The exam that sophomore Heath McGinnis took this week at Redlands East Valley High School could mean the difference between graduating or not.

But he wasn't sweating it Wednesday afternoon, after wrapping up his last session answering English and math questions.

"It was all pretty basic," said Heath, 15. "They gave me enough time, that's for sure."

Some 178,000 sophomores across California and the Inland area made their first attempt at the two-day California High School Exit Exam this week. San Bernardino County school districts offering the exam Tuesday and Wednesday included Rialto, Redlands and Colton.

Though they are two years away from graduation, this year's 10th-graders will be the first class required to pass the test in order to receive a high school diploma.

Many students who took the test said it was easy. Others didn't like being the first class to face the requirement. Why, they asked, couldn't it have been this year's freshmen or, maybe, no one at all?

"I don't really like the idea," said Jessica Perez, 15, while walking out of Colton High School on Wednesday. "We're already taking so many classes and exams. It's just another one we have to take to graduate."

Bill Klein, director of secondary education for the Redlands Unified School District, said officials opted to offer the test this month because students who recently finished taking remediation courses are more likely to remember the material.

"It will be fresh on students' minds," Klein said by phone. "I believe it will make a difference."

The state Board of Education last year shortened the testing period from three to two days, deleted some of the more difficult math questions and delayed the graduation requirement until 2006 to give more students a better chance to pass. Tests administered from this month forward reflect those changes.

Other Inland school districts will offer the test next month to give students more preparation time. The San Bernardino City Unified School District is expected to test nearly 4,500 sophomores next month, spokeswoman Linda Hill said.

Students who miss the February and March administrations can make up the test in May, said Lily Roberts, lead consultant in the California Department of Education's exit exam office.

Students in the class of 2006 have five more opportunities to take the exam, which is part of California's public school accountability system.

But even that won't be enough for some students, especially poor children, those who are not fluent in English and those in special education, said Yvonne Paul, spokeswoman for Californians for Justice. The statewide group last year fought for a delay to allow students more time to learn the material tested. The group's efforts to help these students continue in talks with state lawmakers and education officials.

"Sadly, for those in the class of 2006 and beyond, the threat of the diploma penalty and the real injustices are still there," Paul said by phone.

But many students finishing the test Wednesday said it covered math they learned years ago and had reading and vocabulary questions so easy they finished with time to spare.

"It's not hard," said Lilly Luna, 16, of Colton High School. "It's nothing to be stressing over."