The test will be held on Thursday March 30th, 2017
OSSLT Test Format
The test includes two test booklets which contain reading and writing activities. In total, there are five reading passages, 41 multiple choice questions and 8 written response activities, including 6 short answer questions and 2 long writing tasks. The test is administered in two 75 minute sessions with a break in between each session.
READING
Students read five different passages, covering a range of topics. They vary in length from a single paragraph to two pages. Selections include the following forms:
Informational paragraph
News report
Dialogue
Real-life narrative
Graphic text
Students answer comprehension questions to demonstrate they can:
understand explicitly stated information and ideas
understand indirectly stated information and ideas
make personal connections to the text
WRITING
Students must complete several writing tasks including:
two long writing samples
? A news report (1 page)
? A multi-paragraph opinion piece (2 pages)
Short writing tasks with a 6 line response
Multiple choice questions
Student writing must demonstrate skill in:
developing a main idea with sufficient supporting details
organizing and connecting information and ideas
using correct grammar, punctuation and spelling
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION: When do students find out how they did on the test? Each student will receive his or her Individual Student Report in the summer or fall of 2017. The report indicates if a student passed or was unsuccessful. Only students who are unsuccessful will receive specific feedback about the skills they need to work on to pass. What happens to students who do not pass the test? Students may retake the test the following year. For some students, the best option is to take the Grade 12 Literacy Course and receive direct instruction in needed areas while earning an additional credit towards graduation.
