@millie210 the Regents exams are not hard for kids who are taking advanced classes. My daughter got 100’s on her Regents exams and she began taking them in 8th grade. I say this not to boast about my daughter- I say this to help you understand that although your son may spend some time reviewing for the Regents, if he is on track for competitive schools then the Regents exams will not be stressful and will actually be easy. Additionally, these tests are sometimes used as a final exam in classes so he may have no choice but to take them ( ask the school).
Regents exams can be annoying. My daughter took the English Regents in 10th grade instead of 11th. Then in 11th grade the school told her and 2 more kids that they had to take a " fake" Regents ( meaning an old Regents) because most of the kids in their AP class were taking the Regents. My daughter " fought" with the principal and reminded him that she already took the Regents and it was not necessary to take it again for absolutely no reason. He agreed - she won that argument. She attends a very well regarded public HS.
In 11th grade my daughter took AP physics. The teacher told them that the Regents is not like the class. He told them that after taking his AP class, there is no way they could walk into the Regents " cold." He was right. He gave them 3-4 practice Regents exams during the year and when she reviewed for the first one she flipped out because it was nothing like AP. Different way of thinking. It worked out fine once she reviewed a little and figured out the differences.
Junior year is stressful because of driving, AP exams, and the ACT/SAT. For students who are on the level of your son, there is no reason to worry about Regents exams. He may study for them, but he will do well and the only thing he will be giving up is 3 hours on a Tuesday morning. And like I said, by taking advanced classes he will automatically get the diploma without even thinking about it. We live in NY and I never even looked at my D’s HS diploma ( oy that makes me a bad mother lol) and she applied to selective schools.
Our district probably has about 3,200 HS students with different ability levels. Some are taking Regents level classes, and for these kids, the exams may ( or may not) be tricky. Many take review classes given at school and at local colleges. Your son does not sound like he fits into that group. Don’t stress.