How does an existing transcript become OSSD credits? An advisor maps it out first.
40 hours of volunteering and community involvement —— service hours completed at home can count towards it
The test sits at about IELTS 5.5, while a Canadian university generally asks 6.5 or more, so most students pass first time.
A student who does not pass first time can resit the following year, or use a local Grade 12 literature course in place of the test.
The result is pass or fail: no score, no selection function, so there is little to prepare for.
Ontario's Ministry of Education recognises junior and senior high school results from China, so before starting at Concordia a student can apply to convert what they have already completed into OSSD credits.
| Grade completed | Time needed to finish OSSD | Credits transferable | Credits still to earn | Volunteering and service hours remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 3 years | 8 | 22 | 30 hours |
| Grade 10 | 2 years | 16 | 14 | 20 hours |
| Grade 11 | 1 year | 22 | 8 | 10 hours |
| Grade 12 | 1 year | 24 | 6 | 10 hours |
There are five ESL levels, and placement testing on entry can let a student skip part of the sequence; students arriving in Grade 10 or Grade 11 usually start at level C. Alongside ESL, the Canadian curriculum has its own English courses. A student can convert some English credits from previous study, then complete at least 4 English credits - ESLDO, ESLEO or Grade 10-12 English - to finish OSSD.
OSSD uses several forms of assessment, looking at knowledge, thinking, communication and application, with feedback along the way:
OSSD takes the humanities side of a student seriously. In every course they lift both academic and English ability, and the group reports teach them to work with people who see things differently, which is where collaboration and leadership come from.
OSSD counts what a student accumulates through the year rather than a scramble before an exam. That comes from the design of the system, and it builds habits and capability that hold.
OSSD deliberately builds the skills around the subject:
Just starting to look at credit transfer, or already holding an offer? Call or email us, or come and see us at 5831 Cedarbridge Way #102, Richmond, BC V6X 2A8.
