Matriculation (Bagrut)
High schools in Israel prepare students for the Israeli matriculation exams (bagrut). These are exams covering various academic disciplines, which are studied in units (yehidot limud) of one to five on an ascending scale of difficulty. Students with a passing mark on the mandatory matriculation subjects (Hebrew language, English language, mathematics, scripture, history, state studies and literature), who have been tested on at least 21 units, and passed at least one 5-unit exam, receive a full matriculation certificate. In 2006/7, 74.4% of Israeli 12th graders took the bagrut exams while only 46.3% were eligible for a matriculation certificate. In the Arab and Druze sectors, the figures were 35.6% and 43.7% respectively.
A Bagrut certificate and Bagrut scores often determine acceptance into elite military units, admission to academic institutions, and job prospects.
Below is a table illustrating the percentage of matriculation certificate recipients in Israel's largest cities, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (graduation year of 2002).
The Adva Center, a social issues think tank in Israel, says that about 15% of the matriculation certificates issued do not qualify the recipient for admission to Israel's universities.
| City | Recipients (%) |
|---|---|
| Jerusalem | 36 |
| Tel Aviv | 60.3 |
| Haifa | 64.3 |
| Rishon LeZion | 59.2 |
| Ashdod | 55.9 |
| Ashkelon | 58.5 |
| Bat Yam | 49.5 |
| Beersheba | 51.5 |
| Holon | 55.3 |
| Netanya | 52 |
| Petah Tikva | 57 |
| Ramat Gan | 65.3 |
Read more about this topic: Education In Israel