Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test

Students are required to meet the provincial literacy requirement in order to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Successful completion of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) will satisfy this requirement. Students who have been eligible to write the OSSLT at least twice, and were unsuccessful at least once, are eligible to take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course to fulfill the literacy requirement.

To meet this requirement, and the associated provincial literacy standard, students must successfully complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). This test is scheduled and administered by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) once each year, usually at the end of March or the beginning of April.

Students will usually take the OSSLT in Grade 10, unless a deferral is granted by the principal. Students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT will have the opportunity to retake the test in subsequent years. Once students have successfully completed the OSSLT, they may not retake it.

PCA can organize the test administration for students whose Ontario Student Record (OSR) is held at PCA. The test can be written at the PCA office, where students will be invigilated by a PCA staff member. Students may also write the test at an alternative location if they make special arrangements as specified by the Ministry of Education. The test must be supervised by a suitable official who satisfies the requirements outlined by EQAO.

The fee for writing the test at PCA is $199. The fee for writing the test at an alternative location is $499.

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OLC4O) is available at PCA, and interested students should contact the appropriate Guidance Coordinator at PCA to inquire about eligibility. More information on OLC4O may be found on the Ministry of Education website.

Please contact the appropriate guidance coordinator with any inquiries regarding the OSSLT.