OLC4O – Grade 12 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course Online Course (Ontario)

OLC4O is the Grade 12 Open course that satisfies the OSSD literacy graduation requirement for students who haven’t passed the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Students build and demonstrate the reading and writing skills the OSSLT assesses, and passing the course fulfills the requirement completely.

Students who have attempted the OSSLT and been unsuccessful are eligible for OLC4O; principals may also grant eligibility in specific circumstances, such as students who missed opportunities to write the test. [OES: confirm your eligibility-verification process.] If you’re unsure of your status, OES guidance can help you confirm before enrolling.

Yes. Successfully completing OLC4O fully satisfies the literacy requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma — equivalent to passing the OSSLT. It also earns one Open credit toward your 30, so it clears the requirement and adds a credit at the same time.

OLC4O meets the Ministry of Education’s attendance and participation expectations through activities blended directly into the course. OES requires students to log in at least once per week for attendance, and participation activities appear throughout the course and are reflected in the grade book — preserving self-paced flexibility while satisfying the requirements for online courses.

In OLC4O you practise reading informational, narrative, and graphic texts and writing in the forms the literacy standard requires — paragraphs, summaries, opinion pieces, news reports — building a portfolio that demonstrates the required literacy skills with your teacher’s support along the way.

Yes. OLC4O at OES is self-paced with year-round registration, so you can complete it alongside your remaining courses — a common plan for students in their final year who need the literacy requirement cleared for an on-time graduation. It pairs with any other OES course for the multi-course discount.

Yes. OES is a Ministry-inspected school (BSID #667186), and your final OLC4O mark is sent to OUAC (Ontario Universities’ Application Centre) or OCAS (Ontario College Application Service), as well as to your day school, so it counts fully toward your post-secondary applications.

OLC4O is 110 course hours and fully self-paced. You can finish in as little as 4 weeks or take up to 12 months, and registration is open year-round, so you can start any day and work at the pace that fits your schedule.

Yes. Ontario students who started Grade 9 in the 2020–21 school year or later must earn at least two online learning credits to graduate, and OLC4O at OES — a Ministry-inspected online school (BSID #667186) — counts toward that requirement. An opt-out process exists through school boards, and specific provisions apply to students affected by the 2021 school closures.

Ontario’s Growing Success policy pre-determines the evaluation structure for every credit. Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, OLC4O is graded on classroom work completed throughout the course (65%) plus a Ministry-mandated final evaluation worth 25% for Grades 11–12, with attendance and participation also reflected in the final grade. A credit is granted at 50% or higher — and as an inspected private school, OES may administer final evaluations online, while school-board online courses generally require in-person exam sittings.