New Testing Pathways for Students Required to Take the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT)

House Bill 64 and the Ohio Revised Code require the State Board of Education to adopt new rules permitting a student who began ninth grade before July 1, 2014, choices for graduation that incorporate new graduation pathways. The State Board voted to adopt the new rules at its December 2015 board meeting. The new rules became effective on Jan. 1, 2016.

New Testing Pathways for Students Required to Take the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT)

New graduation requirements: Students who began ninth grade on or after July 1, 2014, must meet their course requirements and one of the following pathways for the testing requirement:

  1. A total of 18 Graduation Points across all end-of-course tests;
  2. A remediation-free score on the ACT or SAT; or
  3. A composite score of 13 on the WorkKeys and an approved industry-recognized credential.

Students who began ninth grade before July 1, 2014, must meet their course requirements and their current testing requirements, the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT), to graduate. However, new pathways will allow students additional ways to meet graduation requirements. This means that students who must pass the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) may:

  1. Current: Use old graduation requirements (OGT);
  2. New: Use new graduation requirements (see the three pathways above); or
  3. New: Use new testing options to fulfill old graduation requirements (see table below for the new pathways for these students).

Subject Area

Previous Options

Assessment Options – Minimum Scores

Math Proficient on Math OGT Proficient on Math OGT
3 points on Algebra I, Geometry, Integrated Math I or Integrated Math II Test
Score of 22 on the ACT Math or 520 on the SAT Math*
Reading Proficient on Reading OGT Proficient on Reading OGT
3 points on English Language Arts I or English Language Arts II tests
Score of 21 on the ACT Reading or 450 on the SAT Critical Reading*
Writing Proficient on Writing OGT Proficient on Writing OGT
3 points on English Language Arts I or English Language Arts II tests
Score of 18 on the ACT English or 430 on the SAT Writing*
Science Proficient on Science OGT Proficient on Science OGT
3 points on Biology test
Passing grade in College Credit Plus course in Biology
Score of 2 on Advanced Placement (AP) Biology test
Score of 2 on International Baccalaureate (IB) Biology test
Social Studies Proficient on Social Studies OGT Proficient on Social Studies OGT
3 points on American History or American Government tests
Score of 2 on Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History or Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Government and Politics tests
Score of 2 on International Baccalaureate (IB) History test
Passing grade in College Credit Plus course in U.S. History or U.S. Government


*These test scores are the remediation-free scores set by Ohio’s university presidents. These scores are subject to change.

Please submit questions to gradrequirements@education.ohio.gov.

New Testing Pathways FAQ

Last Modified: 8/3/2017 10:54:16 AM