At some point in Grade 10, your teen's school will mention "the OSSLT," and most parents end up with the same three questions. Is it a big deal? Does it count toward their mark? What if they don't pass? The short answers: it matters, it doesn't touch their grades, and not passing isn't the end of anything. Here's the longer version.

What the OSSLT actually is

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test is run by EQAO, the province's testing agency. It checks whether students can read and write at the level expected by the end of Grade 9, across all subjects, not just English.

Your teen needs to pass it, or complete the literacy course we cover below, to get their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). That's the part that matters.

What it isn't: a ranking, or part of any course mark. You might be thinking of the Grade 9 EQAO math test, which now counts for 20% of the final grade under Ontario's new exam and attendance rules.

When your teen will write it: 2026–27 dates

There are two windows each year:

The school picks the actual day, so don't assume it's the first week. Check the school newsletter or just ask the guidance office. The last two days of each window are kept for students who were away.

Most students write it for the first time in Grade 10. Anyone who missed it or didn't pass can write it in a later window, including in Grade 11 or 12.

What's on the test

It's done on a computer, at school, in two sessions of about 65 and 75 minutes. There are 37 questions. Thirty-five are multiple-choice style (some drag-and-drop or drop-down), and two are written answers, one of them an opinion essay.

The reading passages are everyday reading: news reports, short information pieces, dialogues and real-life stories. There are built-in tools too, like text-to-speech, a line reader, a highlighter and a space for rough notes.

If your teen has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), ask the school about accommodations now. Don't leave it to test week.

How it's scored, and what if they don't pass

Scores run from 200 to 400, and 300 is a pass. It's not a percentage. EQAO's scoring also weighs how hard each question was, not just how many your teen got right.

Most students are fine. In 2025–26, 86% of first-time writers in English-language schools passed. The number worth paying attention to is the other one: only 49% of students rewriting it passed. So waiting for the next attempt and hoping isn't much of a plan. If your teen doesn't pass, find out early what tripped them up.

They can rewrite in the spring or the next school year. After two attempts, with at least one unsuccessful, they can take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) instead, which counts in place of the test. A principal can approve that sooner if it's the right call for your teen.

And if the result isn't what you hoped, how you handle it at home matters more than the score. Our tips on talking about a disappointing result apply here too.

Four ways to help in the weeks before the test

EQAO says no extra prep is needed, since the test is based on what students already learn in class. That's true. But a nervous teen does better when nothing on test day is a surprise.

1. Do the practice test together. It's free on EQAO's OSSLT page and looks like the real thing. At the end it shows the right answers and sample responses. Go through those with your teen; that's where the learning is.

2. Write one opinion essay. It's marked on two things: how well the ideas are developed, and spelling, grammar and punctuation. Pick a side, give two or three reasons with real examples, then proofread. That covers most of it.

3. Try the tools. If your teen reads better with text-to-speech or a line reader, the practice test is where they'll find out.

4. Don't make it bigger than it is. Sleep and a decent breakfast will do more than cramming the night before. If nerves are already building, the same steps for easing exam stress work here too.

EQAO also runs free webinars for parents. You'll find them on the same page.

Not sure if your teen is ready, or what to do after a result you didn't expect? Get in touch. We're happy to talk it through.