If you have a Geometry Regents exam coming up, then you’ve probably got questions. In this post, we’ll go over frequently asked questions related to this Regents test to help you in your test prep.
By the end of this post, you’ll know what score you need to earn an Advanced Regents diploma, what topics are covered on the Geometry Regents exam, and more.
To see what you already know, take our quick five-question quiz:
What We Review
Is the Geometry Regents exam hard?
The Geometry Regents test is not considered difficult to pass, although some of the concepts covered in the exam might be difficult, depending on the student. The difficulty level also depends on the score you are attempting to achieve and your reasons for taking the exam.
If your goal for taking the 2020 Geometry exam is to satisfy the graduation requirements for a Regents diploma, you will need to answer 39% of the questions on the exam correctly to pass.
If your goal is to graduate with honors, you need to correctly answer approximately 88% of the questions on the geometry Regents exam in order to satisfy the honors designation requirements.
In viewing grading trends, the Geometry Regents exam has become slightly more difficult to pass over the last five years. In 2016 and 2017 a student could pass the exam by answering 35% of the questions correctly. In 2018 and 2019, a student needed to answer 36% of the questions correctly in order to pass. As of the January 2020 conversion chart, a student needs to answer 39% of the questions correctly in order to pass (31 raw score).
That same trend is not evident in the honors designation for the Geometry Regents exam. In order to receive the honors designation, a student must score an average scale score of 90 on all of their Regents exams. In 2016, a 90 scale score on the Geometry exam required correct responses on 86% of the exam questions. In 2020, a 90 scale score required the student to answer 88% of the questions correctly. While there has been a slight increase, it is not as steep as that for achieving a non-honors diploma.
If you would like more information on the grading process for the Geometry Regents exam, please see the question, “How are Geometry Regents graded?” below.
Are Geometry Regents exams timed? How long are they?
The Geometry Regents test is timed. Students have three hours in which to complete the exam booklet. The test designers acknowledge that many students will complete the exam in less than three hours. However, no student is permitted to leave the testing area until the allotted time has elapsed.
The New York State Department of Education provides a test guide that can provide you with more information on how the Geometry Regents test is administered.
How are Geometry Regents graded?
Your Geometry Regents exam will be graded by a minimum of three licensed New York mathematics teachers. No teacher is allowed to score the exam of their own students.
The Geometry exam consists of four sections: one multiple choice section and three constructed response sections.
- Part I of the exam is multiple choice and consists of 24 questions. Each question is worth 2 credits, allowing for a total possible score of 48 credits.
- Part II consists of 7 questions worth 2 credits each, allowing for a maximum possible score of 14.
- Part III consists of 3 questions worth 4 credits each, for a total possible score of 12.
- Part IV contains 1 question that is worth 6 total credits.
The combination of the four parts allows for a maximum score of 80 points. A student’s score on these four sections is totaled to determine their raw score. This raw score is then converted to a scale score using state-issued conversion charts. This scale score is your final exam score.
The scale score is then converted into the performance level that corresponds to the score on the conversion charts. Students must score a performance level of 3 or higher in order to receive a Regents diploma. A Local Diploma requires a performance level score of 2 or higher.
Prior to 2018, the Geometry Regents exam consisted of 36 questions with a maximum point total of 86. For the 2018 exam, the number of questions in part IV were reduced to one question worth 6 credits so that there were 35 questions in total. This change was made listening to the feedback of educators.
The January 2020 conversion chart lists the following scores that are needed to reach the different performance levels on the Geometry Regents exam:
|
Minimum Raw Score |
Minimum Scale Score |
Performance Level |
|
63 |
85 |
5 |
|
54 |
80 |
4 |
|
31 |
65 |
3 |
|
22 |
55 |
2 |
How do Geometry Regents exams work?
The Geometry Regents exam is one of three math exams designed and administered by the New York State Board of Education to demonstrate students’ understanding of a variety of mathematical concepts. The Geometry exam is designed to test students’ mastery of the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics.
The exam consists of 35 questions that are based on the learning standards defined by the state department of education. In 2018, the Geometry Regents test was redesigned with one less test question.
The Geometry Regents test questions are crafted by licensed New York teachers. Roughly one-third of the exam covers the concept of congruence. Another third of the exam covers similarity, right triangles and trigonometry. The final third of the exam is made up of questions covering a variety of topics, including expressing geometric properties with equations, and modeling with geometry.
Your school will release your Geometry Regents score on your high school transcript. They will also post it on your NYC Schools account. Each school also has the option to either display all student’s Regent exams scores or to display just the highest exam score in each subject.
While Regent exam scores serve as an important requirement for high school graduation requirements, the exam also has other purposes. The scores on each year’s Regents exams can also be used to evaluate teacher performance and school quality.
How many Geometry Regents do you need to take to graduate high school?
Students only need to pass one Geometry Regents exam in order to graduate high school. Students who do not pass the exam on their first attempt may have to take it more than once in order to obtain a passing score.
A Regents diploma only requires students to pass one of three math exams (Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2). If a student successfully passed Algebra 1 or Algebra 2, they would not be required to take the Geometry Regents exam. Be sure to read our Algebra 1 Regents FAQ and Algebra 2 Regents FAQs.
An advanced Regents diploma requires that the student take and pass all three math exams (Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2) with a scale score of 65 or higher. The advanced diploma allows students to show their proficiency in more subject areas. This additional academic effort can help a student gain admission to many colleges and universities. In addition, some colleges allow students an exemption from certain college courses with the successful completion of a Regents exam in that subject.
If a student wants to graduate with honors, they will need to score an average scale score of 90 or higher on all of the exams required for that Regents diploma. In the case of honors designations, it is not uncommon for students to retake the Geometry Regents exam more than once in order to attempt a higher score.
Students in New York state must pass a total of five Regents exams encompassing a variety of subjects to be eligible for graduation. The New York State Department of Education has outlined the requirements for each type of diploma they offer at their Graduation Requirements page.
What happens if you fail a Geometry Regents?
A passing score of 65 or higher is required if you want to use the Geometry exam to satisfy the math requirement for graduation with a Regents Diploma. Students who fail the Geometry Regents exam have the option of taking it again as many times as necessary to receive a passing grade. In addition, even if you passed the exam you can re-take it to attempt to receive a higher score if you wish. Each Regents exam is offered three times per year, in January, June and August, giving you up to three opportunities to take the exam each school year.
Because the Regents diploma only requires successful completion of one Regents math exam, if you fail the Geometry exam, you could substitute a passing score on either the Algebra 1 or Algebra 2 exam instead.
What is the purpose of the Geometry Regents exam?
The Geometry Regents exam is designed to assess students’ understanding of geometry principles relative to the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) for Mathematics.
The Geometry exam is designed to test students’ mastery in the following categories of geometric knowledge:
- Congruence
- Similarity, Right Triangles, and Trigonometry
- Circles
- Expressing Geometric Properties with Equations
- Geometric Measurement and Dimensions
- Modeling with Geometry
In their curriculum overview, the New York State Department of Education provides a detailed summary of the skills over which each student should have mastery in each of these categories.
The topics covered in the Geometry Regents exam are meant to build on the skills obtained in earlier grades. As they progress through increasingly complex math, students gain the ability to extend their mathematical knowledge and draw on that experience in problem situations.
When do you typically take Geometry Regents?
Students typically take the Geometry Regents exam as part of a three year math curriculum designed by the New York Department of Education. They recommend that students take the courses in the following order: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2. Students who take the Geometry Regents exam will take it in at the end of the semester in which they took the Geometry course.
Typically, students take Algebra 1 first in the 9th or 10th grade. If they pass Algebra 1, they can move on to Geometry in the 10th or 11 grade. Finally, the student can round out their math curriculum with Algebra 2, usually in the 11th or 12th grade.
The above timeline for this progression puts students in the 10th or 11th grade year when taking the Geometry Regents exam. However, this timeline is meant to serve as a guide. The courses can be taken earlier or later, depending on a variety of factors such as schedule, aptitude, and overall academic goals.
When is Regents Week? What are the typical start dates?
The state of New York administers the Regents exams in January, June, and August of each year. These dates allow for approximately 150 instructional days (or 30 instructional days in the case of the August exam) prior to the exam.
The January exam period is four days, the June exam period is nine days (the additional days are to accommodate a higher volume of exam takers prior to graduation), and the August exam period is two days.
The 2020 exam schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, January 21st through Friday, January 24th (The Geometry exam is currently scheduled for Wednesday, January 22nd at 9:15 AM)
- Wednesday, June 17th through Friday, June 25th (The Geometry exam is currently scheduled for Wednesday, June 24th at 9:15 AM)
- Thursday, August 13th and Friday, August 14th (The Geometry exam is currently scheduled for Friday, August 14th at 12:30 PM)
The January Geometry exam has been scheduled for the second day of testing for the last three years.
The June Geometry exam has not been given on the same day in any of the last five years. The earliest it has been given is on the fourth day of testing in 2017. It has been given on the fifth day of testing twice, in 2016 and 2019, and on the 6th day of testing in 2018. In 2020, the Geometry exam will be given on the seventh day of testing.
In the August exam schedule, the Geometry exam has been given on the second day for the last four years of the exam.
The New York State Department of Education maintains the most up to date Regents testing schedules at their website. The website also includes the test dates for the 2020-2021 school year.
Which states have Geometry Regents exams?
Although more and more states are moving away from proficiency exams, some states do still require them. The Regents exams are unique to the state of New York and are administered by the New York State Department of Education.
Need help preparing for your Geometry Regents exam?
Albert has a number of Geometry Regents practice tests for you to practice with!
