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What do you need to graduate from high school with an OSSD?
18 compulsory credits
Students must earn the following compulsory credits to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma:
4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
3 credits in mathematics (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
2 credits in science
1 credit in Canadian history
1 credit in Canadian geography
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 18 compulsory credits
1 Group 1 credit from one of the following areas: • English or French as a second language • a Native language • First Nations, Metis, and Inuit studies • a classical or international language • social sciences and the humanities • Canadian and world studies • guidance and career education • cooperative education
1 Group 2 credit from one of the following areas: • health and physical education • the arts • business studies • French as a second language • cooperative education
1 Group 3 credit from one of the following areas: • science (Grade 11 or 12) • technological education • French as a second language • computer studies • cooperative education
In addition, students must complete:
12 optional credits
2 e-Learning courses (opt-out option)
40 hours of community involvement activities
The provincial literacy requirement
Please note:
A maximum of 3 credits in English as a second language (ESL) or English literacy development (ELD) may be counted towards the 4 compulsory credits in English, but the fourth must be a credit earned for a Grade 12 compulsory English course.
In groups 1, 2 and 3, a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language can count as compulsory credits, one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or group 3.
A maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education can count as compulsory credits. The 12 optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit courses.
Graduation requirements have changed for students starting secondary school in fall 2024. Below are the new graduation requirements taking effect in September 2024 for students entering Grade 9 in fall 2024 and beyond.
17 compulsory credits
Students must earn the following compulsory credits to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma:
4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
3 credits in mathematics (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
2 credits in science
1 credit in Canadian history
1 credit in Canadian geography
1 credit in the arts
1 credit in health and physical education
1 credit in French as a second language
1 credit in Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education (Beginning in the 2024/2025 cohort year)
0.5 credit in career studies
0.5 credit in civics 18 compulsory credits
1 STEM related credit from one of the following areas: • business studies • computer science • cooperative education • mathematics (in addition to the 3 required above) • science (in addition to the 2 required above) • technological education (in addition to the 1 required above)
In addition, students must complete:
11 optional credits
2 e-Learning courses (opt-out option)
40 hours of community involvement activities
The provincial literacy requirement
The provincial financial literacy requirement
Please note:
A maximum of 3 credits in English as a second language (ESL) or English literacy development (ELD) may be counted towards the 4 compulsory credits in English, but the fourth must be a credit earned for a Grade 12 compulsory English course.
The 11 optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit courses.
Online learning graduation requirement
Students are required to earn two online learning credits to graduate from secondary school, beginning with every student who entered Grade 9 in the 2020-21 school year. The graduation requirement is intended to support students in developing familiarity and comfort with learning and working in a fully online environment, as well as developing digital literacy and other important transferable skills that they will need for success after secondary school, including in post-secondary education and the workplace.
Online learning credits that count towards the requirement are earned through courses that rely primarily on communication between students and educators through the internet or another digital platform.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their children out of the mandatory online learning credits required for graduation. To opt out, a parent/guardian must submit an opt-out form to the school. Students 18 years of age or older, or who are 16 or17 years of age and have withdrawn from parental control, can also opt out of the graduation requirement by submitting an opt-out form to the school. School boards must also allow for students and parents/guardians to opt back into the online learning graduation requirement should their decision change.
Please contact the school for further information on this process.
40 hours of community involvement
All students are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as a requirement of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). You can start collecting volunteer hours in the summer before entering Grade 9.
Volunteering as part of your high school experience helps you:
develop transferable skills
explore different sectors and potential careers
learn about your role as a citizen
be aware of how you can support and strengthen your community
Students who are looking for community involvement opportunities should:
make sure they know which activities qualify for the community involvement requirement;
check with their school guidance department for a list of eligible and ineligible activities, as well as, resources to help them record hours and find volunteer activities;
ask their principal or guidance counsellor for more information.
Ineligible activities
These activities do not count towards the 40 hours you need to graduate.
are a requirement of a class, course or program that you are enrolled in (such as a co-op program)
take place during school hours (not including lunch breaks or “spare” periods)
would normally be done for wages or a salary by a person in that workplace or organization
are duties that you would normally do in your house, such as daily chores, or personal recreation activities
are part of a court-ordered program (for example, a community service program for young offenders)
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
Preparing our students for the OSSLT is a collective school approach. Our school also has a dedicated Literacy Support Teacher who prepares and supports students as well as takes the lead in organizing and facilitating the test. All students working toward an OSSD must successfully meet the literacy requirement. If a student is unsuccessful after one attempt, they will have the option of rewriting at a future date or taking the Ontario Literacy Course. The Ontario Literacy Course (OLC4O0) not only fulfills the mandatory literacy requirement, it also counts as a credit that can count as a Grade 12 English credit or as an elective credit.
More information can be found at: https://www.eqao.com/the-assessments/osslt/
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