EQAO

EQAO oversees the Grade 3 and Grade 6 Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics, the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) and the Mathematics Proficiency Test (MPT). It also coordinates Ontario's participation in national and international assessments, which external organizations develop and administer. Each assessment targets students at a specific point in their kindergarten to Grade 12 education.

EQAO's provincial tests assess students' literacy (reading and writing) and numeracy (mathematics) knowledge and skills. Each assessment has a published framework that describes the assessment in detail, including how it is mapped to the Ontario language and mathematics curricula. Read the framework for your specific assessment before planning any study time.

They are digital. Students can become familiar with the digital assessment and its platform through EQAO's sample test, and the OSSLT has a separate practice test. Working through the sample or practice test is the most efficient way to learn the navigation, built-in tools and response formats before test day.

For the 2026–2027 school year, the MPT runs October 1 to November 14, 2026; the OSSLT November 3 to 30, 2026; the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics January 12 to February 5, 2027; and the Grade 3 and Grade 6 assessments May 4 to June 8, 2027. Additional windows are published for the MPT, OSSLT and Grade 9.

Reporting varies by assessment. MPT Individual Applicant Reports appear on the test applicants' dashboard within 10 days of completion. OSSLT results from the fall window are reported by the end of January 2027, and from the spring window by the end of May 2027. Grade 3 and Grade 6 results are reported by the end of September 2027, and the Grade 9 Individual Student Report is generated after the student completes the assessment.

EQAO publishes a framework for each assessment, a sample test (or practice test for the OSSLT) so students can become familiar with the digital platform, an administration user guide for school staff, and Released Questions dated November 2025 supporting the mathematics component of the Primary, Junior and Grade 9 assessments. The OSSLT also has resources for teachers and students, including a scoring guide and sample student responses.

The assessments measure skills students are expected to have learned at that point in the curriculum, so the content itself should be familiar. The most common avoidable problems are unfamiliarity with the digital platform, poor pacing across reading and writing sections, and skipping written responses that require explanation rather than a single answer. Practising under time pressure helps.

The source material does not state a retake policy for any EQAO assessment, so treat eligibility rules as something to confirm with your school or with EQAO directly. What the source does show is that several assessments, including the MPT, OSSLT and Grade 9 mathematics, are offered in more than one administration window during the school year.

Start with the framework for your assessment to see which curriculum expectations are sampled, then take the sample or practice test untimed to learn the platform. Move to released questions for mathematics and to timed practice for reading and writing. Finish with a full timed run so pacing, not content, is the only remaining unknown.