The EFL final high school examinations in Israel (Bagrut): Historical analysis

The EFL test is part of the Israeli Matriculation (Bagrut) examinations. This study analyzes its evolution since the 1930s. Over time, the Bagrut has reflected developments in the field of foreign language testing, while taking a course of its own as an institution in the Israeli educational system. The test has been subjected to continuous criticism regarding its educational, scientific, socio-economic, and political aspects. The continuous tension between the roles of the Bagrut as a final achievement test and as a proficiency test is discussed. The paper describes and analyzes a selected sample of Bagrut exams over the years of its existence. It illustrates the interdependence between the goals of teaching/learning EFL in Israeli high school, the curriculum, methodology, and the EFL test. The paper tries to evaluate the English Bagrut in terms of reliability, some types of validity, practicality, and backwash at various stages of its evolution.