Which Regents exams we cover
We prepare students for two Regents exams: English Language Arts and U.S. History and Government. These are the two exams most often taken in eleventh grade and the ones where structured writing practice makes the biggest difference. We do not currently offer Regents prep in math or science.
New York State schedules Regents exams in January, June and August. Students retaking an exam often work toward the next window, and a student who has just seen a score report can start the very same week. Passing is generally a 65, and graduation requirements are reviewed by the state from time to time, so confirm what applies to your child with the school counselor or on nysed.gov.
ELA Regents: writing that earns points
The ELA exam combines reading passages with multiple-choice questions and extended written responses. The writing is scored against a rubric that rewards a clear claim, relevant evidence from the sources, and organized analysis. Most lost points are not about vocabulary. They come from essays that summarize instead of arguing, or that quote without explaining why the quote matters.
- Reading the prompt and sources for the task, and writing a claim before drafting.
- Planning in a few minutes so a timed essay has an introduction, body and a conclusion that ties back.
- Using evidence precisely: choosing the quote, then explaining it in the student's own words.
- Revising against the official rubric, with the student scoring their own draft first.
Exam details are updated by the state from time to time, so we build our practice from the most recent official exams and rating guides on nysed.gov rather than from memory.
U.S. History and Government: skills over memorization
The U.S. History exam asks students to interpret documents and write about them. A student who memorizes dates but cannot read a political cartoon or a primary-source excerpt still loses points. We review the content that matters, such as constitutional principles, major reform movements, foreign policy and economic change, then practice the skills: sourcing a document, connecting it to what was happening at the time, and writing the civic-literacy style essay with evidence and a clear line of argument.
How a Regents plan runs
We start with a student's most recent score report or a timed practice exam, whichever is more recent, and identify which parts cost the most points. Sessions then alternate between timed practice and feedback. For a retake, that feedback is aimed squarely at the gap between the old score and the target. Students leave every session with a short assignment and parents receive notes covering what was done and what comes next.
Because the practice is individual, a student who is far from passing and a student who needs ten more points on the essay get completely different sessions.
Format, price and location
Regents tutoring is $100 per hour. It is online by default over live video with a shared screen for editing essays in real time. In-person sessions are available at your home or a public spot like a library in the Bronx, Westchester, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, with a travel fee agreed in advance. For writing support beyond the exam, see reading and writing tutoring.