Using EQAO's official MPT practice resources well

The best preparation resource already exists

For the Ontario Math Proficiency Test (MPT), you don’t need to search far for preparation materials. EQAO — the agency that develops and administers the test — publishes official practice tests, resource pages, and webinars at mathproficiencytest.ca. These are the most exam-accurate materials available, full stop.

The question isn’t whether to use them. The question is how to use them well — because simply clicking through practice questions is not the same as preparing effectively.

What EQAO makes available

At mathproficiencytest.ca, EQAO provides:

• Online practice tests — sample items in both the Mathematics Curriculum and Pedagogy sections, formatted to reflect the real test. These are your most valuable resource.
• A Mathematics Content resource page — covering the Ontario Grades 3–9 curriculum strands and content areas that appear in the test. This gives you a map of what the Mathematics Curriculum section draws from.
• A Pedagogy resource page — outlining the foundational knowledge areas the Pedagogy section assesses: the Ontario maths curriculum, assessment and evaluation practices, and learning for all students.
• Webinars — EQAO periodically offers information webinars about the MPT. Check the site for upcoming sessions and recordings.

All of these materials are free. Use them as the backbone of your preparation — not a supplement to it.

How to use practice tests strategically

Most candidates who underperform on practice tests make one of two errors: they do them too late (leaving no time to act on what they learn), or they check their answers and move on without understanding why they were wrong. Here’s a better approach.

1. Do a diagnostic run early. Before you start studying, sit a practice test under realistic conditions — timed, uninterrupted, no notes. Don’t study first. This gives you a true starting-point picture: which sections feel manageable, which feel hard, and where specific gaps are hiding. That diagnostic is far more useful than any general study plan you could write without it.

2. Review wrong answers at the concept level. For every question you get wrong, ask two things: what’s the underlying concept or curriculum expectation this item tests, and where in the Ontario Grades 3–9 curriculum does it sit? Don’t just note the correct answer and move on — understand the principle. That’s what will help you on the real test, not memorising one question’s answer.

3. Treat both sections seriously. The practice tests cover both Mathematics Curriculum and Pedagogy items. It’s tempting to focus your review on the maths content — it makes up more of the test. But the pass standard is 70% on each section, independently. If the Pedagogy items in your practice test feel unfamiliar or ambiguous, that’s your signal to spend time on the Pedagogy resource page before your next run.

4. Simulate the actual test environment. One practice test done under real conditions is worth more than three done casually. Sit at a desk, no phone, no notes, in a quiet space. If you’re planning to sit the real test remotely, do your final full practice in the same room with similar setup. Familiarity with the experience reduces test-day friction.

5. Do a final practice run close to your test date. After your main preparation period, sit a full practice test again under realistic conditions. Compare your results to your diagnostic run. You should see movement in your weak areas. If a gap is still wide two weeks out, that’s where your remaining preparation time goes.

Using the resource pages, not just the tests

The Mathematics Content and Pedagogy resource pages are not just lists of topics — read them as study guides. They tell you, directly from EQAO, what the test draws on. This is the clearest signal available about scope and emphasis.

For the Mathematics Content page: cross-reference it against the Ontario curriculum document (available from the Ontario Ministry of Education). Identify any Grade 3–9 strand or expectation you haven’t reviewed recently. The curriculum is organised around five strands — Number, Algebra, Data, Spatial Sense, and Financial Literacy — and all five appear in the test.

For the Pedagogy resource page: don’t just skim it. Read each section and ask yourself: do I understand what this means in practice? If the framing around “learning for all students” or “assessment for learning” feels abstract, look for concrete examples — from your teacher-education programme, from classroom experience, or from Ontario’s curriculum and assessment policy documents.

What the official resources don’t cover

EQAO’s practice materials are excellent, but they represent a sample — not the full range of everything that could appear on the test. Treat them as a guide to format, difficulty, and the kind of reasoning required, not as a complete inventory of possible content.

If a practice question touches on a concept you don’t fully understand, that’s a signal to go deeper — not to skip past it because “it might not come up.” The Grades 3–9 curriculum is well-defined, and there’s no guessing required about scope. Study the full range of it.

Complement EQAO’s resources with targeted practice

EQAO’s official materials should anchor your preparation. SN Academy builds on them: our free Ontario diagnostic maps your current readiness against the same Grades 3–9 curriculum and Pedagogy areas the MPT covers, so you know exactly where to focus before you sit.

Take the free Ontario MPT diagnostic →

— The people of SN Academy