This section gives general information about the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics.
Participation
All students working towards the Grade 9 mathematics (MTH1W) credit are required to participate in the assessment.
All students eligible for the assessment, including English language learners, students with special education needs and adult students, must be accounted for. There are no deferrals or exemptions for the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics.
Administration Dates
For the 2022–2023 school year, the administration dates for the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics are:
Semester 1
Wednesday, January 11, to Friday, February 3, 2023, with individual student results reported after each student completes the assessment.
Semester 2
Wednesday, June 7, to Wednesday, June 28, 2023, with individual student results reported after each student completes the assessment.
Currently, only students who are learning in person will participate in the assessment. Students who are learning remotely and wish to participate in the assessment can, at the discretion of the school board, attend in person.
EQAO will send a memo with dates when boards should upload student data prior to the administration dates. This data will need verification in the e-assessment system. School administrators and teachers have steps to complete prior to, during and after the administration of the assessment.
Please ensure all steps outlined in the section After the Assessment are completed within two school days following the completion of the administration at your school and no later than February 3, 2023 (Semester 1) or June 28, 2023 (Semester 2).
Purpose of the Assessment
The Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics is a curriculum-based, standards-referenced, large-scale assessment. Students enrolled in the MTH1W Grade 9 de-streamed mathematics course are learning the knowledge and skills that are defined in the expectations found in the 2021 Ontario mathematics curriculum. The purpose of the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics is to assess student learning of the knowledge and skills in this curriculum. For more details on the assessment, refer to the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics Framework.
Assessment Design and Duration of Assessment Sessions
The Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics is an online assessment that is composed of two sessions (Session A and Session B) containing a total of 54 questions. Each session has two stages which are to be completed in one continuous sitting in approximately 60 minutes. The sessions can be attempted one after the other, either back to back with a break in between or on two different dates and times. If students require additional time to complete a session, extra time with supervision is allowed.
Students will have the opportunity to participate in an introductory session that will familiarize them with the assessment. During this introductory session, students will have access to a sample test of 27 questions that shows the various types of questions that will be on the assessment. During the sample test, students will also be able to try out the tools (e.g., text-to-speech, zoom in and zoom out, calculator) available in the assessment. At the end of the two assessment sessions, students will be presented with a questionnaire that asks them about their attitudes and perceptions with respect to mathematics.
The allotted time for the sessions is shown below. If students require additional time to complete a session, extra time with supervision is allowed.
| ACTIVITY | ESTIMATED TIME | ALLOTED TIME |
| Session A | 40 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Session B | 40 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Questionnaire | 10 minutes |
For more details on the assessment, refer to the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics Framework.
Using EQAO Results as Part of Final Course Marks
Teachers and School Administrators will be able to access Individual Student Reports (ISRs) after students complete the assessment. These results may be included as part of a student’s final Grade 9 mathematics course mark as per the Ministry’s direction in the Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario’s Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2010) document.
Individual Student Report (ISR)
The Individual Student Report provides a level of achievement for each student. All responses to questions on the assessment are computer scored. A student’s outcome is assigned using a statistical procedure that takes into account the student’s responses to all the operational questions on the assessment and the difficulty of each of these questions. This procedure, known as Item Response Theory, assumes a continuum of ability in mathematics knowledge and skills (as reflected by the achievement level 1 to 4), and locates the student’s outcome along that continuum.
Teachers will provide the Individual Student Reports to students to share with their parents/guardians. The following is a sample Individual Student Report.
