Literacy Test (OSSLT) @ Ross
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2022 – 2023 Literacy Test @JFR Information Updated March 2023
Please direct any questions to Ms. Aalbers, head of literacy and Teacher-Librarian at John F. Ross: [email protected]
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- Administration of the Test:
Information posted below relates to the pen and paper OSSLT, written prior to 2020. While formatting of the 2022-23 OSSLT remains reflective of the exercises listed below, be advised that the current test is written online. Practice materials for the online version are available here.
Practising for the Test
UGDSB Literacy Web Site – so many great resources here!
Literacy Slideshow from assembly on Oct. 23, 2019.
Acing the OSSLT – slideshow offering tips and info about data generated after mock test.
CLICK HERE for access to our online test prep site
Thanks to the St. Mary’s High School Student Success Team – Carol DeVrieze, David DiGiuseppe, Karen Drummond, Brandon Haynes and Jamie Rodrigue – for creating many of these materials and allowing us to use their work!
Practice Tests
practice test – booklet 1 – questions and answers
practice test – booklet 2 – questions and answers
practice test – booklet 1 – video feedback
practice test – booklet 2 – video feedback
practice test – booklet 1 – slideshow feedback
practice test – booklet 2 – slideshow feedback
Additional Practice Lessons at John F. Ross
News Report – link to a Google doc
Opinion Essay – link to a Google doc
Short Answer Questions – link to a Google doc
Multiple Choice Questions – link to a Google doc
Remediation Resources
- Multiple Choice
- Short Answers
- Opinion Piece
Still More Resources and Tips
- Overview
- General Tips
- Multiple Choice Questions
- Short Answer Questions
- News Report
- Series of Paragraphs
- Grammar
Released OSSLT Materials
The following materials are sections of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test that have been released by EQAO to assist students in preparing for the literacy test. They are examples of the actual questions and tasks used in previous years.
Released OSSLT Materials – examples of actual questions from previous test booklets:
- By Year: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
- 2017
- 2017 – question booklet
- Multiple Choice (Content)
- Short Answer (Content)
- Multiple Choice (Grammar)
- Short Answer (Open Response)
- News Report
- Multiple Choice (Content)
- Short Answer (Content)
- 2017 – blank answer booklet
- 2017 – multiple choice answers
- 2017 – scoring rubrics and sample student responses
- 2017 – question booklet
- 2016
- 2016 – question booklet
- Series of Paragraphs
- Multiple Choice (Grammar)
- Multiple Choice (Content)
- Multiple Choice (Content)
- Short Answer (Content)
- Short Answer (Open Response)
- Multiple Choice (Content) – Reading Redacted Due to Copyright
- 2016 – blank answer booklet
- 2016 – multiple choice answers
- 2016 – scoring rubric and sample student responses
- 2016 – question booklet
- 2015
- 2015 – question booklet
- Multiple Choice (Content)
- Short Answer (Content)
- Multiple Choice (Grammar)
- Short Answer (Open Response)
- News Report
- Multiple Choice (Content)
- Short Answer (Content)
- 2015 – blank answer booklet
- 2015 – multiple choice answers
- 2015 – scoring rubric and sample student responses
- 2015 – question booklet
- 2014
- 2014 – question booklet
- Series of Paragraphs
- Multiple Choice (Grammar)
- Multiple Choice (Content)
- Multiple Choice (Content)
- Short Answer (Content)
- Short Answer (Open Response)
- Multiple Choice (Graphic Text)
- 2014 – blank answer booklet
- 2014 – multiple choice answers
- 2014 – scoring rubric and sample student responses
- 2014 – question booklet
Accommodations and Deferrals
All Students: Extra Time
All students will be provided extra time to complete the test if it is needed.
ESL Students
ESL students write the test when they are ready, usually after they have completed ESL EO.
Students with IEPs
Students with IEPs are routinely provided with accommodations in classrooms, the resource room, and for evaluations, to allow them better access to the curriculum. The list below reflects accommodations that apply for the OSSLT that appear on some IEPs.
- Access to computer for written work – The student can use a computer in the classroom or resource room for tasks like tests, exams, and culminating tasks. Computer use would include access to assistive technologies, like text to speech or speech to text, where appropriate.
- Allow for frequent breaks – During assessment tasks, students have the opportunity to take a break from the work and go for a short (often supervised) walk, or get up from the desk and stretch. This allows students to refocus on their work.
- Extra time to respond (EQAO) – Extra time is defined as double time. If the test is designed to take 1 hour, the accommodated student would have up to 2 hours.
- Read all written instructions – Students with poor reading comprehension benefit from having instructions read to them as they write tests, exams or complete culminating tasks. Instructions may be read by a classroom teacher, EA, or resource teacher.
- Read all written instructions except for tests of reading (EQAO) – When reading comprehension is being assessed, reading written instructions is not permitted. When other skills are being assessed, such as grammar conventions, writing or mathematics, instructions may be read.
- Scribe (EQAO) – A scribe writes down exactly what the student says in response to each question or task. During evaluations, scribes do not prompt or assist the student in any other way. Scribing helps students with strong verbal skills but weak written output to complete tasks and fully demonstrate their thinking.
- Access to Kurzweil/Dragon/Word Q/Inspiration/etc for language-heavy assessments – If students make regular use of assistive technology for help with language, the specific programs that they use will be listed on their IEPs.
Exemptions
Only students who are not working towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma are exempt from writing the test.