Ulpan · YAEL test preparation

YAEL test preparation: the score you need, and how to get there

Israel’s Hebrew exam for university admission, explained source by source. Pick your school to see the score it asks for.

What score do you need?

Take the free placement testSee the YAEL practice set

Pick a school to see its card: the score it asks for, from its own page, and your path.

Technion, undergraduate

121 on a scale of 50 to 150

At least 121: below that, the Technion won’t admit you. It counts your best score, not your latest.

Your path

  1. Take elev’s free placement test: YAEL prep makes sense from level Gimel (ג׳).
  2. Work through elev’s first YAEL-format practice set, at the end of level ד׳: sentence completions, restatements, reading comprehension. Plus reading, vocabulary and writing at levels ג׳ and ד׳.
  3. Take NITE’s free official practice tests, in the real format.

Source: the Technion admissions page, read on October 25, 2026.

Tel Aviv University, undergraduate

105 on a scale of 50 to 150

105 minimum: below it, you won’t be admitted. You’re exempt from Hebrew classes from 132.

Your path

  1. Take elev’s free placement test: YAEL prep makes sense from level Gimel (ג׳).
  2. Work through elev’s first YAEL-format practice set, at the end of level ד׳: sentence completions, restatements, reading comprehension. Plus reading, vocabulary and writing at levels ג׳ and ד׳.
  3. Take NITE’s free official practice tests, in the real format.

Source: the university’s Hebrew requirements page (updated February 11, 2024), read on October 25, 2026.

Bar-Ilan University, undergraduate

105 on a scale of 50 to 150

105 for most Hebrew-taught bachelor’s programs; 120 for single-major Psychology, Social Work, Economics, Medical Imaging and JPPE.

Your path

  1. Take elev’s free placement test: YAEL prep makes sense from level Gimel (ג׳).
  2. Work through elev’s first YAEL-format practice set, at the end of level ד׳: sentence completions, restatements, reading comprehension. Plus reading, vocabulary and writing at levels ג׳ and ד׳.
  3. Take NITE’s free official practice tests, in the real format.

Source: Bar-Ilan’s admissions page for foreign diplomas, read on October 25, 2026.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem, undergraduate

Set per program

No single score: the university sets it program by program. Check your program’s page.

Your path

  1. Take elev’s free placement test: YAEL prep makes sense from level Gimel (ג׳).
  2. Work through elev’s first YAEL-format practice set, at the end of level ד׳: sentence completions, restatements, reading comprehension. Plus reading, vocabulary and writing at levels ג׳ and ד׳.
  3. Take NITE’s free official practice tests, in the real format.

Source: the university’s bachelor’s admissions page, read on October 25, 2026.

Jerusalem College of Technology (Lev)

90 on a scale of 50 to 150

90 is the minimum to be considered for conditional admission, according to JCT’s French-language page.

Your path

  1. Take elev’s free placement test: YAEL prep makes sense from level Gimel (ג׳).
  2. Work through elev’s first YAEL-format practice set, at the end of level ד׳: sentence completions, restatements, reading comprehension. Plus reading, vocabulary and writing at levels ג׳ and ד׳.
  3. Take NITE’s free official practice tests, in the real format.

Source: JCT’s French-language registration page, read on October 25, 2026.

Israeli medical license

105 on a scale of 50 to 150

A 2013 regulation accepts 105 on YAEL as proof of basic Hebrew for the license. Passing a level ג׳ ulpan and its final exam is another way.

Your path

  1. Take elev’s free placement test: YAEL prep makes sense from level Gimel (ג׳).
  2. Work through elev’s first YAEL-format practice set, at the end of level ד׳: sentence completions, restatements, reading comprehension. Plus reading, vocabulary and writing at levels ג׳ and ד׳.
  3. Take NITE’s free official practice tests, in the real format.

Source: the 2013 regulation on physicians’ Hebrew (consolidated text, Nevo), read on October 25, 2026.

What is the YAEL test?

YAEL (יע״ל) is the Hebrew proficiency test run by NITE, Israel’s National Institute for Testing and Evaluation. Most Israeli universities and colleges ask for a YAEL score if you didn’t take the psychometric exam (PET) or the Bagrut in Hebrew, much like a TOEFL for Hebrew. Scores run from 50 to 150, and each school sets its own cutoff, for admission or to place you in Hebrew classes. YAEL test preparation starts with that number.

Every number on this page comes from the official page of the body that sets it, read on October 25, 2026: NITE, each university, the ministry.

The YAEL test format

Four sections, according to NITE. NITE may change the format, and announces it on its site before the first affected test date.

Three multiple-choice sections, two thirds of the score

22 questions and 20 minutes each: sentence completions, restatements and reading comprehension, with four answer choices. Only two of the three sections count, and you can’t tell which.

One essay, one third of the score

15 minutes to write on a given topic, graded by two raters on content, structure, language and correctness. An essay that’s too short or off topic gets the minimum score.

NITE’s free sample questions and practice tests

YAEL test dates and locations

On psychometric test day, at no extra cost

If you take the PET in a language other than Hebrew, you’re automatically registered for YAEL, given right after it on the same day.

Upcoming PET sessions in English and French, in Israel:

NITE’s test calendar

YAELNET: paid, all year round

The YAEL net exam is the same test on a computer, at NITE’s test centers in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva. Your score is online within 10 days; you can retake it as often as you like, 35 days apart at least.

YAELNET on NITE’s site

YAEL test preparation on elev today

elev’s first YAEL-format practice set is live, at the end of the adult ulpan’s level ד׳. It’s a practice set, not a simulator: no timer, and no score on the 50–150 scale.

  1. The placement test, free

    It tells you your level. YAEL prep makes sense from level Gimel (ג׳); before that, levels א׳ and ב׳ of the adult ulpan build the base.

  2. The first YAEL practice set

    A lesson on the format and a method for each question type, then sentence completions, restatements and two reading passages, all multiple choice with four options, like the real test. It’s part of the adult ulpan subscription.

    Open the set

  3. NITE’s practice tests

    NITE publishes free sample questions and practice tests, the first one in English. They give you the exact format.

And the essay? The set doesn’t cover the 15-minute essay yet. Until it does, writing practice at levels ג׳ and ד׳ gets you ready for it.

The adult ulpan, today

Levels ג׳ and ד׳ come with the adult ulpan subscription.

For the yearBest value

₪119 per month

Until 31 August 2027 · July and August free

Subscribe for the year

Monthly

₪159 per month

No commitment

Subscribe monthly

One subscription is for one student. The level is chosen after payment. The student moves up a level when ready, on their own track only: there is no way down, and no switch to the other track.

YAEL test questions

Is there an essay on the YAEL test?

Yes, according to NITE: the fourth section is a 15-minute essay on a given topic, graded by two raters. It’s one third of your score; the multiple-choice sections make up the other two thirds.

Does elev have YAEL test practice questions?

Yes: a first practice set at the end of the adult ulpan’s level ד׳, with sentence completions, restatements and two reading passages, all multiple choice with four options. It’s not a simulator: no timer, no score on the 50–150 scale, and no essay yet. For the exact format, NITE publishes free sample questions and practice tests, including one in English.

Can I take YAEL before making Aliyah?

NITE registers you with a passport. YAEL can follow a PET taken abroad, in Europe or Latin America. YAELNET is taken in Israel, all year round, at NITE’s test centers.

How much does YAEL cost?

On PET day, YAEL costs nothing extra. On its own, as YAELNET, there’s a fee: NITE’s page lists it.

Am I eligible for the free Student Authority course?

According to the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the course is free for olim eligible for Student Authority assistance who plan to study, or who were admitted on condition of passing YAEL. Individual registration has a fee, and each course runs only with enough students. Ask the Student Authority about eligibility and dates.

What level do I need to start?

elev’s free placement test tells you your level. YAEL prep makes sense from level Gimel (ג׳); before that, levels א׳ and ב׳ build the base.

Your score, your school

Start by finding out where you stand: the placement test is free.

Take the free placement testSee the YAEL practice set