The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning Ontario Secondary School Diploma, provided that they have earned a minimum of 14 credits distributed as follows:
| Compulsory Credits | Total: 7 |
- 2 credits in English
- 1 credit in Canadian Geography or Canadian History
- 1 credit in Mathematics
- 1 credit in Science
- 1 credit in Health and Physical Education
- 1 credit in the Arts or Technological Education
| Optional Credits | Total: 7 |
- 7 credits selected by the student from available courses
The provisions for making substitutions for compulsory credits also apply to the Ontario Secondary School Certificate.
Students who leave school before fulfilling the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate may be granted a Certificate of Accomplishment. The Certificate of Accomplishment may be a useful means of recognizing achievement for students who plan to take certain adaptive programs or other kinds of additional training, or who plan to find employment after leaving school.