1. Reading: Multiple Choice
Thomas A. Stewart Literacy Test (OSSLT) Prep Guide 2013
Reading: Multiple Choice

2. To help you navigate the guide, the TAS Logo is a link to the Table of Contents
Introduction
This guide is intended to be a resource for students, teachers and parents.
It has several sections covering what to expect, how these questions are marked, examples of good and bad answers with explanations for why.
Throughout the guide there are suggestions, tips and hints.
You can jump from section to section or go through the guide in order.
We recommend visiting this guide more than once.

3. Sample Question Decoding the OSSLT Types of Questions Other Guides
Table of Contents
Sample Question
Decoding the OSSLT
Types of Questions
Explicit
Implicit
Making Connections
Other Guides

4. OSSLT-speak Decoding the OSSLT:
The OSSLT has its own special terminology. It’s important to know what their terms mean.
Selection: A “selection” is the thing they have you read…it might be part of a book, a story from a magazine, something from a website, but basically it’s the thing you need to base your answers on.
Prompt: The “prompt” is basically the question. For a Series of Paragraphs Expressing an Opinion the “prompt” will be the topic they want you to write about.
Response: Your “response” is your answer; what you write about the “selection” in answer to the “prompt.”
Scoring: “Scoring” is the word they use for marking or grading. Your score on each question is called a Code. So if you get 30 they call it a Code 30.
Conventions: Spelling, grammar, sentence structure and punctuation.

5. Reading: Multiple Choice
In the actual booklet there is no headline explaining the article. The Photo basically takes the place of the headline and introduces what the “selection” is all about.
EXAMPLE:
A little-known but interesting example of Northern Ontario’s history is the school on rails. By the 1920s, mining and forestry settlements were scattered along the network of railway lines of Northern Ontario. A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.” In 1922, a North Bay school superintendent pushed for an experiment to bring schools to these remote settlements by converting passenger rail cars into classrooms. These cars contained desks, blackboards and books and a small apartment for the teacher. After being on display at the Canadian National Exhibition (a major fall fair) in Toronto, the first two cars left for northeastern Ontario in For four days at a time, the cars rested at railway sidetracks in the tiny communities. Children hiked or came by horse and sled several kilometres for their education, and at night the school car became a place of learning and social activity for adults. The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by 1938.
However, during the 1950s extensive highway construction turned many trackside towns into deserted settlements. In 1967, one of the last school cars was shuttled into a Toronto rail yard. But that was not to be its final stop. The people of Clinton, Ontario, purchased the well-worn car to honour their fellow citizen Fred Sloman. Sloman, the car’s last teacher, taught on railway cars from 1926 until his retirement in Today the restored car tells its story of Northern Ontario life, as a museum in Clinton.
This is an example of a reading question.
First, look at the Photo.

6. Reading: Multiple Choice
There are three (3) different kinds of Multiple Choice Questions:
1 – Explicit – you can get the answer directly from the text.
2 – Implicit – to get the answer you will have to make an inference, that is think about what you’ve read and come to some conclusion – put “2 and 2 together.”
3 – “Making Conections”
– these are the hardest ones. You will have take the information from the text and draw a conclusion based on what you’ve learned.

7. Reading: Multiple Choice
OK, we’ve looked at the photo
(Don’t they look happy? They didn’t even have a Literacy test.).
Now it’s time to read the article.
BTW The OSSLT people call everything you read a “selection.”

8. Reading: Multiple Choice
The story will appear a paragraph
at a time each time you click
A little-known but interesting example of Northern Ontario’s history is the school on rails. By the 1920s, mining and forestry settlements were scattered along the network of railway lines of Northern Ontario.
A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.” In 1922, a North Bay school superintendent pushed for an experiment to bring schools to these remote settlements by converting passenger rail cars into classrooms. These cars contained desks, blackboards and books and a small apartment for the teacher.
After being on display at the Canadian National Exhibition (a major fall fair) in Toronto, the first two cars left for northeastern Ontario in For four days at a time, the cars rested at railway sidetracks in the tiny communities Children hiked or came by horse and sled several kilometres for their education, and at night the school car became a place of learning and social activity for adults.
The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by However, during the 1950s extensive highway construction turned many trackside towns into deserted settlements.
In 1967, one of the last school cars was shuttled into a Toronto rail yard. But that was not to be its final stop. The people of Clinton, Ontario, purchased the well-worn car to honour their fellow citizen Fred Sloman. Sloman, the car’s last teacher, taught on railway cars from 1926 until his retirement in Today the restored car tells its story of Northern Ontario life, as a museum in Clinton.

9. Reading: Multiple Choice
A little-known but interesting example of Northern Ontario’s history is the school on rails. By the 1920s, mining and forestry settlements were scattered along the network of railway lines of Northern Ontario.
A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.” In 1922, a North Bay school superintendent pushed for an experiment to bring schools to these remote settlements by converting passenger rail cars into classrooms. These cars contained desks, blackboards and books and a small apartment for the teacher.
After being on display at the Canadian National Exhibition (a major fall fair) in Toronto, the first two cars left for northeastern Ontario in For four days at a time, the cars rested at railway sidetracks in the tiny communities Children hiked or came by horse and sled several kilometres for their education, and at night the school car became a place of learning and social activity for adults.
The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by However, during the 1950s extensive highway construction turned many trackside towns into deserted settlements.
In 1967, one of the last school cars was shuttled into a Toronto rail yard. But that was not to be its final stop. The people of Clinton, Ontario, purchased the well-worn car to honour their fellow citizen Fred Sloman. Sloman, the car’s last teacher, taught on railway cars from 1926 until his retirement in Today the restored car tells its story of Northern Ontario life, as a museum in Clinton.

10. Reading: Multiple Choice
EXAMPLE:
1 Explicit ? – Can you get the answer directly from the text?
Multiple-Choice
(Record the best or most correct answer on the Student Answer Sheet.) 1
In 1920, few mining and forestry settlements
in Northern Ontario had schools, because the
settlements lacked
a roads.
b money.
c children.
d teachers.
Click on me to return to the story
What kind of question do you think this is?
3 “Making Conections?” – Are you being asked to take the information from the text and draw a conclusion based on what you’ve learned?
2 Implicit ? – Do you have to make an inference? Are they asking you to think about what you’ve read and come to a conclusion – put “2 and 2 together?”

11. Reading: Multiple Choice
EXAMPLE:
Multiple-Choice
(Record the best or most correct answer on the Student Answer Sheet.) 1
In 1920, few mining and forestry settlements
in Northern Ontario had schools, because the
settlements lacked
a roads.
b money.
c children.
d teachers.
In 1920, few mining and forestry settlements
in Northern Ontario had schools, because the
settlements lacked
a roads.
b money.
c children.
d teachers.
A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.”
It’s Explicit
We get the answer directly from the text.
The answer is:
b) money

12. Reading: Multiple Choice
A little-known but interesting example of Northern Ontario’s history is the school on rails. By the 1920s, mining and forestry settlements were scattered along the network of railway lines of Northern Ontario. A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.” In 1922, a North Bay school superintendent pushed for an experiment to bring schools to these remote settlements by converting passenger rail cars into classrooms. These cars contained desks, blackboards and books and a small apartment for the teacher. After being on display at the Canadian National Exhibition (a major fall fair) in Toronto, the first two cars left for northeastern Ontario in For four days at a time, the cars rested at railway sidetracks in the tiny communities. Children hiked or came by horse and sled several kilometres for their education, and at night the school car became a place of
learning and social activity for adults. The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by However, during the 1950s extensive highway construction turned many trackside towns into deserted settlements. In 1967, one of the last school cars was shuttled into a Toronto rail yard. But that was not to be its final stop. The people of Clinton, Ontario, purchased the well-worn car to honour their fellow citizen Fred Sloman. Sloman, the car’s last teacher, taught on railway cars from 1926 until his retirement in Today the restored car tells its story of Northern Ontario life, as a museum in Clinton.

13. Reading: Multiple Choice
EXAMPLE:
1 Explicit ? – Can you get the answer directly from the text?
Multiple-Choice
(Record the best or most correct answer on the Student Answer Sheet.) 3
Which of the following was not served by a
rail car classroom?
a “forestry settlements” (line 2)
b “few towns” (line 3)
c “remote settlements” (lines 5–6)
d “tiny communities” (line 10)
OK, now what kind of question do you think this is?
2 Implicit ? – Do you have to make an inference? Are they asking you to think about what you’ve read and come to a conclusion – put “2 and 2 together?”
3 “Making Conections?” – Are you being asked to take the information from the text and draw a conclusion based on what you’ve learned?

14. Reading: Multiple Choice
EXAMPLE:
Watch the “not” here. They’ve made it bold to make sure you notice.
Multiple-Choice
(Record the best or most correct answer on the Student Answer Sheet.) 3
Which of the following was not served by a
rail car classroom?
a “forestry settlements” (line 2)
b “few towns” (line 3)
c “remote settlements” (lines 5–6)
d “tiny communities” (line 10)
Which of the following was not served by a
rail car classroom?
a “forestry settlements” (line 2)
b “few towns” (line 3)
c “remote settlements” (lines 5–6)
d “tiny communities” (line 10)
Again, what kind of question do you think this is?
It’s Implicit – You have to make an inference and figure out where the school trains didn’t go.
They didn’t go to the “few towns” that could afford to build real schools.

15. Reading: Multiple Choice
A little-known but interesting example of Northern Ontario’s history is the school on rails. By the 1920s, mining and forestry settlements were scattered along the network of railway lines of Northern Ontario. A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.” In 1922, a North Bay school superintendent pushed for an experiment to bring schools to these remote settlements by converting passenger rail cars into classrooms. These cars contained desks, blackboards and books and a small apartment for the teacher. After being on display at the Canadian National Exhibition (a major fall fair) in Toronto, the first two cars left for northeastern Ontario in For four days at a time, the cars rested at railway sidetracks in the tiny communities. Children hiked or came by horse and sled several kilometres for their education, and at night the school car became a place of learning and social activity for adults. The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by However, during the 1950s extensive highway construction turned many trackside towns into deserted settlements. In 1967, one of the last school cars was shuttled into a Toronto rail yard. But that was not to be its final stop. The people of Clinton, Ontario, purchased the well-worn car to honour their fellow citizen Fred Sloman. Sloman, the car’s last teacher, taught on railway cars from 1926 until his retirement in Today the restored car tells its story of Northern Ontario life, as a museum in Clinton.
The same sentence has provided two answers…that’s not always going to be the case but, as you see, it could happen.

16. Reading: Multiple Choice
You need to re-read the selection on questions like these.
In Line 12 the article it says right out: “The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by 1938.” Which one of these answers backs that up?
EXAMPLE:
Multiple-Choice
(Record the best or most correct answer on the Student Answer Sheet.) 4
What supports the idea that the “experiment”
was a success?
a Children and adults showed up.
b Some towns opened their own schools.
c Highways were built in Northern Ontario.
d A passenger rail car was converted into a
museum.
What supports the idea that the “experiment”
was a success?
a Children and adults showed up.
b Some towns opened their own schools.
c Highways were built in Northern Ontario.
d A passenger rail car was converted into a
museum.
This is a “Making Conections” Question– You are being asked to take the information from the text and draw a conclusion based on what you’ve learned.
What is the proof that the idea to use schools on rails worked?
This is the only proof that makes sense and comes from the selection. The fact a rail car is now a museum is in the last line of the article.

17. Reading: Multiple Choice
Here’s our first clue.
We know they were a success, now all we have to do is keep reading to find something that relates to the four choices.
A little-known but interesting example of Northern Ontario’s history is the school on rails. By the 1920s, mining and forestry settlements were scattered along the network of railway lines of Northern Ontario. A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.” In 1922, a North Bay school superintendent pushed for an experiment to bring schools to these remote settlements by converting passenger rail cars into classrooms. These cars contained desks, blackboards and books and a small apartment for the teacher. After being on display at the Canadian National Exhibition (a major fall fair) in Toronto, the first two cars left for northeastern Ontario in For four days at a time, the cars rested at railway sidetracks in the tiny communities. Children hiked or came by horse and sled several kilometres for their education, and at night the school car became a place of learning and social activity for adults. The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by However, during the 1950s extensive highway construction turned many trackside towns into deserted settlements. In 1967, one of the last school cars was shuttled into a Toronto rail yard. But that was not to be its final stop. The people of Clinton, Ontario, purchased the well-worn car to honour their fellow citizen Fred Sloman. Sloman, the car’s last teacher, taught on railway cars from 1926 until his retirement in Today the restored car tells its story of Northern Ontario life, as a museum in Clinton.
A little-known but interesting example of Northern Ontario’s history is the school on rails. By the 1920s, mining and forestry settlements were scattered along the network of railway lines of Northern Ontario. A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.” In 1922, a North Bay school superintendent pushed for an experiment to bring schools to these remote settlements by converting passenger rail cars into classrooms. These cars contained desks, blackboards and books and a small apartment for the teacher. After being on display at the Canadian National Exhibition (a major fall fair) in Toronto, the first two cars left for northeastern Ontario in For four days at a time, the cars rested at railway sidetracks in the tiny communities. Children hiked or came by horse and sled several kilometres for their education, and at night the school car became a place of learning and social activity for adults. The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by However, during the 1950s extensive highway construction turned many trackside towns into deserted settlements. In 1967, one of the last school cars was shuttled into a Toronto rail yard. But that was not to be its final stop. The people of Clinton, Ontario, purchased the well-worn car to honour their fellow citizen Fred Sloman. Sloman, the car’s last teacher, taught on railway cars from 1926 until his retirement in Today the restored car tells its story of Northern Ontario life, as a museum in Clinton.
A little-known but interesting example of Northern Ontario’s history is the school on rails. By the 1920s, mining and forestry settlements were scattered along the network of railway lines of Northern Ontario. A few towns had grown large enough to pay for their own schools, but the outposts could not afford such “luxury.” In 1922, a North Bay school superintendent pushed for an experiment to bring schools to these remote settlements by converting passenger rail cars into classrooms. These cars contained desks, blackboards and books and a small apartment for the teacher. After being on display at the Canadian National Exhibition (a major fall fair) in Toronto, the first two cars left for northeastern Ontario in For four days at a time, the cars rested at railway sidetracks in the tiny communities. Children hiked or came by horse and sled several kilometres for their education, and at night the school car became a place of learning and social activity for adults. The experiment was so successful that seven cars were in operation by However, during the 1950s extensive highway construction turned many trackside towns into deserted settlements. In 1967, one of the last school cars was shuttled into a Toronto rail yard. But that was not to be its final stop. The people of Clinton, Ontario, purchased the well-worn car to honour their fellow citizen Fred Sloman. Sloman, the car’s last teacher, taught on railway cars from 1926 until his retirement in Today the restored car tells its story of Northern Ontario life, as a museum in Clinton.
And here it is.

18. Thomas A Stewart OSSLT Guide
TAS OSSLT Guides:
How the test is marked and why this matters
Reading Questions: Open Response
Reading Questions: Multiple Choice
Writing Questions: Series of Paragraphs
Writing Questions: Open Response Short Writing
Writing Questions: News Report
How to prepare for the OSSLT
Overview of the OSSLT