Biology PLDs by exam
From NY Science Standards Wiki
Which PLD a question best matches is a judgment call by the wiki's editors. NYSED does not publish official mappings of exam questions to performance levels.
This page shows the performance level of every question on each released Biology Regents exam, organized by standard. Each number in the table is the PLD level (1–5) assigned to one question; click a number to open that question. Levels are listed from lowest to highest within each cell. The full PLD text and question stems are on Biology questions by performance level.
Performance levels by standard and exam
| Standard | Topic | June 2025 | August 2025 | January 2026 | June 2026 | August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HS-LS1-1 | DNA and Protein Synthesis | 1, 1, 3, 3 | 1, 2, 2 | 1, 1, 2, 4 | 1, 3 | 1, 4 |
| HS-LS1-2 | Body Systems and Functions | 1 | 1, 1, 2, 2 | 2, 2, 2 | 1, 1 | 1, 1 |
| HS-LS1-3 | Homeostasis and Feedback | 1, 2, 3 | 1 | 2 | 1, 2, 2 | 3, 3 |
| HS-LS1-4 | Mitosis and Differentiation | 3 | 1, 1, 3 | 2 | — | 1, 1, 2 |
| HS-LS1-5 | Photosynthesis | 1 | — | 1, 4 | — | 2 |
| HS-LS1-6 | Synthesis of Biomolecules | 1, 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
| HS-LS1-7 | Cellular Respiration | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| HS-LS1-8 | Human Reproduction and Development | — | 3, 3 | 1 | 1, 2 | — |
| HS-LS2-1 | Carrying Capacity and Ecosystems | 1, 1, 2, 3 | 2 | 4 | 3, 3, 4 | 2, 2 |
| HS-LS2-2 | Biodiversity and Populations | 2 | 1, 2, 2 | 2, 2 | 1, 2 | 2, 2, 2 |
| HS-LS2-3 | Matter and Energy in Ecosystems | 3 | — | 2 | 1, 2, 3 | 1, 1 |
| HS-LS2-4 | Energy Flow and Matter Cycling | 2, 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 |
| HS-LS2-5 | The Carbon Cycle | 2 | 1, 2 | — | 2 | 2, 2 |
| HS-LS2-6 | Ecosystem Stability and Change | 2, 2, 3, 3 | 2 | 1 | 2, 3, 3 | 2, 2, 4 |
| HS-LS2-7 | Human Impacts on Biodiversity | — | — | 2, 2 | 1, 2, 2 | 2, 3 |
| HS-LS2-8 | Group Behavior and Survival | — | 1 | 1, 1, 2 | 1 | 2 |
| HS-LS3-1 | DNA, Genes, and Traits | 1, 1, 1 | — | 1, 1, 1, 1 | 1, 2, 2 | 2, 2 |
| HS-LS3-2 | Sources of Genetic Variation | 1, 2 | 2 | 1, 3 | 2, 3 | 1, 2, 3 |
| HS-LS3-3 | Genetics and Probability | — | 1 | 3, 3, 3 | — | 2 |
| HS-LS4-1 | Evidence for Evolution | 1, 2, 3, 4 | 1, 2, 3 | 1, 3 | 1, 1 | 3 |
| HS-LS4-2 | Mechanisms of Natural Selection | 1, 2, 2, 3 | 2, 2, 3, 3 | 1, 2, 2 | 1, 3, 3, 3 | 2 |
| HS-LS4-3 | Natural Selection and Traits | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 1, 2 |
| HS-LS4-4 | Natural Selection and Adaptation | 4, 4 | 1, 1, 2, 3 | 2 | 1, 2, 4 | 2, 4 |
| HS-LS4-5 | Environmental Change and Evolution | — | 1 | — | 2, 2 | 1, 2, 2 |
| HS-ESS2-6 | Carbon Cycling | 3, 3 | 2, 3, 3 | 2, 2 | 3 | 3 |
| HS-ESS2-7 | Coevolution of Earth and Life | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| HS-ETS1-1 | Analyzing Global Challenges | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1, 2 |
| HS-ETS1-2 | Breaking Down Complex Problems | 1 | — | 1, 3 | — | 3 |
| HS-ETS1-3 | Evaluating Solutions and Trade-offs | 1, 2, 4 | 3, 4, 4 | 1 | 1, 3, 4 | 2 |
| HS-ETS1-4 | Modeling Solutions with Simulations | — | — | — | — | — |
| Totals (L1 / L2 / L3 / L4 / L5) | 17 / 13 / 13 / 5 / 0 | 15 / 16 / 12 / 2 / 0 | 17 / 17 / 8 / 3 / 0 | 17 / 17 / 12 / 3 / 0 | 11 / 26 / 8 / 3 / 0 | |
Distribution by level
| Level | June 2025 | August 2025 | January 2026 | June 2026 | August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 17 (35%) | 15 (33%) | 17 (38%) | 17 (35%) | 11 (23%) |
| Level 2 | 13 (27%) | 16 (36%) | 17 (38%) | 17 (35%) | 26 (54%) |
| Level 3 | 13 (27%) | 12 (27%) | 8 (18%) | 12 (24%) | 8 (17%) |
| Level 4 | 5 (10%) | 2 (4%) | 3 (7%) | 3 (6%) | 3 (6%) |
| Level 5 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Questions | 48 | 45 | 45 | 49 | 48 |
| Mean level | 2.13 | 2.02 | 1.93 | 2.02 | 2.06 |
Page contributors: Conrad Richman