Alternatives to High-Stakes Testing
Frequently Asked Questions about the Consortium

Q13: "I Took the Regents..." Why Shouldn't Everyone?

The Regents exams you took were NOT high-stakes tests.
You did not have to pass them in order to graduate!

Many students did not take Regents exams and instead graduated with a local diploma. Local diploma graduates could, and did, go on to college.

Schools can have standards without standardization.

• Independent Schools in New York State do not give Regents exams. Their graduates still attend New York State colleges and universities.
• If you live outside New York State, you do not take Regents exams. If you live in New Jersey, Connecticut, even Wisconsin, you do not take Regents exams. Yet, out-of-state graduates still attend New York State colleges and universities.
• Regents exams are not required for college scholarships. Consortium schools' students attend schools all over the country. Many receive scholarships.