Applicants with Certificates from Abroad
Applicants with matriculation certificates or high school diplomas from abroad that allow them to register at universities in their native countries may submit these certificates of diplomas. In addition, the applicant is required to submit a notary translation into Hebrew or English of all certificates and transcripts.
Applicants are required to submit original certificates and documents that have been approved by the Registration Unit of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Applicants with matriculation certificates equivalent to Israeli matriculation certificates
1. Applicants for whom it is possible to calculate a matriculation grade average and who meet the registration requirements of the University will be considered in accordance with the acceptance requirements of the various departments.
2. Applicants for whom it is not possible to calculate a matriculation grade average and who meet the registration requirements of the University will be discussed individually.
Applicants who wish to study in departments where there is a requirement of at least 4 units of mathematics must present a certificate that attests to them studying at this level.
Applicants with matriculation certificates not equivalent to Israeli matriculation certificates
These applicants are required to study in a university preparatory program at a university in Israel. Their acceptance will be considered in accordance with their psychometric exam or S.A.T. grade (with the exception of Medical School and the School of Pharmacy) and their achievements in the preparatory program, in line with the acceptance and registration requirements of each department. Applicants for the Natural Sciences and Engineering faculties should study
at the relevant preparatory programs.
Applicants who meet one of the following conditions are exempt from participation in the preparatory program:
1. Those with matriculation certificates equivalent to the Israeli matriculation certificate
2. American high school graduates who took Advanced Placement (A.P.) exams, provided they meet the following criteria:
A. They were tested in at least four subjects.
B. Their score in each subject is at least 4.
C. Their high school average is at least B (3.0).
3. Those with an academic background from an accredited institution who completed a full academic year of study in a field relevant to the departments to which the applicant is applying provided the applicant took a total of at least 30 credits. Medical school applicants are required to have taken at least 40 credits. Credits from one institution only will be counted—it is not possible to accrue credits from more than one institution for this purpose.
4. Examinees of Israeli matriculation exams, as follows:
A. Mathematics: 3 units. Applicants applying to departments where there is a requirement for at least 4 units in the subject of mathematics are required to study at this level.
B. Hebrew: language and expression: 2 units
C. English: 4 units (except for those whose high school language of instruction was English)
D. An additional elective subject that is not a language: at least 3 units. For the engineering sciences, physics is obliged.
5. Those with high school diplomas from abroad who want to study in the humanities only and have received an exemption from Hebrew studies based on the results of the Hebrew Proficiency Exam (YAEL test)
6. Applicants for the following departments: Sociology and Anthropology, Geography, Education, Politics and Government and Social work, whose S.A.T. scores are at least 1260 in both the critical reading and math sections and 600 in the math section.
Applicants who are exempt from preparatory studies will be considered in accordance with the registration and admission requirements of each department.
The S.A.T.
The University accepts the score of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (S.A.T.) as a substitute for the psychometric exam, except in the cases of the Medical School and the School of Pharmacy.
The examinee's S.A.T. score will be calculated from the critical reading and mathematics sections only. (The score is valid for 10 years.)
The grade in the writing section will not be taken into account. Applicants who have taken this test and are interested in their scores being taken into account will attach an official S.A.T. score document. Only an original copy or a copy approved by the Registration Unit of Ben-Gurion University will be taken into account for acceptance. Applicants are required to present the test scores on time.
For applicants who submit S.A.T. scores and also take the psychometric exam, the higher score will be considered. S.A.T. scores are "translated" to the scale of the psychometric test scores.
Due to the limitations of “translating" the S.A.T. scores to the psychometric exam scale, it is recommended that all applicants, particularly Israeli applicants living abroad, take the psychometric examination of the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation.
The English level of the S.A.T. examinees will be determined according to the critical reading section, not including the new “essay" section, or according to the test score on the English Proficiency Exam (AMIR exam), whichever is higher. The English level according to the S.A.T. score is as follows: 450-499 Basics, 500-599-Advanced A, 600-669-Advanced B, 670-800 Exemption. For applicants who take the psychometric exam, the English level is determined by the score on the English section of the exam.
Knowledge of Hebrew (YAEL)
Applicants with a high school diploma from abroad who have not studied Hebrew in a recognized university preparatory program, applicants who have taken the psychometric entry exam in a language other than Hebrew, and applicants who have taken the S.A.T. must take a Hebrew Proficiency Exam (YAEL test) to determine the level of their knowledge of Hebrew.
