1. Breakdowns and Question Types
How the OSSLT is Marked
Breakdowns and Question Types

2. Terminology
Selection – The thing you read (information paragraph, news report, real life narrative, dialogue, or graphic text)
Prompt – The question you are answering or the topic you are writing about
Response – Your answer; you answer the “prompt” in writing questions; you write about the “selection” to answer the “prompt” in reading questions
Scoring – Marking or grading; score is called a Code and they go by 10s. If you get 30, it is a Code 30
Conventions – Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation

3. What is a Pass? What is the Mark Breakdown?
“Provincial Standard” is Level 3 or about 70%
Reading Tasks are worth about 54% of the final mark
Writing Tasks are work about 46% of the final mark

4. Breakdown of Reading Tasks
5 Reading Tasks: Information Paragraph, Graphic Text, News Report, Dialogue, and Real-Life Narrative

5. Breakdown of Writing Tasks
Four types of Writing Tasks: News Report, Series of Paragraphs, Short Answer (x2), Multiple Choice (x8 or 10)
Two long writing tasks equal 24% of the final mark

6. Overview by Question Type
Two long writing tasks = 24% (just under a quarter)
Six short answer tasks (4 reading and 2 writing) = 27% (just over a quarter
Multiple Choice (both reading and writing) = 49% (just under half)

7. Best Strategies to Pass
Above all READ the QUESTIONS
Unpack questions, even if it is just underlining the “to do” parts without rewording
Answer what the question is asking
The most beautifully supported answer will get Code 0 if it doesn’t answer the question
For short answer, use words from the question to start your answer
For Writing News Report, pick out important words in the headline and images in the picture to brainstorm 5W+H before your start writing
For Reading Multiple Choice, look back at the text and find key words from the question

8. Best Strategies to Pass
Answer every Multiple Choice question
Use Five Every Time Paragraphs for short answer questions (reading and writing)
Use all 6 lines
Use Five Every Time Essay format for Series of Paragraphs; if you struggle to come up with 3 examples for any of the 3 reasons, have at least 2 good examples per reason
Use all 50 lines
Use Writing News Reports Formula to make sure you include the minimum requirements
Use all 25 lines

9. How Reading Open Response Questions are Scored and Tips to Pass
Out of 30 (by 10s)
Code 0 is an epic fail
Skipped the question or didn’t answer the question
Code 10 is a fail;
Question was answered, but there was no support or irrelevant support
Code 20 is better, but it depends on the rest of the test score whether getting all Code 20s will boost to a pass or not
Question was answered and support was relevant, but vague
Code 30 is a guaranteed pass on this section
Question was answered and support was relevant and specific
Restate question when answering
Use solid evidence from the text to support the answer

10. How Writing News Report is Scored
2 separate scores
Topic Development = out of 60 (by 10s)
Writing Conventions = out of 40 (by 10s)
=100 marks total
Topic Development
What you write
Proper News Report Format
Relates to headline and picture
Includes enough specific detail (5W+H)
Includes 2 quotes
Writing Conventions
How you write
Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation

11. What is the Minimum to Pass Writing New Report?
Topic Development = Code 40, Code 50, or Code 60
Clear connection to headline and photo
Clear and consistent focus on an event
Enough supporting details; some specific, some a bit vague
Quotation in quotation marks “ ” and identifies speaker
Has multiple short paragraphs; marker can tell that there are paragraphs (indent)
Writing Conventions = Code 30 or Code 40
You can make some mistakes and still pass
Mistakes can’t get in the way of understanding the News Report

12. How Writing Series of Paragarphs is Scored
2 separate scores
Topic Development = out of 60 (by 10s)
Writing Conventions = out of 40 (by 10s)
=100 marks total
Topic Development
What you write
Coming up with an opinion and doing a good job backing it up with proof (reasons and examples)
Having a clear opinion on one side of the topic with enough reasons and examples to support it
Putting opinion, reasons, and examples together in a way that makes sense and helps prove your point
Clearly stating opinion at beginning and end (introduction and conclusion paragraphs)
Writing Conventions
How you write
Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation

13. What is the Minimum to Pass Writing Series of Paragraphs?
Topic Development = Code 40, Code 50, or Code 60
Five obviously indented paragraphs
Clear opinion in first and last paragraph; opinion consistent all the way through
Three reasons, each supported with some example/detail
Linking words at the beginning of all paragraphs but the first
Writing Conventions = Code 30 or Code 40
You can make some mistakes and still pass
Mistakes can’t get in the way of understanding the Series of Paragraphs

14. How Writing Open Response Questions are Scored and Tips to Pass
2 separate scores
Topic Development = out of 30 (by 10s)
Writing Conventions = out of 20 (by 10s)
=50 marks total
Topic Development
What you write
Coming up with a clear answer and backing it up with solid proof or examples
Code 30 is a guaranteed pass on this section
Question was answered and support was relevant and specific
Restate question when answering
Use solid evidence to support the answer; make it personal and use what you know

15. How Writing Open Response Questions are Scored and Tips to Pass
Writing Conventions
How you write
Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation
Pass = Code 20
You can make some mistakes and still pass
Mistakes can’t get in the way of understanding the answer