Students in New York State must pass five Regents Exams (Math A, Global History and Geography, U.S. History and Government, Comprehensive English,and Living Environment exams) with a score of 65 or better in order to receive a Regents diploma. If a student scores 85 or better on a Regents examination, they are judged to have achieved mastery level. If a student has an average of 90 or higher on all regents exams taken, a Regents diploma with distinction is awarded.
By passing the additional exams (Math B, a second science and a foreign language), students earn a Regents Diploma with advanced designation, which may also be awarded with distinction if all exams are passed with a grade of 90 or better.
Some students choose to take additional Regents exams -- for instance, an additional science or two, or an additional foreign language. Such exams will be noted on a high school transcript, and may of course be taken into account by colleges and universities in evaluating a student for admission, but they are not formally recognized on the diploma.
Students who pass only the minimally required exams, and only with a grade of 55 or better, do not receive a Regents diploma, but what is designated a local diploma. Such diplomas are slated to be phased out -- in fact, the Board of Regents has already announced that they will no longer be awarded, in order to require that all students meet a higher level of academic achievement, but the date for the phase out has been pushed back a number of times so as of June 2006 it is still unclear when awarding of the local diploma will actually end.