Essay

Do you think being literate is important to your life? The OSSLT (Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test) is a literacy test that all grade 10 students have to take in order to graduate high school. The OSSLT is important for 2 reasons - one must have to use language their entire life so it’s important to know it, and the OSSLT tests one’s knowledge to see how much one has improved. The OSSLT is absolutely necessary for one to succeed in the future.

	First of all, the OSSLT is a literacy test, and people have to use language for their entire lives. Literacy is the ability to read and understand information. If one can read and understand information, they would have the ability to use it - or convey it to another person effectively. It is important to know language and to be literate. Being literate is essential for one to be successful because language is constantly being used. For example, a literate person would understand money - they would understand our currency and how to handle it. Or the bus - they would know the bus routes in your town and how to buy a ticket. Or even voting - they would know where to register to vote in an election or how to find out who is running. Being literate is one of the best things one can achieve by taking the OSSLT.

	Second, the OSSLT is to test one’s knowledge of what they know so far, and to see how much they have improved. When someone knows how  much they have improved, it gives sense of satisfaction, to further boost their confidence and to push them even farther than they already have. Improving means to develop or increase in mental capacity by education or by experience. When one is tested by the OSSLT (a form of education), they improve in that specific strand, resulting in an increase in mental capacity. Thus, the OSSLT literacy test can improve one’s knowledge and allow them to become more literate.

	In conclusion, the OSSLT literacy test is very important to have because it improves our ability to read and understand information, and it tests one’s knowledge and boosts one’s confidence. The believe the OSSLT literacy test is completely necessary for a student to graduate.