Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC)

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC) will be granted, on request, to students who are leaving secondary school upon reaching the age of eighteen without having met the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

To be granted an OSSC, a student must have earned a minimum of 14 credits, distributed as follows:


7 required compulsory credits

  • 2 credits in English
  • 1 credit in mathematics
  • 1 credit in science
  • 1 credit in Canadian history or Canadian geography
  • 1 credit in health and physical education
  • 1 credit in the arts, computer studies, or technological education


7 required optional credits

  • 7 credits selected by the student from available courses

The provisions for making substitutions for compulsory credits described for the OSSD also apply to the Ontario Secondary School Certificate.