You need to have at least 40 hours of community involvement activities (volunteering) to graduate and earn your OSSD.
You must meet the literacy graduation requirement to earn your high school diploma.
For most students, this means passing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
If you do not pass the OSSLT, there are other ways to meet the literacy graduation requirement.
You need the following 17 compulsory credits to get your OSSD:
4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
3 credits in mathematics (Grade 9, Grade 10 and 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
2 credits in science
1 credit in technological education (Grade 9 or Grade 10)
1 credit in Canadian history (Grade 10)
1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)
1 credit in the arts
1 credit in health and physical education
1 credit in French as a second language
0.5 credit in career studies
0.5 credit in civics and citizenship
1 credit from the STEM-related course group
The following apply to compulsory credit selections.
You can use the Grade 11 English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit Voices course to meet the Grade 11 English compulsory credit requirement.
You can use the Grade 9 Expressions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Cultures course to meet the compulsory credit requirement in the arts.
STEM-related course group
Of the 17 compulsory credits, you must complete 1 from the following group:
business studies
computer studies
cooperative education
mathematics (in addition to the 3 compulsory credits currently required)
science (in addition to the 2 compulsory credits currently required)
technological education (in addition to the 1 compulsory credit required)
You must earn 13 optional credits by successfully completing courses from your school’s program and course calendar.
You need the following 18 compulsory credits to get your OSSD:
4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
3 credits in mathematics (at least 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
3 credits for group 1, 2 and 3 courses (1 credit in each group)
2 credits in science
1 credit in Canadian history (Grade 10)
1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)
1 credit in the arts
1 credit in health and physical education
1 credit in French as a second language
0.5 credit in career studies
0.5 credit in civics and citizenship
The following also apply to compulsory credit selections.
You can use the Grade 11 English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit Voices course to meet the Grade 11 English compulsory credit requirement.
You can use the Grade 9 Expressions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Cultures course to meet the compulsory credit requirement in the arts.
Group 1, 2 and 3 compulsory credits
Of the 18 compulsory credits, you must complete 1 from each of the following groups:
Group 1
English (including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course) or French as a second language
Native languages
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit studies
classical studies and international languages
social sciences and the humanities
Canadian and world studies
guidance and career education
cooperative education
American Sign Language as a second language
Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde
Group 2
health and physical education
the arts
business studies
French as a second language
cooperative education
American Sign Language as a second language
Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde
Group 3
science (Grade 11 or 12)
technological education
French as a second language
computer studies
cooperative education
American Sign Language as a second language
Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde
The following conditions apply to compulsory credit selections from the above 3 groups.
In groups 1, 2, and 3, you can count a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language as compulsory credits, 1 from group 1 and 1 from either group 2 or group 3.
If you have taken Native languages in place of French as a second language in elementary school, you may use a Level 1 or 2 Native languages course to meet the compulsory credit requirement for French as a second language.
You can count a maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education as compulsory credits from any of the above 3 groups.
You must earn 12 optional credits by successfully completing courses from your school’s program and course calendar.