Education Minister Yoav Kisch Releases 2026 Matriculation Exam Statistics
Education Minister Yoav Kisch released 5-unit matriculation statistics for 2026, comparing them to pre-war 2023 levels amid declining PISA scores and upcoming elections.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch presented the 5-unit matriculation data for the 2026 academic year on Tuesday. The figures were released without the possibility of comparison to the previous year, which was never published, instead being measured against 2023.
Matriculation Data and Enrollment Trends
In mathematics, 24,129 students took the exams this year, compared to 21,126 three years ago. In English, 70,587 students participated, up from 61,033, while physics saw 17,528 examinees compared to 14,701. However, the total number of 12th-grade students has grown by about 10 percent over the past three years, accounting for part of the increase.
When examining the proportion of all 12th graders, the rise is more moderate: mathematics increased from 16.59 percent to 17.23 percent, physics from 11.54 percent to 12.52 percent, and English from 47.91 percent to 50.4 percent. This indicates that roughly half of all 12th-grade students still do not take 5-unit English.
The war has exacted a toll on the education system, but our youth have demonstrated exceptional resilience. Do not give up and do not stop.
PISA Test Results and Political Context
Ministry officials noted that the data remains preliminary, as winter mathematics examinees and certain school reports have not yet been fully processed. Furthermore, the ministry did not release localized statistics for peripheral communities such as Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, Tiberias, Sderot, Ofakim, and Netivot.
The data release comes on the eve of the Knesset elections as Kisch concludes nearly four years in office. It follows the latest PISA report, which revealed a sharp decline in Israeli student performance, including a historic drop in reading scores as well as significant decreases in mathematics and science.
