The Bagrut Explained for English-Speaking Parents

Units: the level matters as much as the grade

Every bagrut subject is studied at a number of units (yechidot). Think of units as the depth of the course: three units is the standard level, five is the most advanced. Math and English are each offered at three, four and five units, and most students also choose an elective subject, their megama, to study at five units.

Students are placed into levels in chativa and early tichon, and the placement tends to stick. If your child is on the line between four and five units in math or English, the support they get in grades 9 and 10 can decide which track they end up in.

The magen grade and the exam

Each final bagrut grade combines two parts: the grade on the external exam, and the magen, the grade the school gives based on the student's work and internal tests. A strong year at school helps protect a student from one bad exam day, which is why steady work through the year pays off.

Exams run in winter and summer sessions, and students sit them across grades 10 to 12 rather than all at once. Ask the school for your child's exam calendar at the start of each year so tutoring can be timed around it.

Why five-unit math and English matter for university

When Israeli universities calculate an applicant's bagrut average, they add bonus points to subjects taken at four and five units, and five-unit math and English carry some of the largest bonuses. The exact formula differs by university and program, but the direction is always the same: a solid grade at a higher level usually counts for more than a top grade at a lower one.

Admission also depends on the psychometric exam, which can be taken in English. For English-speaking students, that often makes it a stronger part of the application than they expect.

Accommodations for olim students

Students who made aliyah recently are entitled to accommodations on bagrut exams, which can include extra time and the use of a dictionary. What applies depends on how many years the student has been in Israel and the subject. The person to ask is the school's bagrut coordinator (rakaz or rakezet bagrut). Ask early, because accommodations have to be arranged in advance.

English-speaking students and the English bagrut

Native speakers usually take five-unit English, and most do well. The exam still has its own formats and expectations, especially in written answers, so fluent students can lose points they should have earned. A few sessions with a tutor who knows the exam is often enough.

Where tutoring makes the biggest difference

• Keeping a student in five-unit math. The jump in grade 10 is where many students drop a level. Regular support early is cheaper than trying to climb back. Math tutors
• Hebrew-heavy subjects. History, civics, Tanach and literature are written exams in Hebrew, and structure counts as much as content. History, ezrachut and Tanach tutors
• The final weeks before an exam. A tutor who knows the rubric and the questions that repeat year after year can add points quickly. Bagrut prep tutors

Frequently asked questions

Bagrut rules are set by the Ministry of Education and change from time to time. Your child's school is the authority on what applies to them this year.