Build Momentum Toward Graduation

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is normally written in Grade 10 and is administered by EQAO. Students at online schools usually cannot sit the EQAO format remotely, so arrangements are made through OES — details and current fees are available from the school, and policies for writing at distant locations are updated annually. A student who does not pass, or cannot sit the test, satisfies the requirement through the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OLC4O) instead.

Students beginning Grade 9 in 2025–26 or later complete a financial literacy requirement through the modules in their compulsory Grade 10 Career Studies course (GLC2O), in effect from the 2026–27 school year. Passing means at least 70% on the modules, which count for 5% of the final Career Studies mark, with two attempts allowed. Students who don’t pass within the course have alternative routes through the principal — so it is a hurdle to plan for, not a wall.

Career Studies (GLC2O) and Civics and Citizenship (CHV2O) — each worth 0.5 credits, both compulsory for the OSSD, and commonly taken as a pair. They’re also two of the most popular courses to move online: compact, self-paced, and a clean way for a busy student to free up room in their day-school timetable.

From the 2026–27 school year, Grade 10 English, math and science marks are built from 65% coursework, a mandatory written final exam worth 20%, and 15% for attendance and participation, with other subjects splitting the final-evaluation portion between an exam and a project. Combined with the OSSLT, Grade 10 is now the year students first face formal provincial testing on two fronts — and the year exam habits are worth building. OES courses have always ended in proctored finals, so the format is baked in here.

Streaming begins in Grade 10, where courses split into academic (D) and applied (P) — and that choice shapes which Grade 11 pathways open up, since university-preparation (U) courses generally build on the academic stream. Where a student is unsure, the academic course keeps more doors open, and support exists to make it manageable: an assigned teacher, unlimited tutoring, and a self-set pace. A student who later changes direction can switch pathways with a bridging course rather than being locked in.

Yes, where the prerequisite is met. Because OES is self-paced with year-round registration, a student who finishes MPM2D in the winter can start MCR3U immediately rather than waiting for September. Families use this to spread the senior workload or bank a prerequisite before a heavy Grade 12 year.

English (ENG2D), mathematics (MPM2D or the applied equivalent), science (SNC2D), Canadian History (CHC2D or CHC2P), plus the two half-credits — Career Studies (GLC2O) and Civics (CHV2O). Students in the 2024+ cohort who didn’t take their Technological Education credit in Grade 9 complete it in Grade 10. All are offered online at OES.