Features

This week Berkeley High School students sat for the first of three sets of the California Exit Exam for the new school year. 

Approximately 200 juniors, seniors and students who have transferred from out of state took the English and math exams on Tuesday and Wednesday.  

Students can’t graduate from high school until they have passed the exit exam. 

The juniors and seniors who took the exam are ones who didn’t pass the exam in previous attempts, said Berkeley Unified School District spokesperson Mark Coplan. 

“There were also a couple of former Berkeley High students who met all of the requirements for graduation last year, with the exception of the Exit Exam,” he said. “One of these students actually returned from her family’s new home in Texas to take the exam because her BHS diploma meant that much to her.” 

Seniors are allowed to take the test up to three times this year. Juniors can take it twice and the sophomore class will take the test once in February. 

Senior Lashawnda Thompson said that she was taking her math test for the second time. 

“I passed English, but my math is not that good,” she said. “Today’s exam was pretty good and I hope I pass.” 

Another senior, who did not want to give her name, said that she was taking the math test for the fourth time. 

The results are usually available within two months.