How schooling is organised
Israel's Ministry of Education oversees several parallel streams — state secular, state religious, independent religious, and Arabic-language schools — each with its own curricular emphases within a common national framework. Instruction is in Hebrew in most streams and in Arabic in the Arab education sector, with the other language taught as a second language.
Secondary education culminates in the Bagrut matriculation examinations. Bagrut subjects are taken at different unit levels (commonly three, four or five units), and the number of units in a subject determines both its difficulty and its weight — a structural feature that shapes how Israeli students plan their final years.
What the ministry publishes
The Ministry publishes curricula (tochniyot limudim) by subject and grade, and past Bagrut papers with marking guidance are available across subjects and unit levels. The Ministry's educational portal and the Campus IL national online learning platform host free courses and curriculum-aligned material.
Material is published in Hebrew and, for the Arab education sector, in Arabic; the Ministry also maintains resources for new immigrant students learning Hebrew. English-language documentation is limited mostly to policy overviews.
Getting the most out of it
Match past papers to your unit level, not just your subject. A five-unit mathematics paper and a three-unit paper are different examinations, and practising against the wrong one is one of the most common wasted efforts in Bagrut preparation.
Because unit levels affect university admission weighting, it is worth reading the Ministry's own explanation of how the Bagrut certificate is composed before finalising subject choices.
Resource listings
AI Tools
-
AI Education Tools (Q-Bot and Binah)
Specialized AI chatbots developed for education: Q-Bot for AI literacy training and Binah for general educational assistance, integrated with ministry security systems
Educational TechnologyYears 4–12AI LiteracyDigital SkillsTechnologyCurriculum-aligned
Arabic Education
-
Arabic Language Education Track
Educational framework for Arabic-speaking schools with separate supervisory bodies for Arab, Bedouin, and Druze populations
Language TrackYears 1–12Arabic LanguageArab HistoryIslamic StudiesArab CultureCurriculum-aligned
Assessment
-
Bagrut (Matriculation) Examination System
National high school leaving examination required for university admission, administered in multiple languages with recent curriculum changes affecting civics and democracy topics
National Examination12All Academic SubjectsCurriculum-aligned
Curriculum
-
National Curriculum Framework
Centralized curriculum system covering core subjects with adaptations for different cultural and religious sectors, undergoing major updates in 2025
National CurriculumYears 1–12MathematicsScienceLanguage ArtsSocial StudiesCurriculum-aligned
Educational Innovation
-
AI Education Regulatory Sandbox
Government-funded pilot program (NIS 10 million) allowing AI startups to test personalized learning solutions in public schools with privacy and security oversight
Innovation ProgramYears 1–12Personalized LearningAI TechnologyEducational ResearchCurriculum-aligned
Educational Technology
-
Year of Artificial Intelligence Initiative (2025)
Nationwide AI integration program training 70,000 teachers and 3,000 mentors from 400+ tech companies including Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia
AI InitiativeYears 4–12Artificial IntelligenceDigital LiteracyTechnologyCurriculum-aligned
English Language
-
English Language Education Program
Comprehensive English language curriculum with specialized pedagogy and digital resources for all education levels
Language ProgrammeYears 1–12English LanguageEnglish LiteratureCommunication SkillsCurriculum-aligned
Experiential Learning
-
Mandatory Heritage Site Tours
Compulsory educational tours to Jerusalem and Jewish heritage sites including West Bank locations, part of expanded identity education program
Educational ToursYears 1–12Jewish HeritageIsraeli HistoryGeographyCultural StudiesCurriculum-aligned
General
-
Ministry of Education (משרד החינוך)
Israeli government ministry overseeing public education institutions in Hebrew and Arabic language tracks, implementing major curriculum reforms in 2025
Ministry PortalYears 1–12Curriculum-aligned
Hebrew Education
-
Hebrew Language Education Track
Educational framework for Hebrew-speaking schools serving the Jewish population with secular, religious, and ultra-orthodox streams
Language TrackYears 1–12Hebrew LanguageJewish StudiesTorahTalmudCurriculum-aligned
Heritage Education
-
Paths of Heritage (Heritage for Me)
New mandatory subject for elementary schools starting in second grade 2026, integrating heritage and personal biography studies as part of Shoreshim program
Heritage ProgrammeYears 2–6Jewish HeritagePersonal BiographyCultural StudiesZionist ThemesCurriculum-aligned
Higher Education Assessment
-
Psychometric Entrance Test (PET)
Standardized test for university admissions covering quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, and English administered by NITE
University Entrance Test12MathematicsHebrew/ArabicEnglishLogical ReasoningCurriculum-aligned
Jewish Studies
-
Shoreshim (Roots) - Jewish and Zionist Identity Program
National program making Jewish and Zionist studies compulsory in all state-funded schools starting 2026, with budget increased from 1% to 4% of education spending
Identity ProgrammeYears 2–12Jewish HeritageZionist HistoryBible StudiesIsrael's Wars and RebirthCurriculum-aligned
Religious Education
-
Mandatory Bible Studies Program
Overhauled Bible curriculum with mandatory weekly Bible lessons for all grades 1-12 and mandatory Meitzav assessment for 4th graders starting 2026-2027
Religious ProgrammeYears 1–12Bible StudiesHebrew BibleJewish HeritageCurriculum-aligned
STEM Education
-
High School AI Specialist Program
First-of-its-kind extended AI academic program in 50 high schools for outstanding students, with AI-integrated matriculation exams starting 2025
Specialist ProgrammeYears 10–12Artificial IntelligenceData SciencePython ProgrammingMathematicsCurriculum-aligned
Special Education
-
Special Education Services
Support services for students with special needs across all educational sectors and language tracks, with ongoing efforts to address funding disparities
Support ServicesYears 1–12Special SupportInclusive EducationCurriculum-aligned
All resources listed here are published by government departments, ministries, statutory examination bodies or public broadcasters and were free to access when last checked. OffLearn is not affiliated with any of them. Links open on the publisher's own site. Found a dead link? Tell us and we will fix it.
Other countries
United States
The United States has no national curriculum — standards and materials are set state by state, so the state page is the one that matters.
Canada
Canada has no federal education department at all — each province and territory runs its own curriculum, in English, French or both.
Australia
Australia teaches a single national curriculum that each state and territory adapts, so useful material sits at both the federal and state level.
United Kingdom
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run four genuinely different systems with different curricula and different exams.
New Zealand
New Zealand centralises its curriculum and qualifications nationally, so nearly all official material comes from two agencies.
Ireland
Ireland runs a centralised national curriculum with two high-stakes state examinations and an unusual optional transition year.