Notification on Changes to the OSSD Certificate Recognition Policy (Explanation of Policy Effective Date, OSSD Courses and Prerequisite Course Requirements)

Please see below for the final update on the OSSD from the University of Queensland that has been circulating among everyone these days.

I. Notification of Changes to the OSSD Certificate Recognition Policy

The University of Queensland (UQ) will adjust its recognition policy for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

From the effective date of the policy change, UQ will only recognize OSSD certificates issued by the following institutions:

• Ontario public schools (i.e., schools directly administered by the Ontario government and listed in the official directory of Ontario schools), and
• 19 international schools that have signed cooperation agreements with the Ontario government.

UQ will no longer recognize OSSD certificates issued by other private schools.

II. Explanation of Policy Effective Time:

• All new applications submitted on or after May 31, 2025, will be executed according to the new policy;
• Applications submitted on or before May 30, 2025, and applying for admission in the second semester of 2025 or the first semester of 2026, will continue to be evaluated according to the current policy;
• Students applying for admission in the second semester of 2026 and beyond will be evaluated according to the new policy, regardless of the application submission time.

III. Explanation of OSSD Courses and Prerequisite Requirements:

For OSSD subjects completed at private schools listed on the Ontario government's official website, if the student can provide other qualified academic qualifications (e.g., one year of full-time higher education study experience or a qualified SAT score), these OSSD subjects can still be used to meet the prerequisite requirements for specific majors.

Changes for OSSD certificate recognition

UQ is making a change to its recognition of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) certificate for entry to UQ. UQ will now only recognise certificates issued by Ontario public schools (schools administered by the Government of Ontario and listed on theofficial Ontario schools directory) and19 international schools that operate under an agreement with the Ontario Government). UQ will no longer recognise the OSSD certificate issued by all other private schools.

This policy change will come into effect for new applications received from 31 May 2025 onwards. Applications received before and on 30 May 2025 for Semester 2, 2025 or Semester 1, 2026 will be assessed under our existing entry requirements. Applications for Semester 2, 2026 and beyond will be assessed under the new policy regardless of when the application was received by UQ.

OSSD subjects completed from a private school listed on the Ontario government’s website can be used to meet the prerequisite subjects, provided they meet the required entry score with another qualification such as a 1-year full-time tertiary study or an SAT score.