Provincial exams are examinations that are commonly given to secondary school students in Canada. They are mainly used in the province of British Columbia; however, they are also given in other provinces sometimes. The tests start in grade 10, and are also offered for grades 11 and 12. Most universities no longer require these tests for admission, but high schools still require them for
. graduation. The examinations make up 20 percent of a student's final grade in grades 10 and 11, and 40 percent of their grade in grade 12. Students interested in earning the British Columbia Certificate of Graduation, also known as the Dogwood diploma, must successfully complete all of their provincial exams. At the 10th grade level there four provincial exams given in English, with the same number of exams also examinable in French. The exams are English, Mathematics, Science and English First Peoples. The French exams exclude English and include French instead. All four exams are required for students within this grade. At the 11th grade level only the Social Studies exam is mandated. Students can also take Civic Studies and BC First Nation Studies as well, or the Social Studies exam in French. The BC First Nation Studies exam does meet the Social Studies requirement, so students may just take this examination. The only required provincial exam for those in grade 12 is English. There are 18 other provincial exams given in English, and 6 others given in French. These cover classes including Mandarin, Punjabi, French and Physics. Students can opt to take these examinations, but they are not required for graduation or for the Dogwood diploma. Universities do not require these tests either, but they do give some weight to a college application. The University of British Columbia used to require more of the provincial exams, but in recent years they have relaxed this requirement. http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/ or http://www.ufv.ca/ar/admissions/provincial-exam-policy-change.htm
