Matriculation Examination - "Bagrut"

Education in Israel

Matriculation Examination - "Bagrut"

The Israeli public school system includes the following levels:

• Primary schools - grades 1-6;
• Middle schools – grades 7-9;
• Upper secondary/high school – grades 10-12.

Matriculation Examination – "Bagrut"

The Bagrut certificate is awarded by the national Ministry of Education to secondary school pupils who succeed in achieving passing grades in a required minimum set of examinations, some in required subjects and others in electives.

The Bagrut examinations are utilized to assess the pupils' knowledge on subjects studied in high school. While frequently compared to the New York State Regents' Exams and ETS Advanced Placement (AP) tests, the results of the Bagrut exams have even greater implications for the individual's future. In Israel, acceptance into elite military units, academic studies, and employment are heavily influenced by receipt of a Bagrut certificate and the Bagrut scores achieved.

The score recorded for the pupil in each of the subjects included in his/her Bagrut certificate is the average of the grade fixed by his/her high school and the grade received on a final examination set and graded by the Ministry of Education.

Subjects are tested a study unit level, ranging from 1 to 5 units. In general, each unit represents ninety (90) class hours devoted to the field in question.

The current list of subjects in which all candidates for the Bagrut must be tested is as follows:

Required Subject	Minimum Study Unit Level Required
Civics	1
Bible	2
Hebrew Literature	2
Hebrew Grammar	1
Hebrew Composition	1
History	2
English	3
Mathematics	3
TOTAL - Required Subjects	15

Pupils may choose to devote more of their program of studies to the above subjects and be tested at a level higher than the minimum required.

In addition to the required core subjects, each candidate for the Bagrut must be tested in one or more elective subjects, determined in keeping with the pupil's interests and the course offerings of the high school in which he/she is enrolled. Elective subjects are tested at the 3, 4, or 5 unit levels.

Bagrut examination scores are ranked according to the following scale:

Excellent	95-100
Very Good	85-94
Good	75-84
Almost Good	65-74
Satisfactory	55-64
Almost Satisfactory	45-54
Not Satisfactory	44 and below

In order to be awarded a Bagrut certificate, the candidate must be tested in subjects totaling at least 20 study units – 15 units in the required subjects and at least one elective subject, tested at the 5 unit level. A candidate will not be awarded a Bagrut certificate if he/she:

• has received a grade of 39 or lower in any required subject;
• has received a grade of 44 or lower in either Hebrew Grammar or

Hebrew Composition;
• has received a grade of 44 or lower in any two required subjects

other than Hebrew Grammar or Composition;
• has not achieved a passing grade of 45 or higher in a 5 unit elective

subject.

The Bagrut certificate contains the following information:

• pupil's name and national identification number;
• high school from which the pupil graduated;
• list of subjects, study units, and national-external and high school-

internal scores.

Pupils who intend to undertake academic degree studies at an Israeli university or college after graduating from high school need to prepare themselves to be tested in English at the 4 unit level, and in Mathematics at 4 or 5 unit level. Typically students take at least one elective course at the 5 unit level. Entrance requirements vary depending on the field of study, and certain faculties require more than one course at the 5 unit level.

The Structure of Higher Education in Israel

The higher education system is made up of:

universities, which offer Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees (with the exception of the Weizmann Institute, which offers only post-graduate degrees);
the Open University, offering Bachelor's and Master's degrees;
academic colleges, institutions of higher education that have been accredited to award Bachelor's degrees (and in some cases, Master's degrees as well);
academic teacher training colleges, which award B.Ed. degrees;
regional colleges, which offer academic courses which give credit towards degrees awarded by sponsoring universities;
and extension campuses of foreign institutions of higher education, which have been licensed by Israel's Council for Higher Education.

The Council for Higher Education is a statutory entity, empowered by law to serve as Israel's sole academic accrediting agency.

With limited exceptions, Hebrew is the language of instruction in Israel's institutions of higher education. Arabic is the main language of instruction at three teacher training colleges and in Arab teachers' centers which operate within the framework of a number of teacher training colleges. Also, some special programs are taught in English.

Admission to institutions of higher education for Bachelor's degree studies

Receipt of a "full" matriculation certificate (bagrut) from the national Ministry of Education is generally a prerequisite for admission to an institution of higher education. Those who have not received a full bagrut, whose grades are low, or who were tested at a low difficulty level in important required disciplines such as English and mathematics may try to improve their secondary school credentials by enrolling in special pre-academic programs and retaking bagrut examinations.

The second main prerequisite for admission is the national academic admissions psychometric examination. This Israeli SAT-equivalent is based on three component examinations: verbal aptitude (administered in Hebrew or Arabic); quantitative aptitude; and English. The composite examination scores, based on the results of the three tests, range from 200 to 800.

The institutions of higher education merge candidates' bagrut grades and their psychometric scores into a single composite score, which is then used to determine whether to accept or reject an applicant.

Students typically decide on their major field before applying for admission to the university or college. They apply to and are accepted by specific faculties and departments. The threshold composite score required for admission varies from course of study to course of study, in keeping with demand and the number of places available.

Undergraduate Degree Programs

By state rule, the minimum length of study for a bachelor's degree is three years. Most bachelor's degree programs at universities in Israel require three years of intensive study in a single or dual major. Exceptions are nursing, engineering, architecture, and law degrees, degrees in these fields are granted after four years of study.

Requirements for degrees are specified in terms of credit points. The curriculum is very intensive and can reach up to forty hours per week. Undergraduate students take anywhere from six to ten three unit courses per semester. The focus is on class attendance, participation in class, seminar papers and developing research skills. Typically 120 units are required to obtain a bachelor's degree, but individual departments may require more than this number of units for graduation.

The program of studies for the bachelor's degree does not include distribution requirements which mandate course work in fields not directly related to the student's major. Students typically begin concentration in their major fields from their first semester of studies.

Whereas the study of law and medicine are undertaken in the US at the post-graduate level, in Israel students are accepted to legal and medical studies on the basis of completion of secondary studies.

Master's Degree Programs

Generally students must have at least an undergraduate grade average of 80 for admission to Master's degree studies. Some departments may require a higher average in the student's major field, while others may conditionally accept students with lower grades. In some cases, the GRE and the GMAT tests, together with personal interviews, are also required.

Many university departments offer two programs of study towards receipt of the Master's degree. One program requires that students write a master's thesis and qualifies them to pursue doctoral studies in the department, while the other does not require a thesis and is designed for students who do not intend to pursue a doctorate.

With isolated exceptions, the Council for Higher Education has authorized non-university institutions of higher education to offer only non-thesis Master's degree programs.

It is expected that Master's degree students will complete their studies and the preparation of their thesis (in thesis-based programs) within two years.

Doctoral Degree Programs

Only Israel's seven universities have been authorized by the Council for Higher Education to award doctoral degrees. Usually four or more additional years, after the receipt of the Master's degree, are required to complete a doctoral program.

Admission to a doctoral degree program typically demands a Master's degree grade average of at least 80 in course work and a thesis grade of 85 or higher. At the discretion of university doctoral committees, applicants who do not meet the requisite standard within one year, may be admitted provisionally. Previous research experience and publications are taken into consideration.

In recent years, direct doctoral programs have been introduced. These programs are intended for exceptional students who in their Bachelor's degree studies earned a GPA of at least 90 in their intended major field and an average of at least 80 in other course work. The first year of a direct Doctoral program is an accelerated Master's program. If a high level of achievement is maintained, the student may bypass the second year of the master's program and proceed directly to doctoral studies. Students who decide not to continue in the Ph.D. track, and have accumulated sufficient credits, are awarded a Master's degree.