The Ontario Mathematics Proficiency Test (MPT) has 21 scored pedagogy questions. EQAO's August 2026 framework allocates 9 to Growing Success, 7 to Learning for All, and 5 to Mathematics Curriculum Context. You need 70% or higher in pedagogy and 70% or higher in mathematics content on the same attempt. Start with EQAO's practice questions, then use each missed or guessed answer to find the part of the policy or curriculum you need to reread. EQAO MPT Framework, pp. 9–12 · EQAO passing requirement
What to read for the 21 pedagogy questions
| EQAO dimension | Scored questions | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Growing Success | 9 | Read Chapters 4 and 5 for assessment and evaluation. Use Chapters 1–3 for principles, work habits and the achievement chart, and Chapters 7–8 for supports for students with special education needs and English language learners. |
| Learning for All | 7 | Read Chapters 2–4 for Universal Design for Learning (UDL), differentiated instruction, tiered support, assessment for learning, and class and student profiles. |
| Mathematics Curriculum Context | 5 | Read the Grades 1–8 curriculum context and the Grade 9 MTH1W introduction, course elements, program planning, and assessment and evaluation sections. |
Use the question counts to divide your first study session. Then shift time toward the dimension where you miss the most questions. The framework names the 2021 Grade 9 de-streamed course, MTH1W, for the secondary curriculum reading. It also names the Ministry's updates to Growing Success. EQAO MPT Framework, pp. 3, 9–11
Growing Success questions turn on who uses the evidence
Picture a Grade 7 class learning to compare rates. At the end of a lesson, each student explains which rate is greater and how they know. The teacher reads the responses and sees that several students compared the distances without accounting for the different times. She uses that evidence to plan a short lesson on unit rates. That is assessment for learning because the evidence guides the next teaching decision.
The next day, the students use the same criteria to check their own explanations and set a goal for their next response. That is assessment as learning because students monitor and direct their own progress. Later, the teacher judges what students have achieved against established criteria and assigns a grade using evidence from the unit. That is assessment of learning, or evaluation. In a practice question, look for the decision the evidence supports. A written task can serve any of these purposes. Growing Success, Chapters 4–5
For questions about special education, identify the expectation first. Suppose a student uses a documented oral response option to explain the same reasoning everyone is expected to show. The response method changes and the curriculum expectation stays the same, so that is an accommodation. If the student's program instead specifies an expectation from another grade, or changes the number or complexity of the expectations, that is a modification. Read Chapter 7 for examples and for how these supports are recorded in the Individual Education Plan (IEP). Growing Success, Chapter 7
For questions about the achievement chart, start with what the teacher asked the student to show. In the rates lesson, one prompt might ask a student to explain their method clearly, while another asks them to use what they know about unit rates in an unfamiliar situation. Those prompts emphasize different categories of achievement. Review Chapter 3 for the criteria used in each category. Growing Success, Chapter 3
Check the Ministry's separate updates page when you reach secondary evaluation in Chapter 5. The September 2026 update replaces the Grade 9–12 course evaluation policy beginning in the 2026–27 school year. For example, the EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics counts as the MTH1W written final exam and makes up 20% of the student's course mark. That example concerns a school course mark. The teacher certification MPT uses the two component thresholds above. Ontario Ministry of Education’s Growing Success updates
Learning for All questions turn on who needs the support
Imagine a teacher planning a lesson on comparing fractions. From the start, the teacher gives everyone access to fraction strips, labelled number lines, and spoken explanations. Building those options into the lesson is an example of Universal Design for Learning. After reviewing students' work, the teacher gives students who confuse the numerator and denominator a targeted activity, while others compare fractions with less familiar denominators. Adjusting instruction in response to the learners' needs is differentiated instruction. Both can happen in the same lesson. Learning for All, Chapter 2
When a question describes support becoming more intensive over time, look for the tiered approach. Tier 1 starts with classroom assessment and instruction for everyone. At Tier 2, evidence of a particular difficulty guides additional targeted support, and the teacher monitors how students respond. At Tier 3, students who need more intensive support receive more individualized assessment and instruction, often with help from the in-school team. In the fractions example, check progress on a new problem before deciding how to adjust the support. Learning for All, pp. 24–25
Use the same question about scope for the planning tools. A class profile helps you see patterns across the group, such as how many learners need help explaining why two fractions are equivalent. A student profile adds detail about one learner's strengths, needs and progress so the teacher can plan more precisely. If a practice question asks which profile to consult, ask whose instruction you are planning. Learning for All, Chapter 4
Curriculum Context questions turn on what students do with the math
In both the Grades 1–8 curriculum context and the Grade 9 MTH1W curriculum, start with The Mathematical Processes. Then read the program-planning and assessment sections named in the framework. For each process, write a prompt a teacher could use to bring out that action. Grades 1–8 Mathematics Curriculum Context · Grade 9 MTH1W curriculum
For example, a Grade 9 teacher asks students to explain why doubling both quantities in a mixture keeps its concentration the same. The action being assessed is reasoning and proving. If the teacher asks for a double number line to show the relationship, the focus is representing. If students revisit their original method after trying a classmate's approach and explain how their own thinking changed, the emphasis is reflecting. Several processes can occur during one activity. Pick the one the prompt most directly asks the student to demonstrate. Grades 1–8 Mathematics Curriculum Context, pp. 21–27
That method also helps when the options include connecting and communicating. A prompt that asks students to relate a rate in math class to speed in science emphasizes connecting. Asking them to make their explanation understandable to a classmate emphasizes communicating. To check your understanding, take one classroom task and rewrite the teacher's prompt so it calls for a different process. Grade 9 MTH1W, The Mathematical Processes
Use the practice tests to decide what to study next
EQAO's portal lists two official practice tests, each with 75 questions, and lets you choose English or French. Try one to see how the questions are presented and to establish a baseline for both components. During the pedagogy section, keep track of the answers you guessed and review them before you submit the section. Once you advance, the platform closes the previous section. EQAO Practice Tests
After practice, build a short error log. Include correct guesses because they show where a new scenario might trip you up.
| If you hesitated between… | Review this | Try this next |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment for and as learning | Growing Success, Chapter 4 | Rewrite an exit-ticket scenario so the student uses the evidence to choose a next step. |
| UDL and differentiated instruction | Learning for All, Chapter 2 | Describe a choice available to the whole class, then an adjustment prompted by evidence about a group. |
| Representing and reasoning | Mathematics Curriculum Context, The Mathematical Processes | Write a prompt that asks for a graph, then one that asks students to justify a claim about that graph. |
If you confused assessment for and as learning, record the clue that changes the answer. In the exit-ticket example, the teacher used the responses to plan a lesson. Your revised version might have a student compare their explanation with the success criteria and decide what to practise next. When you meet a different task, see if you can still identify who uses the evidence and what they do with it.
Try the six original OpenExamPrep questions below and explain your choice before revealing the answer. If you miss an assessment or instructional-support question, review the relevant study-guide section and practise with a new scenario. Use EQAO's second sample once you can explain the concepts you missed on the first one. Keep checking mathematics content separately so you can see how both components are progressing. Growing Success study guide · Learning for All study guide · Free Ontario MPT practice questions
How to use your MPT Applicant Report after an attempt
Your EQAO report gives a percentage for each of the two components and feedback on each dimension. For example, a candidate with 78% in mathematics content and 76% in pedagogy meets the passing thresholds even if one pedagogy dimension shows amber. The dimension indicators help direct study. The two component percentages determine the result. A candidate with 84% in math and 67% in pedagogy must retake both components. In that case, use the pedagogy dimension feedback to choose where to begin and continue doing enough math practice to maintain your performance. EQAO MPT Framework, pp. 12–14 · EQAO Applicant Report guidance
Find registration, the full test format and the formula sheet in the broader exam overview. Ontario MPT exam overview
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