Scores

Downloadable Forms

How are the scores calculated?

Scores are calculated in a three-stage process:

1. Calculation of the scores in the multiple-choice sections: the raw score is equal to the total number of correct answers. In order to enable comparison of scores between those taking the test on different dates and with different test forms, the raw scores are converted to a uniform scale, ranging from 50 to 150.

2. Calculation of the essay score: the essay is scored by two evaluators according to four criteria: content, structure, richness of language and correctness of language. Each evaluator scores the essay independently. The score for the essay is the average of the scores given by the two evaluators, and is also converted to a uniform scale ranging from 50 to 150.

3. Calculation of the YAEL General Score: the final score is a weighted average, in which the scores in the multiple-choice sections have a weight of 2/3 and the score for the essay has a weight of 1/3.

The YAEL General Score also ranges from 50 to 150.

Since the December 2002 test, the YAEL scores are calculated differently than previously, and so scores since that date cannot be compared to scores from earlier dates.

What is the significance of the scores?

There is no “pass grade” or “fail grade” in the YAEL test. The scores are used to determine whether examinees will be required to take Hebrew language courses, and if so at what level. In some educational institutions the score is also one of the entrance requirements.

Each institution takes independent decisions on the basis of the test scores. If one institution makes a particular decision based on an examinee’s score, another institution will not necessarily make the same decision.

Services offered by the Scoring Department include score reports to institutions and examinees, and reevaluation requests.

NITE recommends ordering these services by logging on to the website. They can also be ordered using the procedures listed below:

Score Reporting

Reporting scores to educational institutions

Educational institutions handle candidates on the basis of the scores reported directly to them by NITE. Each institution is committed to use the scores only as part of their admission process.

Your scores will be reported directly to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Bar-Ilan University, Haifa University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv University, the Technion, Ariel University and the Open University of Israel within 45 days of the test date. Your scores will also be reported to the other institutions that you selected on the registration form. The institutions to which NITE can report scores are listed here.

NITE will not report scores to any institutions other than those selected during registration.

Change requests

If you wish, after registration you may request that your score be reported to institutions other than those you listed on the registration form, exclude it from being reported to one or more universities (including the Technion), or request a report by email. NITE recommends doing so by logging on to the website or through the downloadable Reporting Scores to Institutions form. Save the form to your computer and send it as an email attachment to the Scoring Department, score@nite.org.il. If you do not receive an acknowledgment, please contact the scoring department by telephone the day after submitting the request in order to confirm that your request has been received.

Change requests are free of charge.

After a score report request is submitted, the scores will be available to institutions. The scores are retrieved by the institutions within seven working days. There is no possibility of shortening the reporting time.

Scores

Downloadable Forms

Reporting Scores to Examinees

Within 45 days of the test date, around the date that the score is reported to academic institutions, you will be able to check your score by logging on to the NITE website with the personal details (ID number or foreign passport number, and password) with which you are registered on the website. Your score will also be emailed to you.

The report includes the following details:

• The score in each of the two sections: multiple-choice questions and essay.
• The YAEL General score, calculated as a weighted average of the two per-section scores.

Every report is accompanied by an Explanatory Leaflet.

• The scores for all examinees on a particular date are calculated simultaneously. There is no way to report any one examinee’s scores before the others.
• NITE does not report scores by telephone or fax.

Within three months of the test date you may request an extra copy of the score report to be mailed to you free of charge. After this period NITE recommends ordering copies on the website or with the downloadable Credit Card Payment Save the form to your computer and send it as an email attachment to score@nite.org.il. Please contact the Scoring Department by telephone the day after submitting the request to confirm that the request has been received.

Requesting answer sheet reevaluation

The answer sheets are read by an optical scanner. This method is extremely accurate, but NITE offers manual re-evaluation of answer sheets. The essay is not re-evaluated, but a check is performed that the evaluation results were correctly entered.

There is a service charge for re-evaluation, but if the re-evaluation confirms that an error occurred in scanning the answer sheet, this charge will be refunded. Past experience shows that errors are extremely unlikely. If you want to request your answer sheet to be re-evaluated, we recommend doing so by logging on to the website, or with the downloadable Credit Card Payment for Answer Sheet Re-evaluation Save the form to your computer and send it as an email attachment to score@nite.org.il. Please contact the Scoring Department by telephone the day after submitting the request to confirm that the request has been received.

Requests for answer sheet re-evaluation may be made up to three months after the test date. We will respond seven working days after the request and payment are received.

Summons for retesting

During the test evaluation, routine checks are made to confirm that every examinee’s score is a faithful reflection of his or her ability. Sometimes NITE has difficulty assessing a test score because of exceptional or inconsistent results or on account of technical issues. If doubt arises concerning the reliability of a test for whatever reason – including those mentioned above – the examinee will be summoned for a retest at NITE’s Jerusalem office, and the test score will be frozen until the question is settled. After the retest NITE will take a decision concerning further treatment of the case.

The summons for retest is normally sent in writing to the affected examinees within six weeks of the test date, but may be sent later.