· Ontario · 4 min read
Ontario MPT format and pass mark
The Ontario Math Proficiency Test (MPT) is an entirely multiple-choice assessment. There are no short-answer questions, no written components, no constructed-response items.
Two sections, all multiple-choice
The Ontario Math Proficiency Test (MPT) is an entirely multiple-choice assessment. There are no short-answer questions, no written components, no constructed-response items. Every question has a set of options, and you select the correct one.
The test is divided into two sections, each testing a distinct area of knowledge. Understanding how those sections differ — and how the pass standard works — is essential before you sit the test.
Section 1: Mathematics Curriculum
The Mathematics Curriculum section tests your knowledge of the maths content that Ontario teachers are expected to teach. The scope is mapped directly to the Ontario Grades 3–9 mathematics curriculum — so this is not university-level maths, but it does require genuine fluency with the concepts, procedures, and relationships across several years of schooling.
Key features of this section:
- It covers the full range of the Grades 3–9 maths curriculum — number sense, algebra, data, geometry, measurement, and financial literacy as defined by the Ontario curriculum documents.
- It includes both calculator-permitted and no-calculator items. The split between these is not publicly specified, so you should be comfortable working both ways.
- This section makes up at least 70 per cent of the total test by composition. It is the larger section by design — the emphasis is on mathematical content knowledge.
Section 2: Pedagogy
The Pedagogy section is smaller (the remainder after the maths section) and tests a different kind of knowledge: how to teach mathematics effectively in an Ontario classroom.
According to EQAO’s published framework, this section covers:
- Foundational understanding of the Ontario maths curriculum.
- Assessment and evaluation practices in mathematics.
- Approaches to supporting learning for all students.
This is not a theoretical pedagogy examination. It is grounded in practical, classroom-level knowledge — the kind of understanding a beginning teacher in Ontario needs to plan, assess, and respond to their students’ mathematical thinking.
The pass standard — read this carefully
This is where many candidates get tripped up, so it is worth being precise.
To pass the MPT, you must achieve 70% or above on each section, and you must do so in the same attempt.
Two things to be clear about:
It is a per-section standard, not an aggregate
A combined or average score is not used. If you score 85% on Mathematics Curriculum but 65% on Pedagogy, you have not passed — you need 70% on both, separately. There is no mechanism to “make up” a low Pedagogy score with a very high maths score, or vice versa.
Do not confuse the pass mark with the composition figure
The test is composed of at least 70% Mathematics Curriculum questions and the remainder Pedagogy. That 70% figure describes how the test is weighted — it has nothing to do with the pass mark. The pass mark (also 70%) is a separate, per-section standard. The two 70% figures are coincidental and refer to completely different things.
Sections do not carry forward
If you pass one section but not the other, you cannot carry your passed section to a future attempt. You must pass both sections in the same sitting. There is no partial credit across attempts.
Your result
EQAO reports your outcome to the OCT within 10 days of sitting the test. The result is binary: “Successful” or “Not Yet Successful”. There is no numerical score reported to the OCT — just the pass/fail outcome.
What this means for how you prepare
Because both sections must be passed in the same attempt, a lopsided preparation strategy carries real risk. Candidates who assume the Pedagogy section is easy or negligible sometimes find themselves caught out. The maths content section is larger, so it deserves the majority of your preparation time — but allocate deliberate time to the pedagogy strand too.
EQAO publishes official practice materials at mathproficiencytest.ca. Use them. They are the most accurate signal of the test’s style and difficulty.
Prepare with a plan
SN Academy’s free diagnostic test identifies which areas of the Grades 3–9 curriculum and which pedagogy knowledge areas you need to work on — so you can focus your preparation where it counts, not spread it thin.
Take the free diagnostic test at SN Academy →
— The people of SN Academy
