Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
Students need to earn 30 credits and complete additional requirements as determined by the Ministry of Education, to graduate from high school. To earn their OSSD, student must complete the following:
- 18 compulsory credits
- 12 optional credits
- 40 hours community involvement
- Provincial literacy requirement (OSSLT)
- Two online learning credits
Credit requirements
Students must earn the following compulsory credits to obtain the OSSD:
- 4 credits in English
- 3 credits in mathematics
- 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
Students must also complete one compulsory credit from each of the following groups:
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Group 1: English or French as a second language, a Native language, a classical or an international language, social sciences and the humanities, Canadian and world studies, guidance and career education or cooperative education
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Group 2: Health and physical education, the arts, business studies, French as a second language or cooperative education
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Group 3: French as a second language, science (Grade 11 or 12), computer studies, technological education or cooperative education
Learn more about graduation requirements on the Ministry of Education website.
Community involvement
Students must complete 40 hours of community involvement to receive their high school diploma. The aim of this requirement is to encourage students to develop both civic responsibility and a desire to play a role in strengthening their community. Students may begin to accumulate community involvement hours in the summer before they enter Grade 9.
More information, including a downloadable form to track hours, is available on the Community Involvement page.
Literacy requirement
Students write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) in Grade 10. The test measures if they are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. If students are unsuccessful the first time the test is written, they will have another opportunity to write, or to take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course in place of the test.
For more information about provincial testing, visit www.eqao.com.
Ontario Secondary School Certificate
The Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC) will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the OSSD and who have earned a minimum of 14 credits, seven of which satisfy the compulsory credit requirements.
Compulsory credits (total of 7)
- 2 credits in English
- 1 credit in Canadian Geography or history
- 1 credit in mathematics
- 1 credit in science
- 1 credit in health and physical education
- 1 credit in the arts, technological education or computer studies
Optional credits (total of 7)
- 7 credits selected by the student from available courses
Certificate of accomplishment
Students who leave school before fulfilling the requirements for the OSSD or the OSSC may be granted a Certificate of Accomplishment. This certificate may be a useful means of recognizing achievement for students who plan to take certain adaptive programs, or other kinds of additional training, or who plan to find employment after leaving school.