Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD Requirements)
An Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) lays the foundation for future learning and growth in any pathway: workplace, apprenticeship, college or university.
What is OSSD?
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) serves as a foundation for future learning and growth, whether you choose to enter the workforce, pursue an apprenticeship, attend college, or enroll in university.
Change your life: Earn High School Diploma
To earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), students must fulfill the following requirements:
- Completion of 30 credits, comprising 18 compulsory and 12 optional*
- Attainment of at least two Online Learning Credits.
- Completion of 40 hours of community involvement (CIH).
- Successful passing of EQAO’s Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) or completion of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC)*.
- Please reach out to our office for further information regarding the minimum enrollment period necessary for graduation with CanSTEM Education Private School.
- To find the full summary of OSSD requirements: click here.
- To read more about OSSD: click here
Key Updates to OSSD Requirements
Financial Literacy Requirement (Starting September 2025)
- Added as part of the Grade 10 Mathematics course.
- Students must pass a financial literacy assessment with a minimum mark of 70%.
- Two attempts are allowed. If unsuccessful, students must later demonstrate understanding before earning the credit.
EQAO Grade 9 Math (Starting September 2024)
- Results must count for 10–30% of the final course grade in Grade 9 Mathematics.
Compulsory Course Groups Update
- Compulsory course groups reduced from 3 groups to 1 group.
- The OSSD still requires 30 total credits (17 compulsory, 13 optional).
- New STEM-related compulsory group (effective September 2024): students must earn 1 credit from Business Studies, Computer Studies, Cooperative Education, Mathematics, Science, or Technological Education.
Note: Students still need 30 total credits, but now must complete a financial literacy assessment and earn 1 STEM-related group credit as part of the updated graduation requirements.
Diploma Requirements
Students in the Ontario educational system are expected to develop as mature, well-versed individuals with a wide range of experiences and knowledge. As such, successful completion of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) involves the completion of multiple facets of experiential and educational requirements in and outside of the school environment. The following are the requirements for the OSSD:
In order to graduate from secondary school, a student must:
– Successfully complete 30 credits, 18 of which are compulsory and 12 optional.
– Successfully complete a literacy assessment.
– Complete 40 hours of community service.
If you started Grade 9 in or before Fall 2023
If you started Grade 9 in 2023 or earlier, you need the following to get your OSSD.
If you started Grade 9 in 2023 or in prior years, you must earn:
– 18 compulsory credits from 11 different topic areas.
– Two courses online at least.
– 12 optional credits to supplement a student’s educational gains.
– The provincial literacy requirement.
– 40 hours community involvement inside or outside of the school.
– All students are required to earn a Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education credit, which is a compulsory graduation requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Compulsory Credits
You need the following 18 compulsory credits to get your OSSD:
- 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
The following also apply to compulsory credit selections.
- You can use the Grade 11 English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit Voices course to meet the Grade 11 English compulsory credit requirement.
- You can use the Grade 9 Expressions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Cultures course to meet the compulsory credit requirement in the arts.
Group 1, 2 and 3 compulsory credits
Of the 18 compulsory credits, you must complete 1 from each of the following groups:
Group 1
- English (including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course) or French as a second language
- Native languages
- First Nations, Métis, and Inuit studies
- classical studies and international languages
- social sciences and the humanities
- Canadian and world studies
- guidance and career education
- cooperative education
- American Sign Language as a second language
- Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde
Group 2
- health and physical education
- the arts
- business studies
- French as a second language
- cooperative education
- American Sign Language as a second language
- Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde
Group 3
- science (Grade 11 or 12)
- technological education
- French as a second language
- computer studies
- cooperative education
- American Sign Language as a second language
- Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde
The following conditions apply to compulsory credit selections from the above 3 groups.
- In groups 1, 2, and 3, you can count a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language as compulsory credits, 1 from group 1 and 1 from either group 2 or group 3.
- If you have taken Native languages in place of French as a second language in elementary school, you may use a Level 1 or 2 Native languages course to meet the compulsory credit requirement for French as a second language.
- You can count a maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education as compulsory credits from any of the above 3 groups.
The Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde course is only available in French-language schools.
Optional credits
You must earn 12 optional credits by successfully completing courses from your school’s program and course calendar.
Optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit programs.
If you started Grade 9 in Fall 2024 and after
Note: Starting in September 2025, you must earn a new financial literacy graduation requirement as part of your compulsory Grade 10 mathematics course. You will need to achieve a mark of 70% or higher to pass this new requirement and earn your high school diploma.
If you started Grade 9 in 2024 or in later years, you need the following to get your OSSD.
Compulsory Credits
You need the following 17 compulsory credits to get your OSSD:
- 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
- 3 credits in mathematics (Grade 9, Grade 10 and 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
- 2 credits in science
- 1 credit in technological education (Grade 9 or Grade 10)
- 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
- 1 credit from the STEM-related course group
The following apply to compulsory credit selections.
- You can use the Grade 11 English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit Voices course to meet the Grade 11 English compulsory credit requirement.
- You can use the Grade 9 Expressions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Cultures course to meet the compulsory credit requirement in the arts.
STEM-related course group
Of the 17 compulsory credits, you must complete 1 from the following group:
- business studies
- computer studies
- cooperative education
- mathematics (in addition to the 3 compulsory credits currently required)
- science (in addition to the 2 compulsory credits currently required)
- technological education (in addition to the 1 compulsory credit required)
Optional credits
You must earn 13 optional credits by successfully completing courses from your school’s program and course calendar.
Optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit programs.
Literacy graduation requirement
You must meet the literacy graduation requirement to earn your high school diploma.
For most students, this means passing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
If you do not pass the OSSLT, there are other ways to meet the literacy graduation requirement. Contact your school principal to find out about these options.
Online learning graduation requirement
If you started Grade 9 in the 2020-21 school year or later, you must earn at least 2 online learning credits to get your high school diploma.
Adult learners: If you entered the secondary school system starting in the 2023-24 school year or later, this requirement also applies to you.
Credits earned during COVID-19
If you were in Grade 9 and learning remotely when all schools were closed (from April 2021 to June 2021), you can count 1 of the high school credits you earned towards the 2 online learning credits you need to graduate.
Opting out
If you want to opt out of the online graduation requirement you must be:
- 18 years of age or older
- 16 or 17 years of age and have withdrawn from your parent or guardian’s control
If you meet this requirement, you can complete the exemption form available from your school board.
Otherwise, your parent or guardian needs to ask for this exemption by completing the form for you.
Community involvement activities
You need to have at least 40 hours of community involvement activities (volunteering) to graduate and earn your SSD
You can start collecting volunteer hours in the summer before you begin Grade 9.
When looking for volunteer opportunities:
- make sure you know which activities qualify in your school board and meet the Ministry of Education’s guidelines
- check your school board’s website for:
- eligible and ineligible activities
- tools to help you record hours and find volunteer activities
- ask your principal or guidance counsellor for more information
If you’re under 18, ask your parents to help you plan and select your activities. Talk with your guidance counsellor or principal about other ways your school can help you earn community involvement hours.
Volunteering in your community helps you learn about civic engagement and understand your role as a citizen. By being involved in your community and serving others, you:
- develop transferable skills
- explore different sectors and potential career opportunities
- understand more about yourself and your role in society
Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC)(Requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC))
- The OSSC will be granted, on request, to students who are leaving secondary school upon reaching the age of eighteen without having met the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
- To be granted an OSSC, a student must have earned a minimum of 14 credits, distributed as follows:
- 7 required compulsory credits:
- 2 credits in English.
- 1 credit in Mathematics.
- 1 credit in Science.
- 1 credit in Canadian History or Canadian Geography.
- 1 credit in Health and Physical Education.
- 1 credit in the Arts or Technological Education.
- 7 optional credits.
- Please note that the OSSC does not include a literacy requirement or the community involvement activities required for the OSSD.
Note: Students must check their school’s specific requirements for graduation to ensure they are meeting all requirements and deadlines.
Feel free to adjust or expand any of the sections based on specific needs or any additional information you may want to include!
If you have any question how to apply through OSSD?
Feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call us at 647-568-0258.