The Grade 12 Literacy Assessment

About the assessment

The Grade 12 Literacy Assessment is a provincial assessment that assesses student proficiency in literacy. It is a graduation requirement and completed during students’ Grade 12 year.

The Grade 12 Literacy Assessment assesses students’ ability to use critical and reflective thinking and analysis to make meaning from a diverse array of texts. It also assesses the ability of students to communicate their ideas, or those found in the texts.

The Grade 12 Literacy assessment is not based on a particular subject matter or course, but rather on learning across multiple subjects from kindergarten to Grade 12.

What the Grade 12 Literacy Assessment looks like

The Grade 12 Literacy Assessment is delivered online in three parts.

Part A – Thinking critically about the texts 

Students demonstrate that they can analyze and make meaning from the texts by answering selected-response questions. The Context for Critical Thinking provides students a lens through which to view the key issue, which is a broad concept with real-world implications. The Context for Critical Thinking frames the texts and informs each student’s written responses to communicate their understanding in a graphic organizer and multi-paragraph constructed response. 

Part B – Going beyond the texts

Students demonstrate that they can analyze and make meaning from the texts by answering selected-response questions. An Essential Question, related to another key issue, provides a framework within which students apply their literacy skills. This key issue is different from the key issue in Part A.  At the end of the select-response questions in Part B, students choose one of two writing prompts that stem from this Essential Question. Students communicate their personal interpretation and insights in an extended written response.  

Self-Reflection

Questions allow students to reflect on their experience with the assessment. This component is not marked, but highly encouraged.

Pre-assessment activities

Video series

The following video series will help students understand the structure of the assessment and the types of responses expected. The videos are intended to be watched before completing the assessment. 
 

Introduction

Question types

Past A

Part B

Sample Grade 12 Literacy Assessment

The best way to learn more about the Grade 12 Literacy Assessment is to work through the online and printable sample(s) and review the supporting materials below. These documents, and the texts, may be used for formative activities in classrooms.

Constructed-response supporting materials are available in two different formats: a compiled document, which includes all materials together, or separate documents.

Assessment Design Specifications

Learn more about the Grade 12 Literacy Assessment’s design, tasks and connection to the B.C. curriculum by referring to the document below.

Information for administrators

  • Grade 12 Literacy Assessment Administration Guide (Under development)

Additional resources

More resources will be posted as they become available.