Secondary School Graduation Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD): Graduation Requirements

What you need to earn an OSSD depends on the year you started Grade 9

• If you started Grade 9 in 2024 and after, you must earn: (see below)

  Starting in September 2025, you must earn a new financial literacy graduation requirement as part of your compulsory Grade 10 mathematics course. You will need to achieve a mark of 70% or higher to pass this new requirement and earn your high school diploma.

• 17 compulsory credits
• 13 optional credits
• the literacy requirement
• at least 2 online learning credits
•  

• Compulsory credits

  You need the following 17 compulsory credits to get your OSSD:

• 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
• 3 credits in mathematics (Grade 9, Grade 10 and 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
• 2 credits in science
•  

• STEM-related course group

  Of the 17 compulsory credits, you must complete 1 from the following group:

• business studies
• computer studies
• cooperative education
• mathematics (in addition to the 3 compulsory credits currently required)
• science (in addition to the 2 compulsory credits currently required)
• technological education (in addition to the 1 compulsory credit required)
•  

• Optional credits

  You must earn 13 optional credits by successfully completing courses from your school’s program and course calendar.  Optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit programs.

• 1 credit in technological education (Grade 9 or Grade 10)
• 1 credit in Canadian history (Grade 10)
• 1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)
• 1 credit in the arts
• 1 credit in health and physical education
• 1 credit in French as a second language
• 0.5 credit in career studies
• 0.5 credit in civics and citizenship
• 1 credit from the STEM-related course group
•  

• 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.

If you started Grade 9 in 2023 or in prior years, you must earn: (see below)

• 18 compulsory credits
• 12 optional credits
• the literacy requirement
• at least 2 online learning credits

Every student needs 40 hours of community involvement activities (volunteering) to get their high school diploma.

Compulsory credits

You need the following 18 compulsory credits to get your OSSD:

• 4 credits in English (1 credit per page)
• 3 credits in mathematics (at least 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
• 3 credits for group 1, 2 and 3 courses (1 credit in each group)
• 2 credits in science
• 1 credit in Canadian History (Grade 10)
• 1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)
• 1 credit in the arts
• 1 credit in health and physical education
• 1 credit in French as a second language
• 0.5 credit in career studies
• 0.5 credit in civics and citizenship

Group 1, 2 and 3 compulsory credits

Of the 18 compulsory credits, you must complete 1 from each of the following groups:

Group 1

• English (including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course) or French as a second language
• Native languages
• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit studies
• classical studies and international languages
• social sciences and the humanities
• Canadian and world studies
• guidance and career education
• cooperative education
• American Sign Language as a second language

• Group 2

• health and physical education
• the arts
• business studies
• French as a second language
• cooperative education
• American Sign Language as a second language

• Group 3

• science (Grade 11 or 12)
• technological education
• French as a second language
• computer studies
• cooperative education
• American Sign Language as a second language

• The following conditions apply to compulsory credit selections from the above 3 groups.

• In groups 1, 2, and 3, you can count a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language as compulsory credits, 1 from group 1 and 1 from either group 2 or group 3.
  • If you have taken Native languages in place of French as a second language in elementary school, you may use a Level 1 or 2 Native languages course to meet the compulsory credit requirement for French as a second language.
• You can count a maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education as compulsory credits from any of the above 3 groups.

• Optional credits

  You must earn 12 optional credits by successfully completing courses from your school’s program and course calendar.  Optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit programs.

   

All secondary students in the province of Ontario are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. The forms and additional information are provided below.

For students graduating in the 2021-22 school year, the community involvement graduation requirement will be reduced to a minimum of 20 hours. This recognizes that graduating students have had barriers to earning their community involvement hours last school year and there may be continued barriers this school year.

Students may wish to consider virtual volunteering, such as connecting with seniors, organizing virtual fundraising events and facilitating discussions with newcomer youth. Outdoor volunteer opportunities could include, for example, picking up litter.

Volunteer opportunities, such as connecting young people to be technology mentors to seniors, can be found through agencies such as Spark Ontario.

In addition, the Ministry is providing increased flexibility in how all secondary students can earn hours in 2020-21, as follows:

1. Schools will waive the restrictions that do not allow students to earn hours during the time allotted for the instructional program on a school day, or duties normally performed in the home (e.g., walking a younger child to and from school, helping younger siblings with school work).
    
2. Students aged 14 years and older can count up to a maximum of 10 hours from paid employment towards their earned hours. Students counting paid employment towards their graduation requirement will be required to complete a reflection exercise indicating how their work contributed to the service for others. A copy of this journal reflection can be found on the Grand Erie website.
    

Schools will follow Grand Erie’s processes for collecting, recording, and validating hours. An updated “Notification of Completion of Community Involvement Activities” form can be found on the Grand Erie website.
 

Benefits of 40 Hours of Community Involvement:

• Gain valuable experiences working with volunteer groups.
• Learn about service to people and organizations
• Fulfill the compulsory diploma requirement
   

Notification of Completion of Community Involvement Activities Form

• Grand Erie Community Hours 2020-21 form (PDF)
• Reflection for Community Involvement - Paid Employment (PDF)

Grand Erie’s liability insurance policy will protect students and community sponsors from litigation arising during the forty hours of community activities, other than those involving negligence.

Workplace or other accident insurance is not provided under the Board’s insurance policy. Parents should consider purchasing student accident insurance if personal coverage is insufficient.

For more, obtain insurance and Students and Accidents information.

As part of the diploma requirements, students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities during their secondary school years. Accumulation of community involvement hours may begin the summer after grade 8.

The purpose of the community involvement requirement is to encourage students to develop an understanding of civic responsibility and the role they can play in supporting and strengthening their communities. As well, such involvement can assist students in increasing their awareness of community needs and in making a positive difference. Helping others enhances the self-image of students and fosters a greater sense of belonging. Experiences in the community may also influence career choices.

The requirement is to be completed outside the student's normal instructional hours. The activities are to take place in the student's designated lunch hours, after school, on weekends, or during school holidays. Each student must submit to the school a record of his or her community involvement activities. Before engaging in volunteer activities, students (and parents) are strongly advised to confirm the eligibility of all intended volunteer activities with their school's principal or guidance office

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is administered in Grade 10. It is based on the Ontario curriculum expectations for reading and writing that have been identified across the curriculum up to and including Grade 9. The results of the OSSLT are reported as successful/unsuccessful. Students who are unsuccessful will be given clear feedback regarding their performance in order to help them address the areas where improvement is required. Students who are not initially successful will be allowed to retake the test. In addition, students who have had at least one failed attempt may enroll in the Literacy Course (OSSLC) to satisfy the diploma requirement.

A student with special education needs who has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may receive accommodations for the test. The accommodations will be the same as those that are set out in the student's IEP and/or those that are available to the student in the course of his or her regular school work, including examinations and other forms of evaluation. (Note: Adherence to the EQAO policy on accommodation for the OSSLT is required.) A deferral may be granted if the student is unable to participate in the test even if all accommodations were provided. A student whose IEP indicates that the student is not working towards the attainment of a secondary school diploma may, with the consent of the parent and the approval of the principal, be exempted from participating in the OSSLT.

An English Language Learner (ELL) may receive special provisions such as adjustments to the setting and/or timing of the test. A deferral may be granted if the ELL has not acquired a level of proficiency in English sufficient to participate.

Decisions regarding accommodations, special provisions, and deferrals are made in consultation with the student and parents or the adult student, and with the appropriate teaching staff.

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC)

The OSSLC is a Grade 11/12 Open course and is part of The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English program. Students are eligible to take this course after one failed attempt at the OSSLT with the principal's permission. When students successfully complete the OSSLC, they will have met the provincial literacy requirement for graduation. Students earn a credit for successful completion of the OSSLC which may be used as an additional English credit (to meet either the Grade 11 or 12 English credit) or a Group 1 compulsory credit.

Additional Opportunity for Students to Obtain Their Graduation Literacy Requirement (Adjudication Process)