OSSD Compulsory and Optional Credits: Complete Guide
Learn which Ontario high school credits are compulsory, how optional credits work, and how course requirements differ depending on when you started Grade 9.
Understanding OSSD Compulsory and Optional Credits
OSSD compulsory and optional credits make up the minimum 30 credits students need to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Compulsory credits cover courses or subject areas required for graduation, while optional credits give students greater flexibility to choose courses based on their interests, strengths, and future goals.
The exact division depends on when the student entered Grade 9:
| Grade 9 entry | Compulsory credits | Optional credits | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 or earlier | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| 2024–25 or later | 17 | 13 | 30 |
Students must also meet the other applicable OSSD graduation requirements, including literacy, community involvement, online learning and, for applicable cohorts, financial literacy.
What Are Compulsory Credits?
Compulsory credits are credits students must earn in specified subjects or subject groups to qualify for the OSSD.
They ensure that students complete learning across core areas such as English, mathematics, science, Canadian history and geography, health and physical education, and other required subjects.
The compulsory-credit structure is not identical for every student. Ontario changed the requirements beginning with students who entered Grade 9 in the 2024–25 school year.
Compulsory Credits for Students Who Started Grade 9 in 2024–25 or Later
Students who entered Grade 9 in 2024–25 or later must earn 17 compulsory credits.
| Compulsory requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| English — 1 credit per grade | 4 |
| Mathematics — Grade 9, Grade 10, and 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12 | 3 |
| Science | 2 |
| Technological Education — Grade 9 or 10 | 1 |
| Canadian History — Grade 10 | 1 |
| Canadian Geography — Grade 9 | 1 |
| The Arts | 1 |
| Health and Physical Education | 1 |
| French as a Second Language | 1 |
| Career Studies | 0.5 |
| Civics and Citizenship | 0.5 |
| Additional STEM-related credit | 1 |
| Total | 17 |
This is the current Ministry structure for this cohort. Importantly, the older Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 requirements do not belong in this 17-credit table.
What Counts as the Additional STEM-Related Credit?
Students in the 17-compulsory-credit framework must earn one additional credit from the Ministry’s STEM-related course group.
The credit may come from:
- Business Studies
- Computer Studies
- Cooperative Education
- Mathematics, in addition to the three compulsory mathematics credits
- Science, in addition to the two compulsory science credits
- Technological Education, in addition to the compulsory technological education credit.
This requirement gives students some flexibility while maintaining an additional focus on STEM-related learning.
Compulsory Credits for Students Who Started Grade 9 in 2023–24 or Earlier
Students who entered Grade 9 in 2023–24 or earlier generally follow the older OSSD framework and require 18 compulsory credits.
| Compulsory requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| English — 1 credit per grade | 4 |
| Mathematics — including at least 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12 | 3 |
| Science | 2 |
| Canadian History — Grade 10 | 1 |
| Canadian Geography — Grade 9 | 1 |
| The Arts | 1 |
| Health and Physical Education | 1 |
| French as a Second Language | 1 |
| Career Studies | 0.5 |
| Civics and Citizenship | 0.5 |
| Group 1 additional compulsory credit | 1 |
| Group 2 additional compulsory credit | 1 |
| Group 3 additional compulsory credit | 1 |
| Total | 18 |
This is where Groups 1, 2 and 3 belong.
Understanding Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 Credits
For students following the older 18-compulsory-credit framework, three additional compulsory credits are required—one from each of the following groups.
Group 1
Eligible subjects include:
- English, including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course, or French as a Second Language
- Native Languages
- First Nations, Métis and Inuit Studies
- Classical Studies and International Languages
- Social Sciences and the Humanities
- Canadian and World Studies
- Guidance and Career Education
- Cooperative Education
- American Sign Language as a Second Language
- Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde.
Group 2
Eligible subjects include:
- Health and Physical Education
- The Arts
- Business Studies
- French as a Second Language
- Cooperative Education
- American Sign Language as a Second Language
- Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde.
Group 3
Eligible subjects include:
- Science — Grade 11 or 12
- Technological Education
- French as a Second Language
- Computer Studies
- Cooperative Education
- American Sign Language as a Second Language
- Langue des signes québécoise langue seconde.
Ontario also places limits on how French as a Second Language and cooperative education credits can be used across these groups, so students should have their individual records reviewed when determining whether these requirements have been satisfied.
What Are Optional Credits?
Optional credits give students greater choice within their OSSD program.
Students must earn:
12 optional credits if they entered Grade 9 in 2023–24 or earlier.
13 optional credits if they entered Grade 9 in 2024–25 or later.
Ontario states that optional credits are earned by successfully completing courses from the Ontario Curriculum available through the school’s program and course calendar.
Optional does not mean unimportant. These credits can play a major role in preparing students for their intended postsecondary pathway.
How Should Students Choose Their Optional Credits?
Students should select optional courses strategically rather than simply choosing courses to reach the 30-credit total.
Course selection should take into account:
- interests and academic strengths;
- intended university, college, apprenticeship or career pathway;
- Grade 11 and Grade 12 prerequisites;
- prerequisites for future high school courses;
- areas in which the student wants additional academic preparation.
For example, a student can meet the OSSD graduation requirements while still being ineligible for a particular university program if they have not completed that program’s required Grade 12 prerequisite courses.
Therefore, OSSD graduation planning and postsecondary admission planning should happen together.
Compulsory Does Not Mean the Same Course for Every Student
Some compulsory requirements can be satisfied through more than one eligible course.
For example, Ontario policy provides that:
- Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit Voices may satisfy the Grade 11 compulsory English requirement;
- Expressions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultures may satisfy the compulsory Arts requirement;
- eligible English language learners may count up to three ESL or ELD credits toward the four compulsory English credits, but the fourth must be a compulsory Grade 12 English course;
- in specified circumstances, a Level 1 or 2 Native Languages course may satisfy the French as a Second Language compulsory requirement.
This is another reason course planning should be based on the student’s individual academic record.
Can Compulsory Credits Be Substituted?
In certain circumstances, yes.
Ontario policy permits principals to substitute up to three compulsory credits with courses from other subject areas to provide flexibility based on a student’s needs, interests or circumstances.
Substitutions are subject to Ministry rules and limitations, and approved substitutions are recorded on the student’s Ontario Student Transcript.
A student should therefore not assume that a substitution is automatically available. It is a principal-level decision made according to Ontario Ministry policy.
What About Students Transferring to the Ontario Education System?
Students transferring from another jurisdiction may have previous secondary school learning evaluated to determine their OSSD pathway.
Their remaining compulsory and optional credits will depend on the equivalency assessment of their previous education and the graduation requirements that apply to their individual circumstances.
Internal link:
This is the perfect place to link:
Transfer High School Credits to an OSSD: Complete Guide
That creates a strong relationship between the two authoritative resources we have now built.
Compulsory and Optional Credits vs. Other OSSD Graduation Requirements
Completing 30 credits is only part of earning the OSSD.
Students must also satisfy the additional graduation requirements that apply to them, including:
- the provincial secondary school literacy graduation requirement;
- community involvement activities;
- the online learning graduation requirement, where applicable;
- the Financial Literacy Graduation Requirement, where applicable.
For the detailed rules, students can read:
OSSD Graduation Requirements: Complete Guide
This prevents us from duplicating the entire graduation-requirements article on this page.
Planning Your OSSD Course Pathway
The right combination of compulsory and optional credits depends on more than the minimum diploma requirements.
A student’s course plan should consider:
What have I already completed?
Review completed Ontario credits or previous secondary school studies.
Which compulsory requirements remain?
Determine which compulsory subject requirements still need to be satisfied.
How many optional credits remain?
Calculate the number required under the student’s applicable OSSD framework.
What are my postsecondary goals?
Identify courses and prerequisites needed for intended university, college, apprenticeship or career pathways.
What should I take next?
Build a course sequence that satisfies both graduation requirements and future academic goals.
How OIS Helps Students Plan Their Credits
Ontario International School can help students understand their individual OSSD pathway and select courses according to their remaining requirements and future goals.
An academic assessment can help identify:
- credits already completed;
- compulsory requirements that may remain;
- optional credits still required;
- applicable graduation requirements;
- courses that support the student’s intended postsecondary pathway.
For students with previous studies from another school or jurisdiction, an academic-record review can also help determine the next steps for evaluating previous learning.
Build Your OSSD Course Plan
Every student's academic record and future goals are different. An assessment can help identify your remaining compulsory and optional credits and support an appropriate course pathway toward the OSSD.
Get a Free Transcript AssessmentSpeak with an Academic AdvisorFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The number of compulsory credits required for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) depends on when the student entered Grade 9. Students who entered Grade 9 in 2023–24 or earlier require 18 compulsory credits. Students who entered Grade 9 in 2024–25 or later require 17 compulsory credits. In both cases, students must earn a minimum of 30 total credits and meet the other applicable OSSD graduation requirements.
Students who entered Grade 9 in 2023–24 or earlier require 12 optional credits. Students who entered Grade 9 in 2024–25 or later require 13 optional credits. Together with the required compulsory credits, these make up the minimum 30 credits required for the OSSD.
The term elective credits is commonly used to describe courses students choose, but the Ontario Ministry of Education uses the term optional credits in its current OSSD requirements. For OSSD planning, “optional credits” is therefore the more precise term.
Yes. An optional credit toward the OSSD can also be a course required for admission to a particular university program. Students should therefore choose optional courses with their postsecondary goals and program prerequisites in mind. Graduation requirements and university admission requirements are separate, so earning the OSSD does not by itself guarantee that all prerequisites for a specific university program have been completed.
No. Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 are part of the 18-compulsory-credit framework for students who entered Grade 9 in 2023–24 or earlier. Students who entered Grade 9 in 2024–25 or later follow the newer 17-compulsory-credit framework, which instead includes one Grade 9 or 10 technological education credit and one additional credit from a designated STEM-related group.
Yes, in certain circumstances. Under Ontario Ministry policy, a principal may approve substitutions for up to three compulsory credits to support an individual student’s needs, interests or progress through secondary school. Specific restrictions apply, and substitutions are not automatic; the principal determines whether a substitution is appropriate.
Not necessarily. For students transferring from a school outside Ontario, home schooling, or a non-inspected private school, the receiving school’s principal determines the credit equivalency of previous learning and the number of compulsory and optional credits that remain to be earned. This means a transfer student’s OSSD pathway depends on their previous education and individual academic record.
Official Ontario Ministry Sources
The information in this guide is based on current Ontario Ministry of Education policies and guidance. For the official requirements, consult the following Ontario.ca sources.
- Ontario Ministry of Education — Diploma and Certificate Requirements and Related Procedures
Official policy covering OSSD compulsory and optional credits, including the 17 compulsory + 13 optional and 18 compulsory + 12 optional frameworks, compulsory subjects, STEM-related credits, Groups 1–3, and compulsory-credit substitutions.
View official Ontario.ca source
- Ontario Ministry of Education — Diploma and Certificate Requirements and Related Procedures
2. Ontario Ministry of Education — Earning Your High School Diploma
Ontario’s student-facing guide to earning the OSSD, including compulsory and optional credit requirements based on when a student entered Grade 9.
View official Ontario.ca source