Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics

Welcome. This video will provide information on what students can expect when participating in the EQAO Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary and Junior Divisions. These assessments are to be administered to students in Grade 3 and Grade 6 in Ontario schools in spring. 

Students who attend publicly funded schools in person will complete the EQAO assessments during the regular school day. Schools have the flexibility to determine when assessment sessions will be scheduled within the administration dates set by the EQAO.  

The primary- and junior-division assessments align with the expectations in The Ontario Curriculum and measure the reading, writing and mathematics skills students are expected to have learned by the end of Grade 3 for the primary-division assessment, and by the end of Grade 6 for the junior-division assessment.  

Results from the EQAO assessments are used to inform improvement at the student, school, school board and provincial levels. They also help parents and guardians and educators to understand how students are doing in literacy and numeracy. The information helps policy-makers, researchers and other individuals invested in student learning in Ontario to determine how to support school improvement and student success. 

Students will use an electronic device to complete the online assessment at school. For those who cannot complete the assessment online, an alternative version is available. 

Each assessment has a language component consisting of different sessions, and a mathematics component consisting of different stages. Students complete a session or stage in one continuous sitting. These sessions or stages can be undertaken back-to-back with breaks in between or on different dates and times.  

The language component consists of four sessions: two reading sessions, two writing sessions and a final reading or writing session. Each session is designed to be completed within approximately 35 minutes. The mathematics component contains a total of four stages. Each stage is designed to be completed in approximately 30 minutes.

During the assessment, students will be presented with visually engaging and age-appropriate content. Breathing exercises are included in the online platform. These are designed to help students stay calm and focused.  

Each assessment contains a variety of question types, including single selection, multiple-selection, drag and drop, drop-down menu and checklist items. In the language component, students are also given open-response questions.  

At the end of the assessment, students have the opportunity to complete a  questionnaire that asks them about their attitudes and perceptions with respect to reading, writing, and mathematics and their learning environment, such as ability to work in groups and transferable skills .. EQAO will use questionnaire data to provide schools, school boards, teachers and parents and guardians with information on how students’ attitudes and perceptions, including growth mindset and access to technology are related to students’ mathematics and language achievement.  

To help students familiarize themselves with the online platform, they will have the opportunity to participate in an introductory session in class with their teacher before completing the assessment.  

The introductory session allows students to explore the built-in tools available to them during the assessment. For example, students can try out the highlighter and the eraser.

Other tools include a line reading tool, a built-in calculator in the mathematics component and the ability to make rough notes in the junior-division language component. The primary- and junior-division mathematics components each have French-English and English-French glossaries. Students completing the mathematics component of the junior-division assessment also have access to the EQAO Formula Sheet.

All students can use the built-in accessibility tools such as the zoom in and zoom out feature, a text-to-speech reader and a high-contrast view during the assessment.

Additionally, students will have access to both the language and mathematics components in the sample test during the introductory session. The sample test includes the various types of questions that will be on the actual assessment.

Here is a question from the Reading section of the language component of the primary-division sample test.

Anyone who would like to become familiar with the format of the primary- and junior-division assessments and the types of questions that they contain can find the sample tests on EQAO’s website. 

Since EQAO assessments are aligned with The Ontario Curriculum, which is used for classroom instruction, students do not require additional preparation.

Framework documents for each assessment are available for review on EQAO’s website. Frameworks provide details on each assessment such as the curriculum expectations that are assessed and how the questions will be scored, and they include a sample Individual Student Report. 

As EQAO seeks to continuously improve its programs, it engages students to ensure that their voices are being heard. The EQAO Student Engagement Committee (or ESEC) is a unique forum for students to share their ideas and experiences. ESEC is made up of students from all over Ontario and provides recommendations on how EQAO can improve its assessments and programs, and increase student engagement. 

ESEC members have shared with EQAO that students are less likely to feel nervous when they have positive discussions about EQAO’s assessments before they complete the assessments. ESEC members have also indicated that students appreciate encouraging conversations about their ability to be successful on the assessments.

It is important for students to feel supported and hear that they are ready to take the assessments.

Individual student results are made available to schools in the fall of the following school year. Students will receive their Individual Student Report from their school to bring home.

EQAO uses the definitions from the Ontario Ministry of Education’s levels of achievement for how it reports achievement: Level 1 represents achievement that falls much below the provincial standard. Level 2 represents achievement that  approaches the provincial standard. Level 3 represents achievement that meets the provincial standard. Level 4 identifies achievement that surpasses the provincial standard.

The provincial standard is not used to determine if a student passes or fails. The provincial standard is simply an established target that helps to determine if the student is prepared for work in subsequent grades. Results on the primary- and junior-division assessments are not included in grades that appear on report cards for students.  

Alongside other assessment information, results from the Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics for Grade 3 and Grade 6 students provide valuable information to help understand your child’s educational journey better.

Please visit www.eqao.com to learn more about the Education Quality and Accountability Office and the EQAO assessments in which Ontario students participate in elementary and secondary schools.