Exemption Criteria

Who is Exempt from the English-as-a-Foreign-Language Requirement?

Students who meet the following criteria are exempt from the English-as-a-foreign-language requirement.

• A student in a thesis track who does not meet the criteria in sections A-D must take the English placement exam.

A. Students who have passed the English placement exam for the Master's program at Bar-Ilan University and received an exemption score.

B. Holders of a full academic degree from an accredited higher education institution in a country where the official language is English, but not from the institution's extension in Israel or from an online/distance learning program or a joint program with an institution in Israel.
To request an exemption based on this criterion, a written request with the appropriate documents must be emailed to the English-as-a-Foreign-Language Unit.

C. Holders of a Bachelor's degree from the Department of English (specialization).
To request an exemption based on this section, a written request with the appropriate documents must be emailed to the English-as-a-Foreign-Language Unit.

D. Students in academic departments that do not require English as a foreign language studies.

E. Students in a non-thesis track who scored 134 or higher on the Psychometric/AMIR or AMIRNET exam in the 10 years preceding the Master’s degree. The AMIR/AMIRNET exam grants an exemption from English for the Master's degree for those with a score of 134 or higher but does not place the student into the their appropriate course levels.

F. Students in a non-thesis track who took the GMAT exam within 10 years prior to their Master's studies and scored 5-6 on the writing section.
Writing section scores are classified into the following levels:
Score 4 – Level M2
Score 3 – Level M4
Score 0-2 – Level M
To request an exemption based on this section, a written request with the appropriate documents must be emailed to the English-as-a-Foreign-Language Unit.

G. Students in a non-thesis track who took the GRE exam within 10 years prior to their Master's studies and scored 3.5-6.
The GRE scores are classified into the following levels:
Score 2.5-3 – Level M2
Score 2 – Level M4
Score 0-1.5 – Level M
To request an exemption based on this section, a written request with the appropriate documents must be emailed to the English-as-a-Foreign-Language Unit.

H. Students in a non-thesis track who took the IELTS exam within 10 years prior to their Master’s studies and scored 8-9 band in the academic format. Other results should be sent to our unit for consideration.
To request an exemption based on this section, a written request with the appropriate documents must be mailed to the English-as-a-Foreign-Language Unit.

I. Students who took the exam in the department where they are studying for the Master’s and received an exemption. Exemptions based on internal departmental exams are the responsibility of the academic department.

J. Students who changed their course of study, track, program, department, or major during their studies will be required to meet English-as-a-Foreign-Language requirement according to the new program's/track’s requirements.

K. Students with a previous Master's degree will be required to take English as a foreign language studies according to the requirements of the new program, department, or major they have been accepted to. Exceptional cases will be discussed by the English as a Foreign Language Unit.
To request an exemption based on this section, a written request with the appropriate documents must be emailed to the English-as-a-Foreign-Language Unit.

• A student in a thesis track who does not meet the criteria in sections A-D must take the placement exam.
• Students who are required to take a course based on the results of the placement exam are advised to take it in their first year of study.