Official NYSED exam booklet, scoring key, rating guide, and conversion chart
Open the exam booklet first if you are working on paper, or launch the interactive exam in All Regents to practice cluster by cluster. Confirm that the cover reads Physical Science: Chemistry—NYSED also administered a separate legacy Physical Setting/Chemistry paper during the June 2026 exam period.
Exam booklet Complete 50-question booklet and response spacesOfficial NYSED PDFScoring key Multiple-choice key and NYSP12SLS standard alignmentsOfficial NYSED PDFRating guide Acceptable responses and scoring rules for all 21 CR itemsOfficial NYSED PDFConversion chart Raw-to-scale score table for June 2026 onlyOfficial NYSED PDF
Open the 2025 Edition Reference Tables (PDF) · NYSED Physical Science: Chemistry archive
All 11 clusters in the June 2026 Chemistry Regents
Every cluster groups its questions around a shared phenomenon, reading, data table, or model. This table is generated directly from the validated June 2026 exam records in the All Regents corpus.
| Questions | Cluster & Topics | Format | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | How Glow Became GloomRadium watch-dial painters and safer glowing dials: alpha decay, ion formation, and electron energy levelsNuclear chemistry · Periodic patterns · Bonding and formulas · Electromagnetic radiation · Engineering design (HS-PS1-8, HS-PS1-1, HS-PS1-2, HS-PS4-4, HS-ETS1-3) | 2 MC, 3 CR | Practice cluster |
| 6–10 | Chemistry of BeveragesSoda going flat and acidic drinks in cans: gas solubility and temperature, moles to molecules, pH and indicatorsStoichiometry and conservation · Thermochemistry · Solutions · Acids and bases (HS-PS1-7, HS-PS1-5, HS-PS1-10, HS-PS1-11) | 3 MC, 2 CR | Practice cluster |
| 11–14 | Equilibria in the BloodOxygen and carbon dioxide carried in blood: collision theory, catalysts and reaction rate, Le Châtelier's principleReaction rates · Polarity and molecular structure · Equilibrium (HS-PS1-5, HS-PS3-5, HS-PS1-6) | 1 MC, 3 CR | Practice cluster |
| 15–18 | The Accidental Development of Breathable, Waterproof FabricHow PTFE became waterproof, breathable jackets: balancing equations, intermolecular forces, and polarityStoichiometry and conservation · Intermolecular forces · Materials and structure · Polarity and molecular structure (HS-PS1-7, HS-PS1-3, HS-PS2-6) | 3 MC, 1 CR | Practice cluster |
| 19–22 | Urban Heat IslandsGrass, artificial turf, brick, and paint in hot cities: specific heat, heat calculations, and absorbed wavelengthsThermochemistry · Electromagnetic radiation · Engineering design (HS-PS3-1, HS-PS4-4, HS-ETS1-2) | 3 MC, 1 CR | Practice cluster |
| 23–27 | Balloon ArchesSelf-inflating mylar balloons for a winter dance: gas laws, stoichiometry, and endothermic vs exothermic reactionsGases · Stoichiometry and conservation · Thermochemistry · Engineering design (HS-PS1-9, HS-PS1-7, HS-PS3-1, HS-ETS1-3) | 3 MC, 2 CR | Practice cluster |
| 28–32 | Clock ReactionTiming a starch–iodine color change: temperature and catalysts in reaction rate, plus oxidation numbers and molarityReaction rates · Acids and bases · Oxidation and reduction · Solutions (HS-PS1-5, HS-PS1-11, HS-PS1-12, HS-PS1-10) | 4 MC, 1 CR | Practice cluster |
| 33–37 | Chip Bag: PFAS vs PLA PlasticsChoosing a chip-bag plastic: polymer formation, bond strength, periodic trends, and PFAS limits in drinking waterStoichiometry and conservation · Polarity and molecular structure · Periodic patterns · Materials and structure · Solutions (HS-PS1-7, HS-PS2-6, HS-PS1-1, HS-PS1-10) | 2 MC, 3 CR | Practice cluster |
| 38–41 | Photosynthetic PathwaysTracing oxygen-18 in algae and adjusting soil for raspberries: the photosynthesis equation, nuclear decay, and pHPhotosynthesis · Nuclear chemistry · Acids and bases · Engineering design (HS-LS1-5, HS-PS1-8, HS-PS1-11, HS-ETS1-3) | 2 MC, 2 CR | Practice cluster |
| 42–45 | All About AluminumFrom bauxite to cans and foil: metallic bonding and properties, predicting formulas, and electrolysis half-reactionsMaterials and structure · Bonding and formulas · Oxidation and reduction (HS-PS2-6, HS-PS1-2, HS-PS1-12) | 3 MC, 1 CR | Practice cluster |
| 46–50 | Indoor Air PollutionVOCs, radon, and carbon monoxide at home: nuclear decay equations, intermolecular forces, and polarity in solutionsEngineering design · Nuclear chemistry · Intermolecular forces · Solutions · Polarity and molecular structure (HS-ETS1-2, HS-PS1-8, HS-PS1-3, HS-PS1-10, HS-PS3-5) | 3 MC, 2 CR | Practice cluster |
Inside the June 2026 paper: notable clusters and question designs
The June 2026 exam was the very first live administration of Physical Science: Chemistry (NYSP12SLS). Reviewing its clusters in the All Regents workspace shows how the new exam blends multiple choice with diverse 1-credit constructed responses:
- Cluster 1: How Glow Became Gloom (Q1–5): Connects the historical radium-dial paint story to nuclear decay table completion (Q1,
HS-PS1-8), periodic group properties, ionic bonding, Page 2 electromagnetic radiation energy, and radiation-shielding engineering criteria (HS-ETS1-3). - Cluster 2: Chemistry of Beverages (Q6–10): Tests gas solubility and solution concentration around beverage carbonation, including Q8’s Support / Refute claim-evidence task where students must ignore unused bottling measurements and explain why warm storage increases headspace CO2(g).
- Cluster 3: Equilibria in the Blood (Q11–14): Features three coupled reversible equations for CO2/H2CO3/HCO3− blood buffering. Question 12 is an identity-bridge model task asking students to draw an electron-dot diagram for “the gas released from the liver cells into the plasma” (CO2), alongside Le Chatelier equilibrium shifts.
- Cluster 5: Urban Heat Islands (Q19–22): Combines surface albedo/radiation absorption with multi-source calorimetry in Q20, where students pull brick mass from the prose (2,700 g), brick specific heat from the cluster table (0.84 J/g·°C), and
q = mcΔTfrom Page 4 of the 2025 Reference Tables. - Cluster 8: Chip Bag: PFAS vs PLA Plastics (Q33–37) & Cluster 11: Indoor Air Pollution (Q46–50): Test polymer cross-linking forces (Q36) and conclude with Q50’s interactive partial-charge labeling model (
δ+,δ−) on a diagram of aqueous formaldehyde and water molecules.
June 2026 conversion chart and Performance Level cutoffs
Every question on the June 2026 exam is worth 1 raw credit, for a maximum raw score of 50. NYSED’s official June 2026 conversion chart maps total raw credits to a 0–100 scale score and five Performance Levels:
| Performance Level | Scale Score Range | Raw Score (out of 50) | Key Benchmarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 (Mastery) | 85–100 | 38–50 | 38/50 = 85 · 43/50 = 91 · 50/50 = 100 |
| Level 4 (Proficient) | 78–84 | 32–37 | 32/50 = 78 · 35/50 = 81 · 37/50 = 84 |
| Level 3 (Passing) | 65–77 | 21–31 | 21/50 = 65 · 25/50 = 70 · 31/50 = 77 |
| Level 2 (Safety Net) | 55–64 | 15–20 | 15/50 = 55 · 18/50 = 60 · 20/50 = 64 |
| Level 1 | 0–53 | 0–14 | 14/50 = 53 · 10/50 = 43 · 0/50 = 0 |
In All Regents, multiple-choice items are graded automatically against the stored scoring key, while constructed responses use rubric-guided self-review. Self-scored practice helps you spot missing units, incomplete explanations, or model errors, and is not a predicted Regents scale score. Because conversion charts are equated separately for each test form, use the June 2026 chart only with a complete June 2026 attempt.
How to practice with the June 2026 paper
- Work one complete cluster or sit the full 50-question paper. Keep each cluster’s questions together so you use the shared passage, table, and figures the way the exam intends.
- Keep the 4-page 2025 Reference Tables open. Check whether a needed value is on Pages 1–4 or supplied inside the cluster stimulus.
- Write complete constructed responses. Include mathematical setups, substituted values with units, particle or Lewis electron-dot diagrams, and evidence-backed explanations where requested.
- Audit every missed credit with the Rating Guide. After submitting a cluster, compare your written work against the acceptable responses in the June 2026 Rating Guide and note whether an error came from reading the stimulus, selecting an equation, converting units, or applying a chemical principle.
Want to try the workspace first? Open a free official NYSED sample cluster → Or compare with the August 2026 Physical Science: Chemistry exam →
Frequently asked questions
- How many questions and clusters were on the June 2026 Physical Science: Chemistry Regents exam?
- The June 2026 Physical Science: Chemistry Regents exam (administered Tuesday, June 9, 2026) contained 50 questions across 11 phenomenon clusters: 29 multiple-choice questions and 21 constructed-response questions, each worth 1 raw credit (50 raw credits total).
- What was the conversion chart curve for the June 2026 Chemistry Regents?
- On the official NYSED June 2026 conversion chart (50 raw credits maximum): Level 5 Mastery (scale score 85–100) required 38–50 raw credits; Level 4 Proficient (scale score 78–84) required 32–37 raw credits; Level 3 Passing (scale score 65–77) required 21–31 raw credits; Level 2 Safety Net (scale score 55–64) required 15–20 raw credits; and Level 1 (scale score 0–53) was 0–14 raw credits.
- Where can I practice the June 2026 Chemistry Regents clusters interactively?
- All Regents (https://newregents.com/chemistry/june-2026) is the only platform where you can work all 11 clusters of the June 2026 Physical Science: Chemistry exam interactively with the 2025 Reference Tables, print-faithful booklet view, automatic multiple-choice key checking, and official NYSED Rating Guide rubrics.