The Ontario Ministry of Education has mandated that the OSSLT be given to grade 10 students province-wide to determine if they can successfully demonstrate the reading and writing skills that apply to all subject areas in the provincial curriculum up to the end of grade 9.
The OSSLT is administered annually in the spring and is 2.5 hours in length. The OSSLT is designed, and its implementation is supervised, by the Ontario Education and Accountability Office (EQAO).
Receiving an Ontario Secondary School Diploma depends on passing the OSSLT. Students who are not successful on the test are able to attempt it again, in a future administration, or enrol in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course OLC40.
Students with special needs may be permitted accommodations provided they have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Students enrolled in ESL/ELD programs may be permitted special provisions or they may be deferred so that they write the OSSLT once they have a reasonable chance of success. Policies and guidelines regarding accommodations, deferrals, and exemptions are established and provided by EQAO.
Click here to go to the EQAO website for more information.