• Private Schools
• Ontario Schools

For many students, particularly those entering Grade 9, this may be their first cumulative written exam.

Do private schools need to follow Ontario’s new grading system?

It depends on whether the private school is inspected by the Ministry of Education and authorized to grant credits toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

Private high schools that grant OSSD credits are inspected by the ministry. As part of that process, the ministry checks that their OSSD-credit courses meet provincial curriculum, assessment, and evaluation requirements. The new exam, attendance and participation rules therefore apply to those courses.

Private schools that do not grant OSSD credits are not inspected for this purpose and do not have to follow the official Ontario curriculum or the new provincial grading formula. They may choose to adopt similar policies, but they are not required to do so.

Some private schools offer both OSSD courses and a separate international or alternative curriculum. In that situation, families should find out which courses are governed by Ontario’s requirements. A private school must state on its website whether it can grant OSSD credits, and families can confirm its status through the Ministry of Education’s private-school information and listings.

How will final grades be calculated?

Previously, 70% of a course mark came from work completed throughout the course and 30% from a final evaluation.

Under the new rules, students in Grades 9 and 10 will receive:

• 65% for coursework
• 20% for final evaluations
• 15% for attendance and participation

Students in Grades 11 and 12 will receive:

• 65% for coursework
• 25% for final evaluations
• 10% for attendance and participation

Written exams will not necessarily count toward the entire final-evaluation portion. Some subjects will divide it between an exam and a culminating project, presentation or portfolio.

How much will written exams count?

In English, mathematics and science, written exams will count for 20% in Grades 9 and 10 and 25% in Grades 11 and 12.

In Canadian and world studies, the written exam will count for 20% in Grades 9 and 10. In Grades 11 and 12, it will count for 15%, with a culminating task worth 10%.

Most other subject areas will combine a written exam with a culminating task. These include business, the arts, computer studies, health and physical education, technological education, languages, social sciences and humanities, and First Nations, Métis and Inuit studies.

There are also course-specific rules. The Grade 9 EQAO mathematics assessment will serve as the written final exam and count for 20%. In Grade 10 Career Studies, the final 20% will consist of the new financial literacy graduation requirement, worth 5%, and a culminating task worth 15%.

Which courses do not require a written exam?

Exemptions include Grades 9 and 10 locally developed compulsory credit courses; Grades 11 and 12 workplace-preparation and open courses; Guidance and Career Education other than Grade 10 Career Studies; Co-operative Education; Interdisciplinary Studies; and American Sign Language as a Second Language.

These courses will still have a final evaluation worth 20% or 25%, such as a project, presentation, portfolio or in-class evaluation.

How will attendance and participation affect marks?

Attendance and participation will be assessed together. In addition to unexcused absences, teachers will consider whether students contribute to discussions, ask relevant questions, respect others’ contributions and support a positive classroom culture.

Excused absences will not lower the mark. Examples include illness, severe weather and approved cultural or holy days. Parents may also request an excused absence for activities such as sports, music or debate, although the school determines whether it qualifies under applicable policies.

Families should learn how their school records absences and submit any required documentation promptly.

How can families help students prepare?

• Confirm whether the school and the student’s courses are governed by Ontario’s OSSD assessment requirements.
• Ask early about each course’s exam weight, format, date and permitted materials.
• Aim for brief, regular reviews instead of last-minute cramming.
• Use self-quizzes, practice questions and timed exercises to build recall.
• Confirm exam accommodations for students with an Individual Education Plan well in advance.
• Remember that coursework still accounts for 65% of every final mark.

A structured online credit course can help students practise cumulative assessment, independent study and, where applicable, a proctored exam. An eligible course may count toward Ontario’s standard two-credit online learning requirement, although families and eligible adult students may opt out under Ontario’s online learning graduation policy.

The new system gives more weight to exams, attendance and engagement, but no single exam determines the whole result. Steady coursework, regular attendance and ongoing review remain the strongest preparation.