Diploma Exams
**Please be sure to confirm your writing centre below prior to your exam date. In most cases, diploma exams are NOT held at the Vista Virtual School Calgary campus as we require larger venues to accommodate our students.
Diploma Exam Writing Session Information:
Diploma exams are offered in January, April, June, August and November. Adult students can write a diploma exam during any of the scheduled exam sittings as they are able to challenge any exams (proper preparation recommended).
Note: not all exams are offered at all sessions.
April 2023 Exam Writing Session:
REGISTRATIONS FOR APRIL 2023 DIPLOMA EXAMS ARE NOW CLOSED. PLEASE CONTACT VVSUPPORT@PEMBINAHILLS.CA DO TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST.
| EXAM & DATES | WRITING CENTRE |
|---|---|
| NOTE: DIPLOMA EXAMS ARE NOT HELD AT VVS CALGARY CAMPUS, PLEASE REFER TO THE CORRECT WRITING CENTRES BELOW | |
| VVS SOUTH WRITING CENTRE: CALGARY | |
| English Language Arts 30-1 Part A - April 17, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. English Language Arts 30-1 Part B - April 20, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Hotel Blackfoot Sundance Room 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 2B5 Map |
| English Language Arts 30-2 Part A - April 17, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. English Language Arts 30-2 Part B - April 20, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Hotel Blackfoot Sundance Room 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 2B5 Map |
| Social Studies 30-1 Part(ie) A - April 18, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Social Studies 30-1 Part(ie) B - April 21, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | Hotel Blackfoot Sundance Room 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 2B5 Map |
| Social Studies 30-2 Part(ie) A - April 18, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Social Studies 30-2 Part(ie) B - April 21, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | Hotel Blackfoot Sundance Room 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 2B5 Map |
| Mathematics 30-1 - April 19, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Mathematics 30-2 - April 19, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Hotel Blackfoot Sundance Room 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 2B5 Map |
| Biology 30 - April 19, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | Hotel Blackfoot Sundance Room 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 2B5 Map |
| Chemistry 30 - April 21, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | Hotel Blackfoot Sundance Room 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 2B5 Map |
| Physics 30 - April 24, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Vista Virtual School 341 58 Avenue SE Calgary, AB T2H 0P3 Map |
| Science 30 - April 24, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | Vista Virtual School 341 58 Avenue SE Calgary, AB T2H 0P3 Map |
| VVS NORTH WRITING CENTRE: WESTLOCK | |
| English Language Arts 30-1 Part A - April 17, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. English Language Arts 30-1 Part B - April 20, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
| English Language Arts 30-2 Part A - April 17, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. English Language Arts 30-2 Part B - April 20, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
| Social Studies 30-1 Part(ie) A - April 18, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Social Studies 30-1 Part(ie) B - April 21, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
| Social Studies 30-2 Part(ie) A - April 18, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Social Studies 30-2 Part(ie) B - April 21, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
| Mathematics 30-1 - April 19, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Mathematics 30-2 - April 19, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
| Biology 30 - April 19, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
| Chemistry 30 - April 21, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
| Physics 30 - April 24, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
| Science 30 - April 24, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | RF Staples Secondary School Room 21, 10015 104 Street Westlock, AB T7P 1T8 Map |
April 2023 diploma exam locations will be announced here.
2022/2023 Diploma Exam Schedule
Diploma Exam Preparation Information
When to Arrive
Students must plan to arrive
at 8:30 am for exams that start at 9 am. Students cannot be admitted after 10am.
at 12:30pm for exams that start at 1 pm. Students cannot be admitted after 2pm.
What to Bring
Government-issued photo identification. You will be required to sign in and present ID prior to writing your exam.
For English and Social Studies Part A exams, we recommend students bring a dictionary, thesaurus, and approved writer’s handbook.
Students registered at the South Writing Centre for Part A have the option of bringing their own laptops (personal Chromebooks are not permitted). If you bring your own laptop, please note the following:
– If you would like to bring your own laptop, you will need to download LockDown Browser before you come to the Writing Centre. Vista Virtual School will not have extra Chromebooks available at the writing centre.
– You should also bookmark the Quest A+ page as this is where you will access your Secured Exam
– Note: Students must have a cell phone to receive a code required to connect their laptop to the internet at the U of C and power outlets for charging devices will not be available.
If you are unable to bring a laptop, or you are registered at the North Writing Centre, VVS can provide you with a school Chromebook. If you require a Chromebook, please make this request at least a week in advance. Students are welcome to handwrite Part A if they do not have access to a laptop or if they are experiencing technical difficulties.
Math and science students are expected to provide their own approved calculator (calculator memories will be cleared before and after the exam). You may also bring a ruler and a protractor.
Be sure to review the Diploma Exam Guide for Students to find out what you can and cannot bring in for the exam.
Diploma Exam Registration Information
Once registration for an exam sitting is open, we send students an email with instructions to sign up for their exam.
Registration Date Information
| Diploma Exam | Registration Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| November 2022 | September 12 - October 3, 2022 | CLOSED |
| January 2023 | October 13 - November 1, 2022 | CLOSED |
| April 2023 | February 2 - February 17, 2023 | CLOSED |
| June 2023 | March 23 - April 6, 2023 | OPEN |
| August 2023 | June 19 - July 4, 2023 | CLOSED |
Please be advised that late registrations or walk-in students will not be accepted.
Note: These writing centres are for VVS students only. Third party venues are booked to accommodate our exam writers (typically at universities).
MyPass Information
All students must register to write a diploma exam through Alberta Education’s myPass website.
Once logged in to myPass, follow the prompts to register for a diploma exam. Students will register at either:
-
- Vista Virtual School – South (school code 1558) or
- Vista Virtual School – North (school code 1682)
As a VVS student, you may enter VVS Principal, Steven Kaplan, as granting you permission to register for the exam with our school.
If a student does not have an account, they need to review the myPass account requirements and contact us at vvsupport@pembinahills.ca or 1-855-974-5333 x5317.
As listed above, we offer two writing locations for diploma exams, one in Southern Alberta (Vista Virtual School – South) and one in Northern Alberta (Vista Virtual School – North). The cities in which we hold diploma exams are determined by the number of exam writers registered and location availability. Students will be notified of the location details closer to the writing date.
If, when announced, you are distant from the cities where we are holding diploma exams, you can inquire about having your local school supervise those exams, but they are not required to do so.
Diploma Exam Fee Information
Students who are rewriting a diploma exam are required to submit the Alberta Education rewrite fee in myPass.
Adult students have a $50 non-refundable, non-transferable, fee (per diploma exam) to access the VVS writing centre. Adults registered with the school must write under the school’s supervision. If you are unable to write due to COVID-19 circumstances, please contact us.
Diploma Exam Accommodation Information
If you used approved exam accommodations when writing your Vista Virtual School (VVS) course exams, you may be able to use them for your diploma exam. You must apply well in advance of the diploma exam writing date to confirm the accommodations you are eligible for and what can be offered. To apply for diploma exam accommodations, please email vvsupport@pembinahills.ca or call 1-855-974-5333 x5317
Exam accommodations must be approved by the VVS Inclusive Education Coordinator.
– To obtain approval, Vista Virtual School requires a copy of your assessment documentation and, if you have one, your most recent Instructional Support Plan (ISP) on record. There also needs to be evidence of those specific accommodations being used throughout the course and for exams.
Exam accommodations must be used for VVS course exams. If VVS is not able to demonstrate that you received exam accommodations for the course exams, Alberta Education may decline to provide accommodations for diploma exams.
Students with extensive exam accommodations may be able to write their diploma exam at our Calgary campus. Availability is limited, particularly in June and August, and isolation is not available. To register for special accommodations for your diploma exam, please email vvsupport@pembinahills.ca or call 1-855-974-5333 x5317.
All students are permitted to use double time for diploma exams without applying for exam accommodations.
Diploma Exam Requirement Information
Diploma exams are mandatory for all students registered in an eligible Alberta Education program (even if a student already has their high school diploma).
– Diploma exams are not the same as course final exams; students must write both.
– Registration is required to write a provincial diploma exam in one of the diploma exam sittings.
– Both the course mark and diploma exam mark are required for a final mark to appear on your transcript.
– If you are upgrading your course mark and have already completed the diploma exam, you may be able to use your previous diploma exam mark.
– VVS does not support special writing centres outside of Alberta. Visit the Alberta Online Learning Directory for other options.
Diploma Exam News
Diploma Exam Weighting Change 2022/2023
For the 2022/2023 school year, diploma exams will be worth 20% in weighting.
Diploma exam weightings will return to 30% effective September 1, 2023.
Please refer to diploma exam weighting overview for the most up-to-date information in regards to diploma exam weighting.