This position paper presents and analyzes the changes that took place in high-level Physics matriculation exams during the last 40 years: 1975-2014.
Section A reviews the changes in the scope and depth of the material included in the matriculation exam.
Section B analyzes the changes in the contents on which the matriculation exam focuses and the characteristics of the exam questions.
Section C presents the number of pupils who study the high-level Physics in light of the above changes.
In the conclusion, we present the implications of these changes of the essence of high school high-level Physics, its teaching process and target, the characteristics of the pupils who study it, and the overall meaning of teaching and learning high school high-level Physics in Israel.