Why the Claim That 78% Failed English Is Misleading

A row erupted after media reports said 78% of Israeli ninth graders failed an English exam, prompting Education Minister Yoav Kisch to post a video on social media calling the headline a “complete lie.” Kisch said, “In reality, 60% of Israeli students passed this test and did not fail it.” The dispute centered on how to interpret the results of the Ministry of Education’s new annual “Tnufa” exam, which replaced the older Meitzav tests.

The English test was given to ninth graders in the 2024-2025 school year, with results published after the exam was held in February 2025. It measured reading comprehension in different text genres and vocabulary levels required by the curriculum. The published breakdown showed 22% of students at a high performance level, 27% at medium, 10% at medium-low, and 40% at low.

The argument hinges on what counts as failure. The media report treated everyone below the top level as failing, while Kisch said only those at the low level should be considered failed. The Ministry of Education said those performance bands are not a simple pass-fail split, because students below the highest tier can still show mastery in some skills. Still, according to the national assessment body RAMA, the scale does distinguish levels of mastery: high means full curriculum attainment, medium means close to the required threshold, and the two lower bands indicate significant gaps.

That means 50% of ninth graders were in categories reflecting significant gaps in English reading comprehension, while 22% fully met the curriculum requirements. Kisch’s office also said there are substantive professional complaints about RAMA’s exams and reports, and that these are being reviewed in a professional examination led by Prof. Ami Moyal, chairman of the Planning and Budgeting Committee. The minister said only after that review is completed will the ministry respond substantively.