Rants

OSSLT

So, as it is unlikely anyone but my bestie on this site knows this(hopefully), I live in a province in Canada called Ontario. And in order to graduate from high school, we have whats called the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, or OSSLT for short. I wrote this yesterday.

Thing is, no one knows if they passed it for a while and you need 300/400 points to pass it. which means 75% and I suck at essays and news reports. Those two alone are half the test. So anyways, you take this test for the first time (and we all hope its the last) in grade ten, but if you fail it, you need to take it in grade 11, if you fail that, you can either take this huge course, or take the test again until you pass. Until you pass, however, all you feel is stress.

Not only from waiting to see if you passed, even, of hell no. Most of the stress comes from waiting for the test day to come.

On the day it takes place, all grade tens and anyone who failed go to school in the morning at the same time in all Ontario schools, and start the test at the same time. first part one, then a 15 minute break, then part two. then, communal lunch for however long the school wants it to be, this is when students that aren't allowed to stay at home any longer, come to school for the rest of their classes, and most grade tens leave. But at the end of this three hour test (not including 15 min break) most of us are brain dead.

But thing is, I am a fast writer and thinker, so I was the first done in both cases with about 45 minutes left to nap both times. Well, this gets boring when you aren't allowed to even turn around, never mind have electronics or a book. So I'm stuck in my chair while the other students are hurrying to finish their test, wondering if I will even have a chance at passing.

Its a good thing universities and colleges aren't allowed to look at the scores on your test, only if you passed.

But the teachers can only help prepare you so much for this test, even by having you practice on tests from a few years before.

I know this test was made to make sure the graduating students are literate, but this shit is just crazy- you do NOT need giant ass trucks that almost resemble something the army would have bring in your test. That's just overkill.

I seriously want to know if the other provinces/territories have anything like this, but I'm too lazy to look it up.