The Provincial Diploma Exam

 

The Alberta Provincial Diploma Exam for Social Studies is worth 30% of your final grade. To receive credits for Social Studies 30-1 or Social 30-2, one of which is required for high school graduation in Alberta, you must complete the appropriate Diploma Exam.

The diploma exam for Social Studies consists of two parts, scheduled on two different dates, approximately a week apart:

  • Part A (3 hours) consists of two writing assignments (source analysis and a position paper)  worth 50% of the exam mark.
  • Part B (2.5 hours) consists of 60 mostly source-based, multiple-choice questions, worth 50% of the exam mark.


Be sure that you know the writing location of your examination. Contact your teacher if you do not know the writing location.

If you are writing by hand, you must provide your own pen for your written response and your own HB pencil (for multiple-choice responses), eraser, and highlighter.


PART A Exam

PART A Exam:Consists of two separate Written Assignments that allows you to use the following print references:

  • an authorized English and/or bilingual dictionary (Students writing in French may use a French language dictionary.)
    a thesaurus
  • an authorized writing handbook from the following list:
    • ... A Canadian Writer's Reference (D. Hacker), 2nd edition only
      ... Checkmate: A Writing Reference for Canadians (J. Buckley)
      ... English Language Arts Handbook for Secondary Students (Alberta Education)
      ... Fit to Print: the Canadian Student's Guide to Essay Writing (J. Buckley)
      ... The St. Martin's Handbook for Canadians (A. Lunsford et al.)
      ... The Writing Process (Gehle et al.)
  • an authorized dictionary from the following list:
    • ... Collins Paperback English Dictionary
      ... Collins-Robert Paperback French Dictionary
      ... Gage Canadian Dictionary
      ... Harper-Collins French Dictionary       (French-English)
      ... Le Petit Robert 1
      ... Merriam-Webster's School Dictionary
      ... The Canadian Oxford High School Dictionary
      ... The Concise Oxford Dictionary
      ... The Houghton Mifflin Canadian Dictionary of the English Language
      ... The Oxford Dictionary of Current English

The reference texts used must not contain appendices that include social studies content (such as historical time-lines, the structure of the Government of Canada, Canada's court system, or the structure of international organizations such as the United Nations and NATO).


Use of a word processor

  • If you do your written work regularly on a word processor (computer), you may have the opportunity to use a word processor for writing Part A: Written Response. Talk to your teacher to ensure one is available on exam day. Not all writing centres have enough computers to meet the demand.
  • When you complete your written-response assignment, make revisions or corrections directly on your final copy. If you are using a word processor, you may edit your hard copy with a pen also.
  • The examination booklet is your working copy. If you prefer to underline, highlight, or make notes on what you are reading, do so.

Rescoring

  • If you believe that the mark you received is unfair, request a rescoring of your examination. Remember that if you request a rescore, your new mark, whether it has increased or decreased, will be your final grade.
  • The total fee for this service is $26.25, which is refunded if your mark increases by 5% or more. Follow the procedures on your Diploma Examination Results Statement to apply for rescoring.


   Note:  References like dictionaries or thesauri are not allowed for Part B: Multiple-Choice.