The state exam is for graduates of recognised foreign medical schools who, depending on their category, must pass an exam before an internship or a licensing exam. It tests clinical knowledge across five specialties and is administered by the Israeli Medical Association (IMA / האיגוד הרפואי בישראל).
This article contains only information confirmed by official IMA and Ministry of Health sources. Where the official website does not separately state information at the time this article was updated, this is clearly noted.
Who Administers the Exam
The exam is organised and conducted by the IMA / Scientific Council Examination Committee (האיגוד הרפואי בישראל). IMA is responsible for registration, scheduling, running the exam, publishing results and handling appeals.
The Ministry of Health determines a candidate's eligibility — the right to sit the exam — and makes final licensing decisions. For questions about admission and licensing status, contact the MoH; for questions about the exam itself, contact IMA.
Exam Subjects
The IMA syllabus covers five specialties. According to the official IMA website, the exam comprises a total of 210 questions distributed as follows:
The topics listed are the main sections of the IMA syllabus for each discipline, not an exhaustive list of exam questions. According to the official IMA syllabus, it also covers interpretation of laboratory data, imaging and other diagnostic investigations; specific requirements are stated in each discipline's syllabus.
Exam Format
According to the official IMA pages ('Study Materials and Exam Structure', 'Exam Day Instructions'):
- The exam is computer-based — answers are recorded on screen only (computer format introduced October 2019)
- Total of 210 questions, split into two parts: Part A and Part B
- Each part lasts 2.5 hours (excluding any additional time)
- No break between parts
- Passing score — 60
For candidates entitled to extra time, the standard addition is 45 minutes per part. Extra time is not granted automatically — only to candidates who meet the established criteria.
Available Exam Languages
According to the official IMA registration page, candidates may choose one of four languages at registration:
- Hebrew
- English
- Russian
- Arabic
Schedule and Frequency
According to official IMA data, state exams are held twice a year:
- Winter session
- Summer session
Registration deadlines are published by IMA separately for each session. The final exam date is published on the IMA website at least 30 days in advance. IMA sends details of the venue and conditions to registered candidates who have been granted exam eligibility. The venue is specified in the invitation for each session.
Results and What Happens Next
Results are published in the exam personal area. Under current IMA rules, publication takes place within the set deadline after approval by the examination committee — the current official IMA page states up to 60 days. The exact publication date is announced separately by IMA. Results are not communicated by telephone.
IMA transmits the result ('עובר' / 'נכשל' — pass / fail) to the Ministry of Health.
After passing, the next step depends on the candidate's category. For some it is admission to an internship; for others it is continuation of the medical licence application procedure. IMA publishes separate MoH instructions for each of these categories on its website.
The full journey from degree to licence is described in "How to Confirm a Medical Degree in Israel: Step-by-Step Path to a Licence".
Appeals
According to the official IMA page 'Results and Appeals':
- Passing score — 60
- Only candidates with an officially published score between 55 and 59 inclusive are entitled to submit an appeal
- Candidates with a score of 54 or below may not submit an appeal
- An appeal may be submitted once; the appeal committee's decision is final
- Appeals must be submitted only through IMA's dedicated online system — not by email or post
- Appeals must be written exclusively in Hebrew; appeals in other languages are not considered
- The deadline for submitting an appeal is displayed in the exam personal area