November 3rd, 2023

On Thursday, November 16, any Grade 11 or 12 student who was previously eligible, but have not yet written the test, or who have not yet been successful, will be writing the Ontario Secondary Schools Literacy Test (OSSLT). Students must successfully complete this literacy requirement for the granting of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. All current Grade 10 students will be writing the OSSLT in the spring of 2024. The OSSLT will be a regular school day, with a regular schedule for all other students. Students who should be writing this fall have received an email to their WRDSB email account – if your student did not receive an email but believes they should be writing, please have them contact their guidance counsellor or administrator.
Key Dates to Note:
  • Nov 7 & 8: An information, tips and practice session will be run in D111 at the start of lunch for ALL students who will be writing this fall. Students have been added to a D2L Brightspace classroom to access OSSLT Preparation Materials.
  • November 15: A practice OSSLT session will be run in D111 at the start of lunch. This is a valuable sessions, as students will practice logging in to the kiosk, and will experience a simulated test.
  • November 16: Grade 11 and 12 students writing the test will report to the library at 8:10am (do not go to your homeroom first). Part A is designed to take 65 minutes, but students may take up to 130 minutes to complete it. They will return to class as scheduled when done. Lunch break will go on as scheduled, from 10:50am  to 11:50am. Pizza lunch will be provided to students. Part B will begin after lunch and is designed to take 75 minutes, but students may take up to 150 minutes to complete it. Students will return to class when done.
On the Day of the Test:
  • Remind your student to be on time (8:10am in the library).
  • Ensure your student has a fully charged and working WRDSB Chromebook.
  • Encourage your students not to rush through the test – they have the full amount of allotted time to complete Part A (in 130 mins) and Part B (in 150 minutes).
  • Encourage students to reread and check their work.
  • Some students may want to bring a mouse or headphones.
Parents and students interested in learning more about the OSSLT are invited to visit the EQAO website at https://www.eqao.com/the-assessments/osslt/ If you have any further questions please contact your student’s guidance counsellor or vice principal.