Melanie Gonzalez Barahona and Hafsa Faisal
Now that finals week is over, a new testing week is upon the students of Cardozo High School: Regents Week. This week consists of retaking regents exams from past years and now, a brand new addition to the Cardozo community—the Mock Regents.
Regents Week takes place from Tuesday, Jan. 23 to Friday, Jan. 26. Monday, Jan. 22 is a normal school day with a regular class schedule. The rest of the week will consist of exams for students, both regular New York State Regents Exams, and, for the first time, Cardozo will be running Mock Regents.
The schedule for the week is as follows:
- 10th Grade ELA – Tuesday, January 23rd – MORNING EXAM (8:30am)
- Living Environment – Tuesday, January 23rd – AFTERNOON EXAM (12:30pm)
- United States History – Wednesday, January 24th – MORNING EXAM (8:30am)
- Algebra I – Wednesday, January 24th – AFTERNOON EXAM (12:30pm)
- Global History – Thursday, January 25th – MORNING EXAM (8:30am)
- Geometry – Thursday, January 25th – AFTERNOON EXAM (12:30pm) ** please note the Mock Regents is a different date than the NYS exam due to space concerns
- Chemistry – Friday, January 26th – MORNING EXAM (8:30am)
Assistant Principal Ms. Rothenberg shared that, “We will not be giving Mock Regents exams in Algebra II, Physics, or World Languages.” The reason for this is, that “most students enrolled in those classes have taken at least one Regents exam and one exam that is heavily essay based.”
Many students and families around Cardozo are wondering why are students taking mock regents. Ms. Rothenberg stated, “we want students to have that experience of sitting for a long, intensive exam that is VERY similar to the one they will take in June.”
She continued saying,“…by taking mock exams, students will at least have some ‘muscle memory’ about test taking”. This creates more confidence when students walk into the June exams. Students will know what to expect and how to direct themselves during the exam.
The biggest difference between a mock regents and a normal regents exam is their weight and impact on the students.
“A normal regents exam is a graduation requirement in New York…along with the scores appearing on transcripts and shown to colleges,” Ms. Rothenberg said. “For a mock exam, they are extremely similar in length and style, but they will only count for a test grade.”
In terms of how mock exams will be graded, classroom subject-area teachers will be grading themselves—similar to how the New York State Regents are graded.
For this week, students must receive an invitation and must bring their invitation and ID to their assigned date, pens and pencils are a must to prepare for test taking. A healthy breakfast is also recommended to focus during the test. Remember, the test is 3-hours long, so use your time wisely.
Good luck to everyone this Regents Week!