Proposal for Accrediting Jerusalem Exam (Bechina Yerushalmit)

Background: The Jerusalem Exam is a course given in high schools, following a curriculum set by a committee of Hebrew Language experts at Israeli universities. It culminates in an exam set by the same committee, and graded under their direction, which constitutes the grade in the course. The exam contains a language component, and a very robust literature component. Many colleges grant college credit for this coursework and exam, and Yeshiva College has historically done so.

The goal of this proposal is to streamline the process of granting credit and to correlate the coursework with Yeshiva College’s Hebrew Language courses. Yeshiva College’s Intermediate Hebrew courses (Hebrew 1205-1206) emphasize the grammar of the Hebrew verb. Thus, a student who has covered the Jerusalem Exam and succeeded reasonably well (grades 75-85) deserves credit for their study of Hebrew literature, but ought not to be exempted from Hebrew 1205.

Proposal:

Students who begin coursework at Yeshiva College in Jan 2011 and later will be subject to the following rules:

1.  A student who receives an A or B (75% and higher) on the Jerusalem Exam scaled score (including both sections) will receive 3 credits for the Jerusalem Exam. These 3 credits will be listed on the transcript like AP credit: at the beginning of the transcript, as transfer credit. The transcript will indicate the following:

  1. Transfer Credit
  2. Jerusalem Exam
  3. Equivalent to Yeshiva College course “Elementary Survey of Hebrew Literature” (This is a new course approved by the Hebrew Department and by the Curriculum Committee, covering the curriculum of the Jerusalem Exam. This course is a “placeholder” course, but may be offered in Yeshiva College at some future time.)

2.  All students who succeed on the Hebrew Placement Test at Yeshiva College can then take an Exemption Test to be exempted from Hebrew 1205, and a separate Exemption Test to be exempted from Hebrew 1206. These tests are administered by the Hebrew Department at Orientation and before registration.

3.  To avoid unnecessary paperwork, students who score above 85% on the scaled score of the Jerusalem Exam will be automatically exempted from Hebrew 1205, without needing to take the Hebrew 1205 Exemption Test.

4.  The only way to be exempt from Hebrew 1206 is to take the Hebrew 1206 exemption test.

5.  Registrar should use the documents issued by the WZO Jerusalem Exam office to determine the scaled score. This office is responsible for issuing documents to universities.