How do I prepare?

The OSSLT is not about memorizing different facts. This test is meant to test your overall reading and writing skills - your literacy at the end of grade 9! Though you don't have to study, it is important to review some of the basic knowledge and skills that the test is evaluating.

Reading

The best preparation for the reading sections of the OSSLT is to simply read. Make sure you are reading a variety of different types of texts: dialogues / plays, short stories, news articles, infographics and diagrams, graphic novels, etc. As you are reading, make sure you are actively reading - this means that you are not skimming and scanning looking for key words. Rather read carefully looking for the main idea that the author is trying to convey. Active reading might mean that you are underlining, highlighting and making notes on the text as you are go. When you are actively reading you are like a detective - you are searching for clues.

Explicit Questions ("Right There" Answers): These are the easiest reading comprehension questions. The question asks you to locate or confirm information from the text. The question is pointing you to an exact word, phrase or line from the text for you to find the answer.

• the information is clear and fully expressed (nothing is hidden or suggested)

• focus is on details and facts

• the question often uses words such as who, what, where or when about a specific detail

Implicit Questions ("Reading Between the Lines"): These questions are trickier to respond to because the answer is not stated directly. Instead you need to find clues in the text, and put the clues together with what you already know in order to figure out the answer.

• the information implied or suggested (not clearly spelled out)

• you are making a logical guess based on evidence you have in the text with your own experience

• the question often uses words such as suggests, infer, implies, why or what is the author's purpose

Writing

Practice crafting short and long answer responses on your own or my making sure you are fully developing your answers for your course work. By practing writing clear answers for your teachers, you can easily get feedback so that you know what you are doing well, and what you need to improve.