Course Challenging
General Regulations
The challenge process is an evaluation process and may not be used as a way for students to improve their mark in a course for which they have already earned a credit, nor as a way to obtain a credit for a course they have previously failed.
Students may earn no more than four credits through the challenge process, including a maximum of two credits in any one discipline. (See OSS, section 6.6.)
Students may challenge for credit for a course only if they can provide reasonable evidence to the principal that they would be likely to be successful in the challenge process, in accordance with criteria established by the ministry in OSS, section 6.6.
In cases where a student who is an adult or the parent of a student who is not an adult disagrees with the decision of the principal about whether or not the student should challenge for credit, the parent or adult student may ask the appropriate supervisory officer to review the matter.
Students may use certificates or other records of accomplishment earned outside Ontario classrooms as reasonable evidence of eligibility to challenge for credit for a related course within the Ontario curriculum, if they wish to earn credit for the course without taking the course. Students with music certificates that are accepted for credits in OSS, appendix 4, Music Certificates Accepted for Credits, however, are not required to challenge for credit for the appropriate music courses, but are granted credits in accordance with appendix 4 and section 6.8.6.
A student must challenge for credit for an entire course, whether it is a full-credit or a partial-credit course.
A student will be permitted to challenge for credit for a specific course a second time after a reasonable interval, if the student can provide reasonable evidence to the principal that he or she is likely to be successful after having benefited from additional study and experience during the interval.
In publicly funded schools, students' requests to challenge for credit will be entered in their annual education plans as part of their plans for fulfilling their educational goals.
