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OSSLT results

What your OSSLT
score means

OSSLT results are reported as a scale score from 200 to 400. A score of 300 or higher is a successful result, which meets the literacy requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Here is how the score is worked out, what the Individual Student Report shows and when 2026–27 results arrive.

Checked against EQAO, September 27, 2026. Litguide is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with EQAO.

The scale

Where 300 sits on the scale

200 to 400
the full range of the scale
300
the minimum for a successful result
Not a percentage
a position on a scale, not points out of 400
One score
for reading and writing together

Is an OSSLT score a percentage?

No. A score of 300 does not mean 75 percent, and it is not a count of correct answers. EQAO places each student on a single scale of literacy skill that runs from 200 to 400, and the score is the student’s position on that scale.

To find that position, EQAO uses a statistical method called Item Response Theory. It takes into account the student’s answers and what each question is like, including how difficult it is, so the score can’t be turned into a percentage or a mark out of 100.

What does the Individual Student Report show?

Every student who writes the OSSLT receives an Individual Student Report, or ISR, from their school. It gives one literacy score covering reading and writing, and says whether the outcome is successful or not yet successful.

Students who are not yet successful also get general feedback on what to work on. A student who was absent, deferred or exempted, or who met the requirement through the literacy course, receives a statement instead of a score.

When do OSSLT results come out?

For the 2026–27 school year, EQAO reports fall 2026 results by the end of January 2027 and spring 2027 results by the end of May 2027.

Results go to schools first, and students get their Individual Student Report from their school. If yours hasn’t arrived, ask at the school.

OSSLT dates for 2026–27

Can you see your test or the questions you got wrong?

No. EQAO doesn’t share completed tests or individual answers, because questions are kept for future tests so results stay comparable from year to year.

For specific feedback, EQAO suggests asking the student’s teachers, who usually know best which skills need work.

Can you appeal an OSSLT result?

EQAO’s answer covers one case: a school principal can request an appeal if a technical problem during the test may have affected the student’s result. If you think that happened, speak to the principal.

What happens if your score is under 300?

A score under 300 means the outcome is not yet successful, and the student can write the OSSLT again in a later test window.

A student who has had two chances to write the test and has been unsuccessful at least once can take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) instead. A principal can allow it sooner when that is in the student’s best interest.

Failed the OSSLT? What happens next

After your results

What to do next

300 or higher

  • You have met the literacy requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
  • There is nothing more to write. A 305 and a 385 meet the requirement the same way.
  • Keep your Individual Student Report with your school records.
  • If a friend is still preparing, the free practice test and four-week plan are a good place to start.

Under 300

  • Read the feedback on your Individual Student Report.
  • Ask your English teacher which skills to focus on.
  • Find the next test window on the OSSLT dates page.
  • Practise both written answers and get feedback on them, starting with the free practice test.
  • If you have written it twice, ask your school about the literacy course (OSSLC).
Practise with Litguide

Build the skills behind the score

Litguide gives students lessons and OSSLT-style practice for every part of the test, with every written answer marked in seconds against the OSSLT rubrics. Teachers see who needs help before the next test window. If your school already licenses Litguide, it is free for you.

For studentsBook a demo for your school
Questions

Quick answers about OSSLT scores

What score do you need to pass the OSSLT?

A scale score of 300 or higher, on a scale from 200 to 400. EQAO calls this a successful result.

What is the OSSLT out of?

The scale runs from 200 to 400. The score is a position on that scale, not a number of points out of 400.

What is a good OSSLT score?

Any score of 300 or higher is successful and meets the literacy requirement. A 350 meets it the same way a 310 does.

Can you convert an OSSLT score to a percentage?

No. EQAO works out the score with Item Response Theory, which takes into account both the student’s answers and what each question is like, so the score isn’t a share of questions answered correctly.

When are OSSLT results released?

Fall 2026 results by the end of January 2027, and spring 2027 results by the end of May 2027. Students get their report from their school.

Can you retake the OSSLT?

Yes. Students who are not yet successful can write it again in a later window, and after two attempts they can take the literacy course (OSSLC) instead.

Sources
More OSSLT guides

Practice, marked writing and readiness data for the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test.

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