In 2025, the OSSLT will be administered to students in-person using EQAO’s digitalized e-assessment system. Students who pass the test will satisfy the literacy requirement for graduation.
What is assessed by the OSSLT?
In the reading component of the test, students use strategies to interact with a variety of reading selections and demonstrate their understanding by responding to multiple-select questions and one open-response question. These reading selections focus on three reading skills:
1. understanding explicitly stated information and ideas
2. understanding implicitly stated information and ideas (making inferences)
3. making connections between information and ideas in a reading selection and personal knowledge and experience (interpreting reading selections by integrating information and ideas in a reading selection and personal knowledge and experience)
In the writing component, students respond to multiple-select questions and demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas and information clearly and coherently through an opinion essay. The combination of these written and multiple-select questions focuses on three writing skills:
1. developing a main idea with sufficient supporting details
2. organizing information and ideas in a coherent manner
3. using conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation) in a manner that does not distract from clear communication
Since a large-scale assessment does not allow for a complete revision and refinement process, written work on the OSSLT is scored as first-draft (unpolished) writing.
EQAO WEBSITE
This site has been designed by the Ministry of Education to prepare students for success on the OSSLT. The resources are based on previous paper tests, which will still be helpful, however, this year it will be in an online format.
If students don't succeed the first time the test is written, they will have another opportunity. Schools also have the option of offering students a course in place of the test. For more information about provincial testing, visit www.eqao.com.