The Bagrut certificate in Israel
The principles of schooling in Israel, 10th to 12th grade:
Taking into account their capabilities, inclinations and areas of interest, all students will, to a great extent, be given the chance to choose - after consulting with school counselors and with their approval - the scope and level of every subject they take.
In Israel, some subjects are compulsory for all students:
1. The Jewish people and its spiritual heritage; Hebrew language; Literature; History of the Jewish people and the State of Israel (Civic Education).
2. General subjects, such as: Social Sciences, Universal History, Universal Literature, Foreign Languages, Art.
3. Science subjects such as: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography.
4. Life within society; esthetic values; physical education.
Israel´s high schools enjoy a high degree of autonomy in their pedagogical activities. Every school may initiate, plan and implement educational, teaching and cultural activities within its own framework.
The final baccalaureat examinations, bagruiot, are actually a recap of 12 years of study in Israel. (The Hebrew word bagrut means "maturity", the transition period from childhood to being a young adult). The certificate issued to students who have completed their studies at an accredited high school in Israel summarizes their academic achievements and attests to their knowledge and capabilities.
To obtain the certificate, students must:
1. Obtain at least 20 credit points through bagrut examinations, plus another 7 credit points from school-graded subjects.
External examination — this is a test written by the Education Ministry which reaches the school just before it is taken. Special wardens appointed by the Ministry are present during the examination, in order to guarantee that proper procedures are maintained. Upon completion, the tests are immediately taken to the Education Ministry where they are graded by teachers who do not know whose test they are checking. The schools do not know who grades their tests.
Internal (school) exam - a test written by the class teacher, who also does the grading. This process is supervised by the school.
A credit point is given for an hour a week during each of the last three school years, or for three hours a week during one year. The default level for a subject is 3 credit points; the higher level (expanded subjects) is 4 or 5 points.
Compulsory bagrut subjects: English, Mathematics, Bible, Literature, Hebrew Language, History, Civic Education. Optional subjects: e.g., Biotechnology, Computer Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Dance, Music, Drawing and Art History, Communications, Electronics, Control, Robotics, Geography, etc.
2. Taking exams in all the compulsory subjects.
3. Taking an exam in at least one expanded (4-5 credit points) subject. This must be one of the subjects declared by the Education Ministry as belonging to the "general culture" category.
4. To take part in Physical Education classes and not get a "fail" grade.
Beyond the above, students must obtain internal grades for all subjects studied in class for which an external bagrut examination is not given.
New immigrants (olim khadashim) get a break on those subjects where achievement is a function of knowledge of Hebrew, plus a bonus of 10 grading points on regular subjects (not one of the Hebrew-dependent subjects) except Mathematics.
To calculate the final grade, the grade given by the school´s teaching staff and the bagrut exam grade are assigned equal weighting - 50% each.
The grade for the year consists in:
The grade achieved at the internal examination, the format of which is similar to bagrut itself. It is given a week or two before the external exam.
The grades achieved in the subject during the year.
Class attendance.
Fulfilling requirements — projects and exams.
Conditions for enrolling into college in Israel:
Passing a Scholastic Aptitude Test given by the National Examination and Evaluation Center.
Israeli bagrut certificate covering 20 or more units, including grades in the following subjects:
Bible, Hebrew Composition, Literature, History and Civics Education for a total of 8 or more units.
English, 4 or more units (minimum grade: 60).
Mathematics: 3 or more units.
Expanded subject: 4 or more units.
Alternate subjects exist for religious-sector education (Jewish Philosophy, etc.).
Some colleges and universities will accept examinations passed in other languages instead of English. Haifa University accepts Russian or French; Tel-Aviv University will admit immigrants who have passed exams at a 4-unit level in some other foreign language, with a minimum grade of 60.
Exact Sciences schools will prioritize candidates who have passed exams in scientific subjects for a total of at least 14 units with good grades.
To encourage students to take expanded subjects and pass the corresponding exams, all higher academic institutions add 10-point bonuses to the grades obtained in selected subjects.
Taking into account their capabilities, inclinations and areas of interest, all students will, to a great extent, be given the chance to choose - after consulting with school counselors and with their approval - the scope and level of every subject they take.
In Israel, some subjects are compulsory for all students:
1. The Jewish people and its spiritual heritage; Hebrew language; Literature; History of the Jewish people and the State of Israel (Civic Education).
2. General subjects, such as: Social Sciences, Universal History, Universal Literature, Foreign Languages, Art.
3. Science subjects such as: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography.
4. Life within society; esthetic values; physical education.
Israel´s high schools enjoy a high degree of autonomy in their pedagogical activities. Every school may initiate, plan and implement educational, teaching and cultural activities within its own framework.
The final baccalaureat examinations, bagruiot, are actually a recap of 12 years of study in Israel. (The Hebrew word bagrut means "maturity", the transition period from childhood to being a young adult). The certificate issued to students who have completed their studies at an accredited high school in Israel summarizes their academic achievements and attests to their knowledge and capabilities.
To obtain the certificate, students must:
1. Obtain at least 20 credit points through bagrut examinations, plus another 7 credit points from school-graded subjects.
External examination — this is a test written by the Education Ministry which reaches the school just before it is taken. Special wardens appointed by the Ministry are present during the examination, in order to guarantee that proper procedures are maintained. Upon completion, the tests are immediately taken to the Education Ministry where they are graded by teachers who do not know whose test they are checking. The schools do not know who grades their tests.
Internal (school) exam - a test written by the class teacher, who also does the grading. This process is supervised by the school.
A credit point is given for an hour a week during each of the last three school years, or for three hours a week during one year. The default level for a subject is 3 credit points; the higher level (expanded subjects) is 4 or 5 points.
Compulsory bagrut subjects: English, Mathematics, Bible, Literature, Hebrew Language, History, Civic Education. Optional subjects: e.g., Biotechnology, Computer Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Dance, Music, Drawing and Art History, Communications, Electronics, Control, Robotics, Geography, etc.
2. Taking exams in all the compulsory subjects.
3. Taking an exam in at least one expanded (4-5 credit points) subject. This must be one of the subjects declared by the Education Ministry as belonging to the "general culture" category.
4. To take part in Physical Education classes and not get a "fail" grade.
Beyond the above, students must obtain internal grades for all subjects studied in class for which an external bagrut examination is not given.
New immigrants (olim khadashim) get a break on those subjects where achievement is a function of knowledge of Hebrew, plus a bonus of 10 grading points on regular subjects (not one of the Hebrew-dependent subjects) except Mathematics.
To calculate the final grade, the grade given by the school´s teaching staff and the bagrut exam grade are assigned equal weighting - 50% each.
The grade for the year consists in:
The grade achieved at the internal examination, the format of which is similar to bagrut itself. It is given a week or two before the external exam.
The grades achieved in the subject during the year.
Class attendance.
Fulfilling requirements — projects and exams.
Conditions for enrolling into college in Israel:
Passing a Scholastic Aptitude Test given by the National Examination and Evaluation Center.
Israeli bagrut certificate covering 20 or more units, including grades in the following subjects:
Bible, Hebrew Composition, Literature, History and Civics Education for a total of 8 or more units.
English, 4 or more units (minimum grade: 60).
Mathematics: 3 or more units.
Expanded subject: 4 or more units.
Alternate subjects exist for religious-sector education (Jewish Philosophy, etc.).
Some colleges and universities will accept examinations passed in other languages instead of English. Haifa University accepts Russian or French; Tel-Aviv University will admit immigrants who have passed exams at a 4-unit level in some other foreign language, with a minimum grade of 60.
Exact Sciences schools will prioritize candidates who have passed exams in scientific subjects for a total of at least 14 units with good grades.
To encourage students to take expanded subjects and pass the corresponding exams, all higher academic institutions add 10-point bonuses to the grades obtained in selected subjects.
