Literacy Requirement
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) measures whether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. Successful completion of the OSSLT is one of the requirements to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. All students across the province write this test on the same date, usually in late March each year.
Students who are receiving special education programs and services and who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will receive the accommodations set out in their IEP.
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC)
Students who have written the OSSLT and were unsuccessful can enrol in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC).
The OSSLC provides students who have been unsuccessful on the literacy test with intensive support in achieving the required reading and writing competencies, and with an alternative means of demonstrating their literacy skills. Students who have written the OSSLT and were unsuccessful can enrol in the OSSLC.
The reading and writing competencies required by the OSSLT form the instructional and assessment core of the course. Students who successfully complete this course meet the provincial literacy requirement for graduation and earn one credit.