Guidelines for Examinees

Before the Test

Make sure you are familiar with the types of questions appearing in the test and the test instructions.

Prepare everything that you will need to bring to the test:

• The identifying document with which you registered for the test (ID card or passport). You will not be allowed to take the test without it.
• Two pencils, a pencil sharpener, and an eraser.

We also recommend that you bring:

• Your test notification slip, to check the exact time and place of the test.
• Food and drink – please avoid food which may make a noise as you eat or unwrap it.
• Simple earplugs – there are good test conditions in all the test halls, but there may be background noise in the hall, so it is recommended that you bring simple earplugs.
• Suitable clothing – take into account that the test hall may be colder or warmer than you expect.

You are allowed to bring markers to mark sections of the questions or texts which you consider important.

Make sure you know how to get to the test location so that you do not arrive late. The test is administered on many campuses throughout the country, and the test halls are scattered across the campuses. Finding your way around a campus is not always easy and may take longer than you expect. It is therefore important to find out exactly where on campus your test will take place, how best to reach the campus (by car or public transport), where to park, and how to get from the parking area (or transport station) to the test hall. The homepages of the academic institutions feature directions and maps of the campuses where the test is administered. Directions and campus maps also appear on the NITE website.

Once you have located your test hall, check that your name appears on the list posted on the door. If your name is not on the list, let the proctors know immediately. Do not enter the room until the proctors give you permission to do so.

You may not use the following devices during the test: cellular telephones (not even to check the time), walkie-talkies, cameras, recording devices, earphones, computers, tablets, calculators, watches that emit sound or have built-in calculators, portable music players, or any other item that might create a noise or disturb other examinees. When you enter the test hall, you will be asked to turn off all electronic devices, place them in your bags, and put your bags in the corner of the room. Telephones and watches that emit sound must be turned off so that they do not create a noise and cause a disturbance. You may also not use dictionaries, books, papers, or any other study aids during the test. (If you need scrap paper, you may only use the pages of the test booklet.) Anyone found with an electronic device or prohibited study aid in his or her possession during the test will be required to leave the test hall immediately.

The test includes two sections – the first section lasts about 100 minutes and the second section lasts 145 minutes. There is a half-hour break between the two sections of the test. During each section of the test, visitors are not permitted to enter the test halls and no messages may be passed to examinees.

During the Test

Pay attention to the proctors’ instructions and act accordingly.

For each of the two sections of the test, the proctors will hand out test booklets that contain the questions, and answer sheets on which you are to mark your answers to the multiple-choice questions. Answers to the open-ended questions that are included the first section of the test (Critical Review of Studies) – and which test your knowledge and understanding of statistics and research methodologies – must be written on the back side of the answer sheet (and not in your test booklet!). You must use a pencil. The proctors will announce when you may begin answering the questions and when you must stop writing. Any examinee who fails to follow these instructions will have his or her test disqualified.

The time allotted for each section of the test appears at the beginning of the test booklet (100 minutes for the section on knowledge and understanding of statistics, and 145 minutes for the section on reading and understanding texts). The allotted time includes the time needed to read the instructions and fill out the answer sheet. You may not leave the room during the test except to use the restroom. Examinees who need the restroom must raise their hand and a proctor will accompany them. Restroom breaks do not stop the clock for those examinees. Examinees will not be permitted to leave the room for any other purpose (for example, to smoke a cigarette or to purchase food and drink).

Note: The answer sheet for each section of the test must be filled in during the test allotted for that section. You will not receive extra time to fill in the answer sheet.

Note! No study aids or electronic devices may be used during the test! Anyone found with an electronic device (for example, a cellular phone or smartwatch) or any type of study aid in his or her possession during the test will be required to leave the test hall immediately and his or her test will be disqualified.

Maintain suitable decorum during the test. Treat the proctors and the other examinees with respect. Do not make a noise or cause any other kind of disturbance during the test. If you need to get a proctor’s attention, raise your hand.

Read the instructions and questions carefully.

Each type of question is preceded by the relevant instructions. Although these instructions appear in the practice tests published on the NITE website, do not rely solely on your familiarity with them. Read the instructions again, carefully. Misunderstanding an important instruction might lead to mistakes in answering all questions of that type. Moreover, the test might contain new instructions with which you are not familiar. Before answering the multiple-choice questions, it is very important that you carefully read the questions themselves and all the possible responses before choosing the correct answer. Pay attention to exactly what is being required of you in each question, and only then answer it.

Make sure you write and mark answers in the correct places.

Each examinee will receive only one answer sheet for each section of the test! You will not be able to receive an additional answer sheet or replace the one you have with another one.

Marking the answers on the answer sheet (multiple-choice questions): For each of the two sections of the test, you will receive an answer sheet that you must use to mark your answers to the multiple-choice questions in that section. Each multiple-choice question has four possible responses, and you must choose the most appropriate answer. You must choose only one of the possible responses given and mark its number on the correct place on the answer sheet. Make certain to mark the answer correctly: the correct question in the correct chapter. The answer sheets are read by an optical scanner that feeds the data directly into a computer. Use a pencil so that you can erase and correct your answers.

Below is a section of the answer sheet.

Mark your answer to each question by filling in the ellipse that corresponds to the correct response, as follows:

For example: Let us assume that you are answering question number 2, and you have decided that the correct response is 3. Find the corresponding ellipse (number 3) in the column for question 2, and fill it in as shown.

Note!

The only correct way to mark an answer is by completely filling in the ellipse. Any other mark – a vertical line, a horizontal line, a circle, etc. – will not be read by the scanner.

Fill in only one ellipse in the column corresponding to each question. If you fill in more than one ellipse per question, your answer will be disqualified, even if one of the possible responses you have chosen is correct. If you want to change an answer that you have already marked, use a clean eraser to erase the incorrect answer, and then mark the answer you want to choose. Make sure your previous answer is completely erased; otherwise, the optical scanner might read your answer incorrectly.

You must mark your answers in the time allotted for the section. You will not be given time to fill in the answer sheet after the time has elapsed. Do not fold the answer sheet, use tape on it or write anywhere other than in the designated places. Doing so could interfere with the optical scanner and affect your score. If you need scrap paper, use the test booklet. You may not use the answer sheet or other sheets of paper as scrap paper.

If you skip a question in the test booklet, make sure that you skip the corresponding place on the answer sheet. When answering subsequent questions, always check that the number of the question matches the number of the column in which you are marking your answer.

Note! You bear sole responsibility for filling in your answer sheet. It will be read exactly as you filled it in. If you mistakenly marked answers in the wrong place, there is no way to reconstruct what you really intended, and the answer sheet that you filled in incorrectly will determine your score. Make sure you fill out the answer sheet in the time allotted to that section of the test. After the allotted time ends, you will not be given additional time to copy answers you have written in the test booklet.

Critical Review of Studies questions: The answer sheet for the section on knowledge and understanding of statistics and research methodologies has two sides – on one side, you answer the multiple-choice questions for this section (questions 1-27) and on the other side, you write the answers to the Critical Review of Studies questions (questions 28-30).

For these open questions, write a short answer. Make sure your answer fits on the lines printed on the answer sheet. Do not exceed the space provided for your answers and do not write in the margins. The answer sheets are read by an optical scanner and anything written in the margins will not be recorded. You should write your answers in Hebrew only, making sure that your handwriting is clear and legible.

The optical scanner will only read what is written in pencil. To change the answers you have marked or written, you should erase them with an eraser. Make sure to bring two pencils, an eraser, and a pencil sharpener with you to the test. If you write with any other writing implement, some of your answers may not be recorded.

Guidelines for Examinees

Use your time wisely

As mentioned previously, the number of questions included in each section of the test and the time allotted for answering them appear at the beginning of the section. The proctors will announce the time allotment at the beginning of each section and write the start and finish times on the board (according to their watch/clock). The proctors will announce when there are five minutes left to complete the section. At the end of the allotted time, you will be instructed to stop working on the questions in that section and close the test booklet.

Below are some suggestions for how to use the allotted time efficiently:

• Try to answer each question in a reasonable amount of time. Once you have answered one, go on to the next question. If you cannot answer a question, do not spend too much time on it. Remember, you must answer all the questions in the section. If you spend too much time on one question, you will not have enough time for the remaining questions, which you probably could have answered and thus gained points. Easy questions and difficult questions have equal weight for scoring purposes. Therefore, there is no reason to get stuck on one question. In the time that you save, you could answer several questions.
• If you feel that you know how to answer a question but need a bit more time, mark it and return to it later. If you have time at the end of the section, go back to all the questions that you marked and try to answer them.
• If you feel that you will not be able to answer a question even if you spend more time on it, guess the answer. Your guess need not be a random one. You might be able to rule out some of the possible responses on the basis of partial knowledge, thereby increasing your chances of guessing correctly. The test score is calculated only on the basis of correct answers, and no points are deducted for incorrect answers. Therefore, if you are unable to answer a question, it is worth taking a guess. Guessing cannot harm your score; it can only improve it.
• Leave yourself a minute before the end of the section. Randomly guess the answers to all the questions that you skipped – in other words, mark any answer on the answer sheet without trying to solve the question or rule out possible responses. At this stage, there is no time for anything except to quickly fill in missing answers and make sure you have marked an answer for every question.

Compromising the Integrity of the Test and Cheating

NITE views very seriously any attempt to compromise the integrity of its tests, including any behavior that infringes on the confidentiality of the test or the use of its results. We also view very seriously any attempt to obtain a score by illegal means, such as copying during the test or impersonating someone else. Among other things, cheating may lead to situations in which unsuitable candidates are accepted, sometimes even at the expense of candidates who are better qualified for the study program in question. The National Institute for Testing and Evaluation has methods for detecting cheating and attempts to compromise test integrity, and reserves the right to react to such situations using all means at its disposal and at its discretion. These may include:

1. Invalidating the test
2. Prohibiting an examinee from taking any test administered by NITE for a period of 12 months
3. Filing a civil suit
4. Submitting a complaint to university or college disciplinary committees

Please note: Impersonating another person (such as sending someone to take the test in your place) is a criminal offense. If someone is suspected of committing such an offense, a complaint will be filed with the police and with university disciplinary committees.

It is strictly forbidden to copy, distribute, or teach the contents of a test or any part of it, in any form or by any means, without written permission from the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation. NITE will take administrative, legal, or other appropriate action against anyone violating this prohibition. Before the test begins, you will be asked to sign a declaration stating that you are aware of this prohibition and that you undertake to behave in accordance with it.

Any of the following constitutes grounds for disqualifying an examinee:

• disruptive behavior during the test
• copying, and giving or receiving help in answering a question
• using forbidden study aids, such as papers, books, calculators, and dictionaries
• opening the test booklet before being instructed to do so
• continuing to write in the test booklet after the end of the allotted time
• taking test material out of the test hall
• being in possession of an electronic device – cellular telephone, computer, music player, etc. – during the test
• disregarding the proctors’ instructions

After the Test

After completing the test, you will receive by email a link to a questionnaire in which you will be asked your opinion of the conditions and content of the test. You may also be asked to rate your satisfaction with the registration and test procedures, or to express your opinion on other issues that NITE deals with. The Feedback Questionnaire is not part of the MITAM Test; it is reviewed separately from the answer sheet, and it cannot affect you or your test score in any way. Answering the questionnaire is optional, but we would appreciate your taking a few minutes to do so, as your answers will be of great assistance to us and enable us to improve the service we offer examinees. Please note that the Feedback Questionnaire is not designed for dealing with individual inquiries. If you have any questions or complaints about the test, please address them in writing to the Customer Relations Bureau at NITE within one week of the test date. You will receive a personal reply.

Some examinees leave the test feeling that many questions were difficult to answer or that they did not manage to answer all the questions in the allotted time. It is important to realize that even though your score is based on how many questions you answered correctly, it is also calculated relative to the performance of all other examinees. Therefore, even if you left the test thinking that you performed poorly, it is still entirely possible that you did well.