How the Final Bagrut Grade Is Calculated: Year Grade, Exam and the Weights in Each Subject
The final bagrut grade is calculated in two steps. First, in each external paper, the exam grade is combined with the year grade the school gives (often called the "magen" grade): usually 70% exam and 30% year grade, and half and half in math. Then the papers and the school assessment are weighted by each one's share of the subject. In a typical subject that is 70% external assessment and 30% school assessment. Only the final grade appears on the certificate, and the pass mark is 55.
The formula, in two steps
Multiplying the two steps, in a typical subject the exam itself is worth about 49% of the final grade (70% of 70%), the year grade 21%, and the school assessment 30%. That is our arithmetic from the structure the Ministry of Education publishes, not a number it states.
Source: Ministry of Education parents portal, bagrut grades and summer 2026 exam instructions, page 2
A full example
A student got 80 on the external exam, a year grade of 90, and 95 in the school assessment for the same subject:
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Paper grade | 0.7 × 80 + 0.3 × 90 | 83 |
| Subject grade | 0.7 × 83 + 0.3 × 95 | 86.6 |
The exam itself was 80, but the final grade is close to 87, thanks to the year grade and the school assessment. It works the other way too: a low year grade pulls a good exam grade down.
The weights in each subject
| Subject | What counts, and how much |
|---|---|
| Math, 3 units | First paper 25%, second 35%, third 40% (35172 or 35173, 35371, 35372). Each paper is 50% exam and 50% year grade |
| Math, 4 units | 35471: 65%, 35472: 35% |
| Math, 5 units | 35571: 60%, 35572: 40% |
| Physics, 5 units | Mechanics 30%, electricity 25%, lab 15%, school assessment 30% |
| Biology, 5 units | Theory exam 55%, lab 15%, bio-research (school assessment) 30% |
| English, 5 points | Module E 27%, Module G 27%, literature (Module F, internal) 26%, oral exam 20%. Each written module is 70% exam and 30% year grade |
| Hebrew language | Paper 11281: 70%, school grade 11283: 30% |
| Bible (state schools) | Regular track: exam 70% with a year grade, plus school assessment 30%. Flexible track: exam 35% with no year grade, 2 online tasks 35%, school assessment 30% |
Sources: math, physics, biology, English, Hebrew, Bible. Math has no 30% school-assessment component, and the weights are the same in the old curriculum (35182, 35381, 35382 and so on).
Bible, history, civics and literature: two tracks
From the 2026-27 school year every humanities subject is examined externally, and the school picks one of two tracks for each study group:
| Track | External exam | Online tasks | School assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular ("old") | 70%, with a year grade | None | 30% |
| Flexible ("new") | 35%, no year grade | 2 tasks, 35% | 30% |
In the flexible track there is no magen grade: the exam grade counts as it is. So find out which track your class is on before you calculate.
Source: Exams Division annual circular 2026-27, page 2 and the flexible bagrut program
What happens when the year grade is far from the exam grade
The rule is called differential weighting (shakad), and it is checked per school and per paper, not per student. If a school's average year grades are far above its exam average (or far below), and a statistical test shows the gap is extreme, the year grade's weight drops for every student in that school on that paper. Under the procedure published in the past, the thresholds were a gap of more than 20 points in favor of the year grade or 12 in favor of the exam, and the 2021 Tirosh committee report notes the method is still in use. The current thresholds are not published in an official source today.
Source: Tirosh committee report (2021), on the Knesset site
The pass mark, and failing one subject
- The pass mark in a subject is 55.
- You can still get a bagrut certificate with one failed subject if its grade is 45 or more, or if it is below 45 but two other subjects of 3 units or more add up to 150. All other grades must be 55 or more.
- This exception does not apply to Hebrew expression (for Jewish students) or Arabic (for Arab and Druze students).
- Some academic institutions will not admit students without a pass in math and English, even with a full certificate.
Source: parents portal, exceptional eligibility for a bagrut certificate
The math safety net
A student in 4- or 5-unit math whose weighted grade is between 51 and 59, with at least 51 on one of the exams, can move down a level instead of failing. Moving from 4 to 3 units adds 25 points per paper; moving from 5 to 4 units adds 15.
Source: math safety net, Exams Division
What about the war-time reliefs?
In summer 2026 the year grade's weight rose to 40% when it helped the student, and to 60% in math. According to the 2026-27 circular, those reliefs were for that year only and do not continue. Anyone calculating now should use the regular weights in the table.
Where to see your grades
Grades appear on the Ministry of Education students and graduates portal, with your ID number and a one-time code. Note: the official certificate shows only the final grade of each subject. The exam grade, the year grade and separate paper grades appear on no official document and are not sent to universities.
Once you have final grades in every subject, the next step is the bagrut average universities calculate, with bonuses for advanced subjects. The Focusity calculator does it for free, and the guide how each university calculates the bagrut average explains the differences between institutions.
Calculate my bagrut averageFrequently asked questions
How is the final bagrut grade calculated?
In two steps. In each external paper, 70% exam grade and 30% year grade, or 50% and 50% in math. Then the papers and the school assessment are weighted by each one's share. In a typical subject that is 70% external assessment and 30% school assessment.
What is the magen grade?
The common name for the year grade the school gives ahead of the external exam. In most papers it is 30% of the paper grade, and 50% in math. In the flexible humanities track there is no year grade, and the exam grade counts as it is.
How is the final math grade calculated?
Each paper is half exam grade and half year grade. At 3 units the papers are worth 25%, 35% and 40%, at 4 units 65% and 35%, and at 5 units 60% and 40%. Math has no 30% school-assessment component.
How is the 5-unit physics grade calculated?
Mechanics 30%, electricity 25%, lab 15% and school assessment 30%.
What is the bagrut pass mark?
55. You can get a certificate with one failed subject if its grade is 45 or more, or if two other subjects of 3 units or more add up to 150, but not in Hebrew expression for Jewish students or Arabic for Arab and Druze students.
Do the exam grade and the year grade appear on the certificate?
No. The certificate, and what is sent to universities, shows only the final weighted grade of each subject.
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