Test blueprint — where the points live
NYSED publishes a percent range, not a fixed count, for each of the six blueprint topic areas. Chemical Reactions and Structures & Properties of Matter together carry 66–86% of the exam — that is where your study hours should concentrate. (Source: NYSED Educator Guide to the Regents Examination in Physical Science: Chemistry, June 2025 publication for the 2026 admin.)
Heads-up on numbering: the Educator Guide formally defines five Claims (Structures & Properties, Chemical Reactions, Energy, Waves & EM Radiation, Engineering Design). The blueprint table below shows six rows because Matter & Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems (HS-LS1-5, photosynthesis / respiration) is assessed as content folded inside Claims 2 and 3, but reported as its own slice. We keep all six on this site because each row gets its own questions.
| # | Topic | Blueprint % | Legacy topics that feed it |
|---|
| 1 | Structures and Properties of Matter | 30–40% | 1. Atomic Concepts, 2. Periodic Table, 4. Chemical Bonding, 5. Physical Behavior of Matter |
| 2 | Chemical Reactions | 36–46% | 3. Moles & Stoichiometry, 6. Kinetics & Equilibrium, 7. Organic Chemistry, 8. Oxidation–Reduction, 9. Acids, Bases & Salts |
| 3 | Energy | 10–14% | 5. Physical Behavior of Matter, 6. Kinetics & Equilibrium |
| 4 | Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation | 5–7% | 1. Atomic Concepts |
| 5 | Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems | 2–5% | 3. Moles & Stoichiometry, 6. Kinetics & Equilibrium |
| 6 | Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science | 5–11% | 7. Organic Chemistry, 8. Oxidation–Reduction, 10. Nuclear Chemistry |
The claims, in plain language
NYSED formally lists five Claims; we expand to six rows so the ~2–5% biology slice (photosynthesis / respiration) shows up explicitly. Each claim is what a student should be able to do in that area, not just know. Open any claim to see its anchor Performance Expectations and which of the legacy topic outlines on this site feed it.
Claim 1Structures and Properties of Matter
30–40% of examUse periodic patterns and particulate models to predict the structure, behavior, and bulk properties of matter — atoms, ions, molecules, gases, and solutions.
Anchor PEs: HS-PS1-1, HS-PS1-3, HS-PS1-8, HS-PS2-6, HS-PS1-9, HS-PS1-10
Study moves:- Read patterns off the Periodic Table without hesitation (radius, IE, EN, metallic character).
- Connect electron configuration → bonding type → bulk property (mp, conductivity, solubility).
- Use Table G + combined gas law as data-analysis tools, not just plug-and-chug.
Claim 2Chemical Reactions
36–46% of examPlan and interpret investigations of reactions: predict products, balance equations, model rate and equilibrium shifts, and explain redox + acid–base behavior with evidence.
Anchor PEs: HS-PS1-2, HS-PS1-4, HS-PS1-5, HS-PS1-6, HS-PS1-7, HS-PS1-11, HS-PS1-12
Study moves:- Practice writing a claim → evidence → reasoning paragraph for a reaction storyline.
- Be ready to predict how a graph (rate vs. T, [H+], or [product] vs. time) changes when one variable shifts.
- Use Table J + Table R to back up redox and organic claims with specific data.
Claim 3Energy
10–14% of examBuild and modify models that track energy flow in chemical and physical systems — PE diagrams, heating/cooling curves, calorimetry, electric/magnetic interactions of charged particles.
Anchor PEs: HS-PS3-1, HS-PS1-4, HS-PS3-5
Study moves:- Read every PE diagram for ΔH sign, activation energy, and catalyst effect in under 30 s.
- Tie q = mcΔT and q = mHf / mHv to a heating curve segment by segment.
- Explain attraction/repulsion of charged particles in terms of energy, not just force.
Claim 4Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation
5–7% of examEvaluate published claims about how EM radiation interacts with matter — absorption, emission spectra, and frequency-dependent effects.
Anchor PEs: HS-PS4-4
Study moves:- Connect bright-line spectra to electrons dropping between energy levels (Topic 1 §spectra).
- Argue from evidence: given two data sets, which supports / refutes a published claim?
Claim 5Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
2–5% of examApply conservation of matter + energy to biological systems (photosynthesis, respiration) using the same models you use for chemical reactions.
Anchor PEs: HS-LS1-5, HS-PS1-7
Study moves:- Be able to balance photosynthesis & cellular respiration and explain energy flow both ways.
- Use conservation of matter as your default check on any biological reaction model.
Claim 6Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
5–11% of examEvaluate real-world chemistry-driven designs against criteria and constraints — trade-offs in batteries, materials, fuels, environmental solutions.
Anchor PEs: HS-ETS1-1, HS-ETS1-2, HS-ETS1-3, HS-ETS1-4
Study moves:- For any design prompt, list criteria, constraints, and at least one trade-off out loud.
- Use battery / fuel-cell / recycling contexts to apply Topics 7, 8, 10 to real systems.
Required Investigations
NYSED requires students to complete a set of hands-on Investigations to be admitted to the written exam. The Investigations themselves are not scored by the state, but ~15% of written questions assess content from the required hands-on Investigations. The questions won't ask about the specific lab tasks — they assess the Performance Expectations and Science & Engineering Practices those labs build.
What that means for studying: when you review a topic, also rehearse how a scientist would investigate it — what data would you collect, what model would you build, what claim could you defend from the data?