1. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)

2. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
The test is divided into 2 categories.
Reading
Writing
You must pass both sections to pass the test.

3. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Reading
You will have to Read a selection from each of the following categories.
Information Paragraph
News Report
Dialogue
Real-Life Narrative
Graphic Selection
You will have to Answer multiple choice and short answer questions on the passage you have read.

4. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Information paragraph: presents ideas and information on a topic.
News report: presents information in the form of a news story.
Dialogue: presents a conversation between two or more people.
Real-life narrative: presents an account of a significant time in an individual’s life.
Graphic text: presents ideas and information with the help of graphic features, such as diagrams, photographs, drawings, sketches, patterns, timetables, maps, charts or tables.

5. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Tips for Reading
Read the questions first. This will help you predict what the reading selection is going to be about.
Underline or highlight important information and ideas as you read.
As you read, think about what you are reading and ask yourself questions about it.
Try to “see” what you are reading; some readers say this is like running a video or movie in their heads.
Look for links between what you are reading and experiences you have had.

6. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Tips for Reading Cont’d
If you read a word you don’t understand, look for a root word that you know inside the larger word; look for prefixes and suffixes.
If you still don’t understand the word, read to the end of the sentence and look for clues to its meaning. Try reading the sentences before and after the sentence to see if you can find the meaning from the context.
If a long sentence has you confused, reread it and try to put it into your own words.

7. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Strategies for Multiple-Choice Reading Questions
Read and reread the question carefully.
Read the four answers and rule out any answers that are incorrect.
If necessary, reread the relevant parts of the selection to choose the best or most correct answer.
Record the answer on the Student Answer Sheet as described in the test instructions.

8. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Strategies for Open-Response Reading Questions
Read and reread the question carefully.
Keep your answer within the six lines provided.
Answer the question using specific and relevant details and information from the reading selection.
Make connections between the ideas and information in the reading selection and your own experience.
Reread your response and correct any errors you notice.

9. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Writing
Long Response: You will have to write a…
News Report based on a given picture.
A series of Opinion Paragraphs (like an essay) on a general given topic.
Short Response: You will have to answer, in paragraph form, questions based on your knowledge and personal experience.
Multiple Choice: Answer multiple choice questions based on information given in the above notes selections.

10. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
The News Report
You will write a news report based on the picture and headline provided.
Find a link between the headline and the photograph that could be used as an event for a report that would appear in a newspaper.
You are given one lined page for your written work.
A news report usually answers the questions who, what, where, when, why and how.
You should not write an advertisement, a television or radio report, a dialogue or a report about an event that will take place in the future.

11. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
The News Report Cont’d
You should write about an event that has occurred in the past in order to inform readers about the event.
Students must make sure that
The response is related to the picture and headline;
The response contains sufficient and specific information and facts related to the event;
The response is coherent and organized;
The response is written in the third person with a reportorial tone and
The grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure are correct.

12. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Series of Paragraphs
You must write a minimum of three paragraphs.
Include an introduction, development and a conclusion.
You are given two lined pages for your written work.
The opinion must be stated clearly at the beginning or end of the response.
You must adequately support the opinion with reasons, examples or facts.

13. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
Series of Paragraphs Cont’d
You should make sure that
The opinion is clearly stated;
They have provided enough specific detail to support it;
The response is coherent and organized and
The grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure are correct.

14. Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (EQAO)
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