OSSLT passing score and how to meet Ontario's literacy graduation requirement
The OSSLT passing score and how scoring works, when you write the test, what happens if you are not successful, the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) alternative, deferrals, exemptions, adjudication and accommodations. Sources: EQAO and the Ontario Ministry of Education.
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Every Ontario student working toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) must meet the secondary school literacy graduation requirement. For most students that means a successful result on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), run by EQAO. Students who are not successful have more chances: retaking the test, the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) and, in limited cases, a school board adjudication process.
This guide explains the passing score and why it is not a percentage, when and where the test is written, each route to meeting the requirement and who can use it, and the mistakes that cost students an opportunity. Every fact links to the EQAO or Ministry of Education page it comes from. To prepare, use the practice questions and mock tests linked below, along with EQAO's own online practice test.
Step by step
Know what the literacy requirement is
All secondary school students must meet the literacy graduation requirement to earn an OSSD. It is based on the reading and writing expectations across the Ontario curriculum up to and including Grade 9, and the OSSLT is the usual way to meet it.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools: diploma and certificate requirements, s. 6.1.3Write the OSSLT in Grade 10
Students working toward the OSSD are expected to write the OSSLT for the first time in their second year of secondary school. This also applies to students who entered Grade 10 from outside Ontario, unless the principal grants a deferral.
Source: EQAO — OSSLT (FAQs)Know the format
The OSSLT is computer-based and written in person at your school on a digital device. It has two sessions, Session A designed for about 65 minutes and Session B for about 75 minutes, with 37 questions in total: 35 selected-response and two written open-response questions.
Source: EQAO — OSSLTReach a scale score of at least 300
Your outcome is reported as a scale score between 200 and 400, and a minimum of 300 is required for a successful outcome. EQAO uses item response theory, which takes into account your answers and the difficulty of each question, so the score is a position on a continuum, not a number of points out of 400.
Source: EQAO — OSSLT (FAQs)If you are not successful, write it again
The OSSLT is offered in the fall and spring, and a student who is not yet successful can retake it in the next administration period, in the fall, spring or both. School boards must provide remedial help to students who are not successful.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.1Or take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course
Once you have had two opportunities to write the OSSLT and were not successful at least once, you can enrol in the OSSLC; passing it meets the literacy requirement. A principal can allow earlier entry if it is in your best educational interest. The OSSLC credit can also count as the Grade 11 or Grade 12 compulsory English credit or a Group 1 compulsory credit.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.2Ask about adjudication only as a last resort
School boards may set up adjudication panels at the end of the school year for students who are otherwise eligible to graduate but, through no fault of their own, could not write the OSSLT or enrol in or finish the OSSLC, for example because of illness or because required accommodations were not available.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.5
Who can get it
- Students working toward an OSSD must meet the requirement; students working toward an OSSD under the 1989 program requirements or toward an earlier diploma do not. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3
- Mature students may enrol directly in the OSSLC without first attempting the OSSLT, or may choose to write the OSSLT. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3
- You write the test in the language of instruction of your school. A student who passed the OSSLT in English or its French counterpart at a previous board does not retake it after transferring between the English- and French-language systems. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.1
- A principal can grant a deferral to the next school year, for example for a student with an IEP who could not write even with accommodations, an English language learner not yet proficient enough, or a student who is ill or injured at test time. Documentation goes to the principal. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.3 (deferrals)
- A student whose IEP shows they are not working toward an OSSD can be exempted from the OSSLT and OSSLC, with parental consent and the principal's approval. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.3 (exemptions)
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Writing the OSSLT | Not confirmed by an official source; check with the provider | Source: EQAO — OSSLT |
| EQAO online practice test | Open to anyone on EQAO's website, with answers, rubrics and sample responses at the end | Source: EQAO — OSSLT (practice test) |
Fees change. Check the amount on the official page or with the provider before you pay.
Where to take the test
At your own school, in person, on a digital device during the regular school day. Your school schedules the sessions within EQAO's windows: November 3 to 30, 2026 in the fall and March 30 to April 19, 2027 in the spring. Source: EQAO — OSSLT
What to bring or have ready
- Accommodations arranged in advance. They must be set out in your Individual Education Plan, decided by the principal with you and your family before the test, and communicated in writing. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.3 (accommodations)
- If you are an English language learner, ask about special provisions: adjustments to the setting or timing of the test that the principal can approve before the test. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.3 (special provisions)
- Familiarity with the platform. EQAO's practice test lets you try the built-in tools, such as text-to-speech, zoom, line reader, highlighter and rough notes, before test day. Source: EQAO — OSSLT (practice test)
After you pass
After scoring, EQAO makes Individual Student Reports available to schools, and you get your report from your school. For 2026–2027, fall results are reported by the end of January 2027 and spring results by the end of May 2027. Source: EQAO — OSSLT
Validity and renewal
You meet the literacy requirement once. After a successful OSSLT result you may not retake the test, and passing the OSSLC also counts as meeting the requirement. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3
Common mistakes
- Reading 300 as a percentage. The scale score is a position on a continuum of literacy ability, not the number of points out of 400. Source: EQAO — OSSLT (FAQs)
- Assuming a deferral has no downside. A deferral is not counted as an opportunity to write, but each deferral reduces the number of opportunities you have to take the test. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.3 (deferrals)
- Planning on the OSSLC before two attempts. The usual rule is two opportunities to write the OSSLT with at least one unsuccessful result; earlier entry is the principal's decision. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.2
- Leaving accommodations to test day. They must be in your IEP and decided before the test; if they are not, a request for special consideration goes to the supervisory officer. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.3.3 (accommodations)
- Counting on adjudication at a private school. Private schools and First Nation or federally operated schools cannot offer adjudication for the literacy requirement and use the OSSLC instead. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — Ontario Schools, s. 6.1.5
Prepare for the test
Free practice written from the official material: full practice tests, a study guide, a printable sheet and a timed mock exam.
- OSSLT practice tests183 original practice questions with explanations
- OSSLT questions and answers (printable)40 original OSSLT-style reading and writing questions with a separate answer key and explanations. Print it or save it as a PDF. Free, no sign-up.
- OSSLT study guideFree OSSLT study guide: 195 key points from the EQAO Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Framework in plain words, organised by topic, each topic linked to its practice questions.
- OSSLT Mock Exam 1 – 35 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- OSSLT exam simulator35 new random questions every time, full screen, no hints
We last checked the official pages on October 17, 2026. Rules and fees can change; the official source always wins.
FAQ
OSSLT passing score and literacy requirement: common questions
What is the passing score for the OSSLT?
A scale score of at least 300. Results are reported on a scale from 200 to 400, and 300 or higher is a successful outcome.
What percentage do you need to pass the OSSLT?
There is no percentage. EQAO uses item response theory, which weighs your answers by the difficulty of each question and places you on a scale from 200 to 400; 300 is the minimum for success, and it is not 300 points out of 400.
What happens if I fail the OSSLT?
You can write it again in a later session. After two opportunities with at least one unsuccessful result, you can take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course instead; principals can allow earlier entry, and mature students can enrol directly.
Does passing the OSSLC count the same as passing the OSSLT?
Yes. Students who pass the OSSLC are considered to have met the literacy graduation requirement, and the course credit can also count as the Grade 11 or Grade 12 compulsory English credit or a Group 1 compulsory credit.
When will I get my OSSLT results?
For the 2026–2027 school year, results from the fall window are reported by the end of January 2027 and from the spring window by the end of May 2027. You receive your Individual Student Report from your school.
Can I retake the OSSLT to get a higher score?
No. Once you have successfully completed the OSSLT, you may not retake it.
Keep practising
- OSSLT questions and answers (printable)40 original OSSLT-style reading and writing questions with a separate answer key and explanations. Print it or save it as a PDF. Free, no sign-up.
- OSSLT study guide
- OSSLT Mock Exam 1 – 35 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- OSSLT Mock Exam 2 – 35 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- OSSLT Practice Test 125 questions with explanations
- OSSLT Practice Test 225 questions with explanations
- OSSLT Practice Test 325 questions with explanations
Practice by topic
- OSSLT format, scoring and the OSSLCWho writes the OSSLT and when, the two online sessions, the 37 scored questions, the 200–400 scale and the 300 standard, how open responses are scored, accommodations and the literacy course route.
- Reading: real-life narrativesOriginal true-to-life stories in the style of the OSSLT real-life narrative: find stated facts, infer feelings and motives, follow the sequence of events and connect the story to your own experience.
- Reading: information paragraphsOriginal information paragraphs on science, health, history and everyday topics: main idea, supporting details, word meaning in context and the purpose of a sentence.
- Reading: news reportsOriginal local news reports: the 5 Ws in the lead, headline and quotation use, fact versus opinion, the order of information and what a reader can infer.
- Reading: dialoguesOriginal conversations between two or more speakers: what each speaker wants, how their attitudes change, tone, and what the exchange suggests about the relationship.
- Writing: spelling, grammar and punctuationSelected-response practice on the conventions the OSSLT checks: subject–verb agreement, verb tense, pronouns, commonly confused words, commas, apostrophes, run-ons and sentence fragments.
- Writing: organizing ideasTopic sentences, logical order, transition words, paragraph unity and concluding sentences: choosing the change that makes a short paragraph clearer.
- Writing: main idea and supporting detailsSpotting the main idea of a paragraph, choosing the most relevant supporting detail and removing sentences that wander off topic.
- The opinion essayHow the OSSLT opinion essay is built and scored: a clear opinion, specific supporting details, coherent organization and controlled conventions, with original model paragraphs to analyze.