EQAO Grade 6 - Everything You Need To Know As A Parent
While many parents are familiar with EQAO Grade 6 testing if their son or daughter tested in Grade 3, EZ-Teach has created this article to help answer some of the most common questions about how to prepare kids for EQAO and how to help them relieve test anxiety. Click on the links below to get answers to specific questions or keep reading and scroll your way through the following 12 questions, answers and tips.
1) What is the EQAO test for Grade 6?
2) What happens if you fail the EQAO Grade 6 test?
3) What is the EQAO Grade 6 test for?
4) Do EQAO Grade 6 tests count for anything?
5) How to help your child prepare for the EQAO Grade 6 test
6) Keys to scoring well on a Grade 6 EQOA test
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Help your child navigate the EQAO Grade 6 Test with help from EZ-Teach!
Image Source: Tima Miroshnichenko
EQAO Grade 6
1) What is the EQAO test for Grade 6?
Before we get into the details of what the EQAO Grade 6 Test is, you might want to first have a look at one of our other blog posts, EQAO Meaning - What Does EQAO Stand For, especially if you are totally new to EQAO. We will give you a heads up though: EQAO does not stand for Evil Questions Attacking Ontario!
By Grade 6, students have already encountered EQAO testing because the first set of standardized testing occurs in Grade 3. The same material is tested, Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, but it extends to cover material that students are expected to have learned by the end of Grade 6 as outlined in the Ontario Elementary Curriculum.
You can check what your child is expected to know for Reading and Writing by looking at the Language Curriculum, and for Mathematics by looking at the 2020 revised Mathematics Curriculum.
For more information about what to expect on the EQAO Grade 6 test, watch the EQAO video What to Expect on the EQAO Primary- and Junior-Division Assessments.
2) What happens if you fail the EQAO Grade 6 test?
You can reassure students by reminding them that failing the EQAO test does not result in failing Grade 6.
Image Source: Andrea Piacquadio
If a student fails the EQAO Grade 6 test, nothing happens. Your child does not need to repeat the test or Grade 6. The test does not affect their grades either. Having said that though, a failure of the EQAO Grade 6 test may indicate that your child may need some extra help.
Perhaps there are some concepts that your son or daughter doesn’t understand, or maybe they have a learning disability that has impacted their ability to do well on the test. Parents can see their child’s scores and this may be helpful in identifying what issues are of concern as well as those that are not of concern.
3) What is the EQAO Grade 6 test for?
Gr. 6 EQAO test results like this sample are meant to help assess and improve the quality of Ontario’s public education.
Image Source: EQAO Results
Now let’s just say that many people actually wonder whether or not the EQAO testing is necessary at all - and some people have strong opinions about this!
Regardless of where you stand on the issue, the EQAO Test for Grade 6 students is meant to help keep the Ontario Ministry of Education accountable and measure the effectiveness of the Ontario curriculum as it relates to general literacy.
The testing also gives parents, teachers and school administrators an idea of how each child compares to provincial averages. So, the EQAO test does help parents get a glimpse into how their child is progressing and what concepts they have grasped and what concepts they have yet to.
4) Do EQAO Grade 6 tests count for anything?
Watch the video for an introduction on EQAO from CEO Dan Koenig.
As we mentioned earlier, the EQAO does not count toward a student’s grades at school. The results can be used to help identify which concepts students struggle with and help indicate to educators and parents or guardians what material needs to be reinforced or taught differently.
The results provide information about the following:
How students are generally progressing
How effective the Ontario curriculum is and how it can be improved
Standardized tests have less of an impact on students and more of an impact on educators, administrators, policymakers and other researchers.
Also, the school’s collective results will be made known publicly and can be used to compare to other schools in terms of student achievement. You can see each school’s results with this online tool.
5) How to help your child prepare for the EQAO Grade 6 test
Practice EQAO questions will help students prepare for the test and feel confident when the day comes.
Image Source: Andrea Piacquadio
Although the Grade 6 EQAO test does not count towards your child’s final marks, the results from the test still offer insight into your child’s literacy development.
The testing is actually a good opportunity for your child to review important concepts related to reading, writing and mathematics. To help students, EZ-Teach features the following 3 Prep Guides:
You can find out more about these guides by clicking on the pictures above or by browsing our curriculum page. With these guides, your Grade 6 students will have access to practice tests that are very similar to the real EQAO tests themselves. Below is a brief summary of the types of questions children will see.
a) Grade 6 Language Test Prep Questions
The practice language questions will target students’ understanding of:
Fiction
Nonfiction
A Newspaper Article
A Friendly Letter (Tip: Here is a free guide on letter-writing from Literacy Ideas)
Informational Text
The practice tests also offer plenty of writing practice as students are asked to write sentences, paragraphs, short stories, instructions, a description, a movie review, a poem, a letter, and a newspaper article. Students will also answer questions featuring essential grammar and writing skills.
b) Grade 6 Math Test Prep Questions
The practice math questions will target students’ understanding of:
Number Sense and Numeration
Patterning and Algebra
Measurement
Geometry
Spatial Sense
Data Management
Probability
The practice tests also feature mixed math skills with questions that are a combination of all the math skills.
Remember, giving your child the opportunity to prepare for the tests also helps them alleviate test-taking anxiety and helps them know ahead of time what to expect and anticipate on the test. In fact, we offer a FREE Test-Taking Strategies Tips PDF to help kids prepare for tests.
If you’d like more help preparing your child for EQAO Grade 6, you can also go to the EQAO website to see their Sample Test. Or, check out TVO Learn to see their free Grade 6 Language and Math resources.
“The book is really valuable. I got this for my kid to help him prepare for EQAO. He started using it and found it very useful.”
6) Keys to scoring well on a Grade 6 EQOA test
Help students gain confidence and score well on the Gr. 6 EQAO Test with the tips below.
Image Source: Andrea Piacquadio
We realize that no one can predict exactly how your child will perform on the test, but there are some ways to help your son or daughter do well. Here are some tips:
a) Don’t wait until the last minute
Review schoolwork regularly
If your child is struggling in school, consider getting them extra help
Whether it’s formally hiring a tutor or sending them to an afterschool program, or informally spending 1:1 time with your child reviewing problems together, make sure you make the time.
At this grade level, your child may benefit from working with a peer or older sibling, too.
Remember, a minor intervention early on can often help you avoid greater challenges down the road. By the time this blog is posted, the school year won’t even be half finished. That means you still have lots of time to help your child improve at school and even start or develop some new and better study habits.
b) Know what your child is expected to know in Grade 6 Language and Math
Review and check curriculum guides since the test covers the Ontario curriculum
Also, review the frameworks on the EQAO website to see what is being assessed
As mentioned, take time to review homework together with your children so you can help them understand concepts that may be challenging for them. Kids may feel more comfortable asking questions at home with you or an older sibling than at school among their peers, so try to make a safe space for them to tell you if there is anything they are struggling with.
Even if you can’t help them yourself, you’ll be able to get them some help. Having parental support will boost your child’s confidence. You can read this article from KidsHealth to learn more about how to help support your kids in school: 10 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in Elementary School.
c) Use the practice guides and tests available to help your child understand how to read and carefully follow instructions
Sometimes students don’t understand a question or they jump too quickly to answer a question before understanding what the question actually asks of them.
You can practice how to answer questions during dinner at home by giving them multi-step instructions to follow as you prepare a meal or set the table together.
7) Is EQAO mandatory?
Ontario public school students must take the Gr. 6 EQAO Test.
Image Source: Norma Mortenson
Yes, unless the student is homeschooled, all students who attend public schools in Ontario are required to take the Grade 6 EQAO test. If you are homeschooling your child, then they do not need to do the EQAO testing.
However, homeschoolers have the option to do the EQAO testing. Parents just need to inquire at their local school board to find out how they can participate.
8) What are the current EQAO scores?
Click on the image above to explore the provincial results posted on the EQAO website.
Image Source: Screenshot from EQAO website
Based on the most recent EQAO Grade 6 testing in 2024 for English-language schools in Ontario, here are the following results:
Reading: 82% of students met or exceeded provincial standards
Writing: 80% of students met or exceeded provincial standards
Mathematics: 50% of students met or exceeded provincial standards
Compared with 2023 results, there was a slight decrease in Reading (84% in 2023) and Writing (84% in 2023) scores while the Mathematics scores remained the same. (See the highlights of the 2023-2024 provincial results here).
Keep in mind that EQAO was paused for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new mathematics curriculum was introduced in 2020-2021. Some students may still be catching up after all these changes and challenges.
9) How many questions is the EQAO Grade 6 test?
The language and math portions of the EQAO test take approximately 2 hours to complete each.
Image Source: Katerina Holmes
a) Language Test
The language portion of the EQAO test (Reading and Writing) is divided over 4 sessions. (2 Reading sessions and 2 Writing sessions). Students are expected to finish each session in 35 minutes so the test can take 2 hours and 20 minutes for some.
Overall, the test includes 31 operational questions. There are 28 questions where the student has to select the correct answer provided (drop-down menu, checklist, drag and drop type questions, etc.) and 3 questions that are open-response.
b) Math Test
The math portion involves 44 questions that are presented in 4 sessions or stages. The mathematics portion of the test takes about 2 hours to complete as each session is to be completed in 30 minutes.
Please note that both portions of the test also include additional field-test questions but they are not used in student results. For more information, click here.
10) How much does it cost to run EQAO?
According to a 2022 CBC article by Carmen Groleau, EQAO costs $50 per student tested.
Image Source: Screenshot of portion from CBC article.
While we can’t say with precision how much it costs to run, it definitely costs a fair bit of money to organize and administer tests, and then score, analyze, interpret and present the data to the public.
According to an article published by CBC in June 2022, EQAO testing costs about $50 per student tested.
If you search online, you’ll see people making comments that it costs taxpayers over $30 million dollars to run EQAO.
11) Can parents opt out of EQAO?
Students in Ontario are expected to take the Gr. 6 EQAO, however there are some exceptions.
Image Source: Kampus Production
There are 2 situations which permit for opting out of the EQAO.
Private Schools are not required to participate in EQAO testing but often do. If your child goes to a private school, then it depends on whether that school is participating in EQAO testing or not.
Parents homeschooling their children may opt-out of the testing as well. The Canadian Homeschooler notes: “You do have the legal option for your children to take the EQAO in grades 3, 6 and 9 and the Literacy test in Gr. 10, but they are not required.”
12. Which schools do EQAO testing and which schools do not?
All public schools in Ontario participate in EQAO testing.
Image Source: Arthur Krijgsman
All public school students in Ontario are required to participate in EQAO testing. Private school students and homeschool students are not required to participate; however, they may choose to participate (see above for more information).
EZ-Teach
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Thank you for visiting our blog. We hope these tips have helped prepare you and your child for the Grade 6 EQAO testing. We wish you and your students all the best!
If you have more questions about the testing or about EZ-Teach, we would be happy to hear from you. Please contact us or click on the button below.
