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Ontario Secondary School Diploma Requirements

What you need to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma depends on the year you started Grade 9.

If you started Grade 9 in 2023 or in prior years:

  • Earn 18 compulsory credits
  • Earn 12 optional credits
  • Successful completion of Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
  • Earn at least two online learning credits
  • Complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities

If you started Grade 9 in 2024 or in later years:

  • Earn 17 compulsory credits
  • Earn 13 optional credits
  • Pass the literacy requirement
  • Earn at least two online learning credits
  • Complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities

Students who are English language learners may count up to three credits in OSSLT towards the four compulsory credits in English. It does not matter what year you started Grade 9. The fourth credit must be a Grade 12 compulsory English course.

Compulsory Credits - 2023 or before:

Students who started Grade 9 in 2023 or earlier must earn the following 18 compulsory credits to get their Ontario Secondary School Diploma:

  • 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 Grade 11 English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit Voices course may be used to meet the Grade 11 English compulsory credit requirement. The Grade 9 Expressions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Cultures course may be used to meet the compulsory credit requirement in the arts.

Compulsory Credits - 2024 or after:

Students who started Grade 9 in 2024 or later years must earn the following 17 compulsory credits to get their Ontario Secondary School Diploma:

  • 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

Starting in September 2025, students must earn a new financial literacy graduation requirement as part of their compulsory Grade 10 mathematics course. Students will need to achieve a mark of 70% or higher to pass this new requirement and earn their high school diploma. More information will be provided as soon as it is available.