Students may receive credits through the PLAR Challenge by successfully completing a formal evaluation and accreditation process. These students already possess the knowledge and skills as outlined in the Curriculum documents provided by the Ontario Ministry of Education.
A student is permitted to challenge for any grade 10 to 12 courses offered by the York Region District School Board providing they meet all of the requirements listed below. Applications for the PLAR challenge must be submitted to your home school by March 7, 2024 and the virtual assessments will take place on July 2, 2024. All relevant documents, application form and letter must accompany the request.
To begin the process students should start collecting and organizing evidence that shows they have the knowledge and skills related to the course they wish to challenge. You should visit the Ontario Ministry of Education to see the curriculum and expectations of the course in question.
Examples of evidence may include letters of reference (from teachers, community leaders, employers), certificates, samples of work, a portfolio, descriptions of experiences you have had that support your application. If approved, a PLAR instructor will contact you in April and communicate to you what assignments you need to complete prior to the challenge as well as other relevant information.
Eligibility
You must be able to answer No to all of the following questions:
Have you already earned a credit in the course you want to challenge?
Have you earned a credit in this course at a different level (for example, you earned an ENG3C and now you would like to challenge the ENG3U course?)
Have you been granted/earned equivalency for this course?
Have you previously failed this course?
Have you previously earned a credit in English and want to challenge for ESL, ELD or APD? (ESL – English as a Second Language; ELD – English Literacy Development; APD – Anglais pour débutants)
Have you already earned a credit in Francais and want to challenge French as a Second Language (FSL), (Actualisation linguisitique en francais (ALF); or Perfectionnement du francais PDF)
Other Information
A student may withdraw from the challenge prior to the final formal test without a notation on their Ontario Student Transcript (OST).
Should the student withdraw from the program at the final stage (formal test) the OST will show the current mark at the time of withdrawal, with no credit award (Grade 11 and 12 courses only).
Unsuccessful attempts for Grade 10 courses will not show on the OST.
A student may repeat a challenge, if unsuccessful, providing evidence is presented showing additional study and experience.
For more information please contact the Guidance Department at your school.