Bagrut certificate
The Te'udat Bagrut, also written Te'udat Bagroot, (Hebrew: תעודת בגרות, lit. Certification of Maturity) is the official Israeli matriculation certificate. It is the high school qualification certificate in Israel, also called a matriculation certificate (though not to be confused with a high school diploma or certificate which is also given in Israel after completion of the twelfth grade). The bagrut certificate is similar to the British A-levels, German Abitur, French Baccalauréat, and Austrian Matura. The certificate is given to the student after passing written (and in some cases oral) exams, and obtaining a passing mark (55% or higher) in each exam.
The entire process of the examination is governed by the country's Ministry of Education. Furthermore, the exams of all compulsory subjects (see below), and most facultative subjects, are designed and written by the Ministry as well, thereby creating a standard measure of the students' knowledge throughout the country.
The following subjects are compulsory for obtaining the certificate:
- Tanakh or the Scriptures of Christianity or Islam, in the relevant sectors of the population
- Language
- Hebrew or Arabic grammar
- Hebrew or Arabic composition
- English language (written and oral)
- Mathematics
- Knowledge of the nation and state
- Civics and Minorities studies
- History of the Jewish People
- World History
- Hebrew/Arab and world literature
- At least one facultative subject, such as geography, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, Arabic, French, etc.
- Gymnastics (not in extern schools)
For most subject matter exams, the student may choose the level of difficulty he or she would like to be tested under. This level of difficulty is expressed as "units of study" (yehidot limud), from 1 (least difficult) to 5 (most difficult). In order to receive a "full" matirculation certificate, the student must take and pass at least one subject matter exam at the 5-unit level of difficulty and earn a total of at least 21 combined study units in all bagrut exams taken.