Course Grade: 96

 E

US History

Final Course Grade: 88

 E
Average 91.8

Since the student has fewer than three scored Regents Examinations, the student’s final course grades for the courses for which exemptions were granted must be substituted in the calculation for the honors endorsement.

The student's computed average equals 91.8 (94 + 92 + 89 + 96 + 88 ÷ 5). Since the computed average of the two Regents Examination scores (92, 89) and the final course grades (94, 96, 88) equals 90 or above, the student earned the Regents diploma with honors.

Transfer Students: Students who transfer to a New York State high school for the first time in grades 11  or 12, and have either one or two Regents examination(s) waived, may receive a Regents Diploma with Honors.  The requirements to receive a high school diploma with honors remain the same, except with a fewer number of required Regents examinations and with appropriate annotations on transcripts and permanent records.