← English Language syllabus

New YorkEnglish Language

Exam Strategy

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you read the command words and task directions precisely so you do exactly what each part asks?

Command words and task directions: reading the key command words on the Regents (identify, analyze, develop, distinguish) and decoding the bulleted task directions for Parts 2 and 3, so each response does exactly what is asked rather than a nearby task.
How to read the command words and task directions on the Regents: what identify, analyze, develop, and distinguish ask for, and how to decode the bulleted directions for the Part 2 argument and Part 3 response, so each answer does exactly what is asked.
8 min answer →

What is the shape of the whole Regents ELA exam, how do the parts add up, and how does the raw score become a grade out of 100?

The three-part exam format: the structure of the whole Regents ELA exam (Part 1 Reading Comprehension, Part 2 Source-Based Argument, Part 3 Text-Analysis Response), how the raw points combine, and how the total converts to a scaled score out of 100 with 65 to pass.
The shape of the whole Regents ELA exam: Part 1 Reading Comprehension (24 multiple choice), Part 2 the Source-Based Argument (out of 6), and Part 3 the Text-Analysis Response (out of 4), how the raw points combine, and how the total converts to a scaled score out of 100 with 65 to pass.
8 min answer →

How do you budget three hours across the three parts so each task gets the time it needs?

Timing and pacing the exam: budgeting the three hours across Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, deciding an order to tackle the parts, leaving time to plan and proofread the essays, and avoiding the common timing failures.
How to budget three hours across the Regents ELA exam: a workable time plan for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, deciding an order to tackle the parts, leaving time to plan and proofread the essays, and avoiding the timing failures that cost otherwise strong students marks.
8 min answer →

How do the two essay rubrics work, what do their shared criteria reward, and how do you use them to raise your score?

Understanding the scoring rubrics: how the two holistic essay rubrics work (Part 2 out of 6, Part 3 out of 4), the four shared criteria they both use, what holistic scoring means, and how to use the band language to lift a response.
How the two Regents ELA essay rubrics work: the Part 2 6-point and Part 3 4-point holistic rubrics, the four shared criteria (Content and Analysis, Command of Evidence, Coherence/Organization/Style, Control of Conventions), what holistic scoring means, and how to use the band language to raise a response.
9 min answer →