Didn't pass the OSSLT? What happens next

Not passing the OSSLT doesn't end a student's path to a diploma. Students who are not yet successful can write the test again, and after two attempts they can take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course instead. Both routes meet the same graduation requirement. Here is what happens next, step by step.

What "not yet successful" means

The OSSLT is scored on a scale from 200 to 400, and a score of 300 or higher is a successful result. Below 300, the result is "not yet successful". Each student receives an Individual Student Report, and for students who haven't reached 300 it includes feedback on what to work on.

It happens to a lot of students. In 2025–26, about 14% of first-time eligible students in English-language schools were not yet successful, according to EQAO.

Your options

Write the OSSLT again

Students can write the test again in a later window. There are two each school year. For 2026–27, the fall window runs from November 3 to 30, 2026, and the spring window from March 30 to April 19, 2027. The school sets the day.

Take the literacy course (OSSLC)

Once a student has had two opportunities to write the OSSLT and has been not yet successful at least once, they can take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (course code OLC4O). Passing the course meets the literacy requirement and earns one credit. A principal can allow a student into the course sooner, and mature students can enrol directly.

Adjudication

Students in their graduating year who, through no fault of their own, could not write the OSSLT or enrol in or complete the OSSLC, for example because of illness or injury, may qualify for their school board's adjudication process. The school decides whether a student is eligible.

Appeals

If a technical problem during the test may have affected a student's result, the school principal can request an appeal.

What to do next

Five steps, in order:

• Read the Individual Student Report. The feedback shows which skills to focus on.

• Talk to your guidance counsellor. They can explain your options, your timeline and whether the test or the course fits you better.

• Pick your route. Writing the test again suits students who want to finish in the next window. The course suits students who want a full term of teaching and support.

• Make a plan for the weak spots. Practise the skills the report points to, not the whole test from scratch.

• Practise the opinion essay with feedback. It is worth about a quarter of the test's raw score points, so it is often where a retake is won.

Why a retake needs a different plan

Writing the test a second time is harder than it sounds. In 2025–26, 49% of previously eligible students in English-language schools were successful, compared with 86% of first-time students. That gap is why a retake plan should target the specific skills that cost marks the first time, with feedback on each practice attempt so you can see whether it is improving.

How parents can help

Four practical ways to support a retake:

• Go through the Individual Student Report together and agree on two or three things to practise.

• Ask the school when the next test window is and which day your child is scheduled.

• Set a short, regular practice routine rather than cramming the week before.

• Encourage writing practice that gets marked, so your child knows what "specific details" and "clear organization" look like in their own work.

Litguide gives students OSSLT-style reading and writing practice, with every piece of writing marked in seconds against the OSSLT rubrics, which makes it easy to practise the skills a report flags. If your school already licenses Litguide, it is free for you. See OSSLT vs OSSLC to compare the test and the course, and How to prepare for the OSSLT for a four-week plan.