Learn what you need to earn your Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
What you need to graduate
To earn a high school diploma in Ontario, students must:
earn 18 compulsory credits
earn 12 optional credits
pass the literacy requirement
earn at least two online learning credits
complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities
Compulsory credits
Students must earn the following 18 compulsory credits to get their Ontario Secondary School Diploma:
4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
3 credits in mathematics (at least 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
3 credits for group 1, 2 and 3 courses (1 credit in each group)
2 credits in science
1 credit in Canadian history (Grade 10)
1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)
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 and citizenship
English as a second language (ESL)
Students may count a maximum of 3 credits in ESL or ELD towards the 4 compulsory credits in English.
The fourth credit must be for a Grade 12 compulsory English course.
Literacy graduation requirement
This requirement is waived for students graduating in the 2021-22 school year. This requirement will be restored for students graduating in the 2022-23 school year.
All students must meet the secondary school literacy graduation requirement to earn their high school diploma.
For most students, this means passing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
Students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT have other opportunities to meet the literacy graduation requirement. Students can contact their school principal to find out about these options.
Online learning graduation requirement
Beginning with students that entered Grade 9 in the 2020-21 school year, students must earn at least two online learning credits to get their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
The online learning graduation requirement also applies to adult learners that will be entering the Ontario secondary school system starting in 2023-24 school year.
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