Quebec Secondary 4 Math: CST, TS or Science, and the 2027 Exam

In short

Quebec Secondary 4 math comes in three options set by the Québec Education Program: Cultural, Social and Technical (CST), Technical and Scientific (TS), and Science. A ministerial exam in January or June 2027 counts for half the final mark. Modern Age Coders teaches all three live online, in a batch or one to one, through its High School Mathematics course.

Study with a teacher

Three courses for a Secondary IV math student

The first follows the school course in any option. The second rebuilds algebra, which every option leans on. The third is for students who think most clearly with a computer in front of them.

QUE / 01

High school mathematics

Grades 9 to 12. Taught to your option, CST, TS or Science, alongside the school course. We grant no credits.

Open the syllabus →

QUE / 02

Algebra foundations

For a student whose trouble with functions and systems is really an algebra gap from Secondary III.

Open the syllabus →

QUE / 03

Maths through coding

Ages 10 to 15. Systems, functions and statistics explored by writing small programs.

Open the syllabus →

The three options

What the Québec Education Program says each option is for

The program document for Secondary Cycle Two puts it in one line: "They are the Cultural, Social and Technical option, the Technical and Scientific option and the Science option." Each then gets its own description. The middle column quotes them; the last column is our plain reading.

The three Secondary Cycle Two math options, quoted from the Québec Education Program (English version, read 22 October 2026)
Option	In the program's words	Our plain reading
Cultural, Social and Technical (CST)	"It involves a greater use of statistics and discrete mathematics"; it "prepares them for studies in the arts, communications, the humanities and the social sciences".	Math for decisions: data, money, voting, design, planning
Technical and Scientific (TS)	For students who "explore situations that sometimes involve both manual and intellectual work"; it develops the ability to "identify errors and anomalies in processes or solutions", aiming at "technical fields related to nutrition, biology, physics, business administration, the fine arts and graphic arts".	Math for making and fixing things: models, instruments, case studies
Science	"Students learn to develop formal proofs in situations where there is always a need to confirm a truth", with an academic background for those who "pursue their studies in the hard sciences or to perhaps eventually specialize in research".	Math for proof and abstraction: heavier algebra, more proofs

When the choice is made

The program places the options in the second and third years of Cycle Two, and its appendix on changing options speaks of students who, "at the end of Secondary IV, decide to change to another option for Secondary V". So the options begin in Secondary IV.

The choice itself comes a year earlier. The program asks students to reflect from the first year of Cycle Two, "since the option they select at the end of this first year may influence their career choices".

Can a student switch?

Sometimes. "At the end of the second year of Cycle Two, students may switch from one option to another, but only in certain specific cases." Moving from CST up to Science "may require a compensatory measure, to be determined by the school".

That last phrase is the practical one: the school decides what extra work a switch needs, so the conversation is with the school, before the end of Secondary IV.

Source: Québec Education Program, Mathematics, Secondary Cycle Two (English version), read 22 October 2026. Modern Age Coders is not connected with the Ministère de l'Éducation or any school service centre.

What Secondary IV adds

The concepts each option introduces in Secondary IV

Under each option the program lists "Concepts introduced in the second year of Cycle Two", which is Secondary IV. The table quotes those lists, shortened to their headings. All three options share a system of first-degree equations in two variables; after that, they part ways.

Concepts introduced in the second year of Cycle Two (Secondary IV), by option, from the Québec Education Program (read 22 October 2026)
Branch	CST	TS	Science
Algebra and functions	Relation, function and inverse; real functions: polynomial of degree less than 3, exponential, periodic, step, piecewise; system of first-degree equations in two variables	Radicals (nth root); powers of base 2 and 10; first-degree inequality in two variables; real functions: second-degree polynomial, exponential, greatest integer, periodic, piecewise or step; multiplicative parameter; systems of first-degree equations	Algebraic identity of the second degree; second-degree equation and inequality in one or two variables; step and greatest-integer functions; second-degree polynomial function; parameter; system of first-degree equations in two variables; a first-degree equation with a second-degree one
Statistics and probability	Percentile; mean deviation; two-variable distribution; linear correlation, correlation coefficient, regression line	Conditional probability; fairness; odds; mathematical expectation; mean deviation and standard deviation; linear and other correlation	Two-variable distribution; linear correlation; correlation coefficient; regression line
Geometry	Analytic geometry: distance, slope, point of division; parallel and perpendicular lines; sine, cosine, tangent, sine law, Hero's formula	Distance between two points; point of division; equation and slope of a line; perpendicular bisectors; trigonometric ratios in right triangles	Equivalent figures; line and distance between two points; sine, cosine, tangent; sine and cosine laws

What the lists tell a parent

CST spends more of Secondary IV on statistics and on reading data, and keeps its functions to degree less than 3. TS adds radicals, base changes and parameters, which are the tools for fitting a model to a real instrument or process.

Science moves fastest in algebra: second-degree equations and inequalities in two variables, identities, and systems that mix a line with a curve. That is the program's "more complex algebraic operations" in practice.

What the lists do not say

They do not rank the options. The program presents three courses with different aims, not an easy, middle and hard track, even though families often talk about them that way.

They also do not set a textbook or a calculator. Those are school choices, and the ministerial exam's rules on permitted materials are given to students by the school before the sitting.

Source: Québec Education Program, Mathematics, Secondary Cycle Two, "Program Content" for each option, read 22 October 2026. Headings are shortened; the program document gives each concept's full processes.

The 2027 ministerial exam

Secondary IV math exam dates for 2026 to 2027

Québec.ca says "The ministerial examinations are administered every year in January, June and August." For Secondary IV mathematics in the English sector, the 2026 to 2027 schedule lists the papers below. Each one is labelled "(Math. Reasoning)", the second of the program's three competencies.

Mathematics, Sec. 4, English sector, from the Québec.ca schedule of ministerial examinations (read 22 October 2026)
Date	Time	Papers
Thursday 21 January 2027	9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	CST (563-420), TS (564-420) and Science (565-420)
Friday 11 June 2027	9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	TS (564-420) and Science (565-420)
Friday 18 June 2027	9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	CST (563-420)
Tuesday 3 August 2027	9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	CST, TS and Science (the retake session)

How much it counts

Québec.ca: "The ministerial examinations in Secondary IV and V count for 50% of the final mark for the competency or competencies evaluated." The other half is the school mark for that competency, after moderation (explained below).

Which sitting a student writes, January or June, depends on how the school organizes the course. Ask the school which session applies; the schedule lists both.

Who marks it

Marking of the Secondary IV Mathematics exam "is shared by the Ministère and the educational institutions". The multiple-choice part is read by optical reader at the ministry, and "the constructed-response part is marked by the student's teacher based on a marking guide produced by the Ministère".

So the written solutions are read by the student's own teacher against a common guide. Clear, complete reasoning on paper is part of the mark, not decoration.

Rules on the day. Students are "strictly forbidden" to have a personal mobile device, which Québec.ca spells out as "smartphone, wireless headphones or earbuds, smartwatch, etc.", or any unauthorized material; a breach is recorded with the mark "ANN", equivalent to 0 percent. A student who took the course, or received equivalent instruction at home after an exemption from school attendance, may sit the exam, and the school "cannot refuse the student admission to the examination on the grounds of too many absences or low marks".

Sources: Québec.ca, schedule of ministerial examinations and about the ministerial examinations, read 22 October 2026. Dates can change; the school confirms the sitting.

How the final mark works

Moderation, conversion and the retake, in plain terms

Two words on Québec.ca confuse many families: moderation and conversion. Both adjust marks, in different directions and for different reasons.

Moderation

The school marks of a group are compared with the same group's results on the ministerial exam, and adjusted by a statistical procedure. Québec.ca: "Moderation involves adjusting the school marks upward or downward." It also says moderation never fails a student who passed the ministerial exam.

Conversion

Used only when a ministerial exam proves much harder than usual for a whole cohort. Québec.ca: "Conversion is always applied as an increase." The Minister decides whether to apply it and how.

Retake

A student who failed, or is unhappy with the mark, "can register to retake the examination", through the school. For Secondary IV math the 2027 retake sitting is Tuesday 3 August 2027.

Our reading of what this means for preparation, labelled as ours: because school marks are moderated against the exam, a class whose local tests were generous does not keep that advantage, and a class whose tests were hard is not punished. The fair way to prepare is the same either way: practise reasoning problems under exam conditions, in full sentences and complete steps, because that is what the constructed-response part rewards.

Source: Québec.ca, final results in Secondary IV and V, read 22 October 2026. Past-exam samples are in the ministry's preparatory documents; we link to them and never copy them.

A worked example

One problem, three options: a system of equations at a sugar shack

All three options introduce systems of first-degree equations in two variables in Secondary IV. Here is one problem we wrote, solved the way each option tends to approach it. The problem, the three solutions and the program are ours, not from any ministerial exam.

The problem (ours). A sugar shack fills 30 cans of maple syrup, some of 1 litre and some of 0.5 litre. Together they hold 21 litres. How many cans of each size are there? Let x be the number of 1-litre cans and y the number of half-litre cans: x + y = 30 and x + 0.5y = 21.

The CST way: a table and a graph

Make a table: with 10 big cans, 20 small hold 10 + 10 = 20 litres; with 12 big cans, 18 small hold 12 + 9 = 21. Plot both lines and they cross at (12, 18). The decision follows from the data: 12 one-litre cans and 18 half-litre cans.

The TS way: comparison

Isolate x in both: x = 30 - y and x = 21 - 0.5y. Set them equal: 30 - y = 21 - 0.5y, so 9 = 0.5y and y = 18, then x = 12. Then check for anomalies: does 12 + 18 = 30, and 12 + 9 = 21? Yes to both.

The Science way: the general case

For T cans holding V litres, subtracting the equations gives 0.5y = T - V, so y = 2T - 2V and x = 2V - T. A real order needs both to be zero or more, so T must be at most 2V and 2V at most 2T. With T = 30 and V = 21: x = 12, y = 18.

Our check in Pythonpython

# Our check: 30 cans of maple syrup, some 1 L and some 0.5 L, holding 21 L in all.
# Count in half-litres so every number stays whole: a 1 L can is 2 halves.
CANS, HALVES = 30, 42

for big in range(CANS + 1):          # try every possible number of 1 L cans
    small = CANS - big
    if 2 * big + small == HALVES:
        print("1 L cans:", big, " 0.5 L cans:", small)

# the Science-option generalization: for T cans holding V litres,
# big = 2V - T and small = 2T - 2V
def solve(T, V):
    return 2 * V - T, 2 * T - 2 * V

print(solve(30, 21))
print(solve(30, 14))    # only possible if 2V - T >= 0

Output (run on 22 October 2026)text

1 L cans: 12  0.5 L cans: 18
(12, 18)
(-2, 32)

The search finds exactly one answer, 12 and 18, and the general rule agrees. The last line asks for 30 cans holding only 14 litres and returns -2 one-litre cans: impossible, because 30 half-litre cans already hold 15 litres. That is the domain check the Science solution asks for, done by machine.

Which way is right? All three. What differs is the habit each option builds: reading a situation from data, modelling and checking a process, or proving a rule for every case. A student who can do the problem all three ways understands systems better than one who knows a single routine, whichever option is on the timetable. If you want to see the same idea from another angle, our blog post on solving simultaneous equations works through elimination and substitution step by step.

Choosing an option

How to choose between CST, TS and Science: five questions

Our questions for a student finishing Secondary III, in the order we ask them. The school's guidance staff make the actual placement, and the program says all three options keep pre-university college programs open.

What does the student want to study after secondary school, roughly? The program links CST to the arts, communications, the humanities and the social sciences, TS to technical fields, and Science to the hard sciences and research. A rough direction is enough.
Does the student enjoy algebra for its own sake? Science asks for more complex algebraic operations and formal proof. A student who likes a clean general rule usually enjoys it; one who needs a context to care usually prefers CST or TS.
Does the student like making and fixing things? TS is built around case studies and spotting errors in processes, which suits students who learn by building and testing.
What do specific college programs ask? Some CEGEP programs set their own math conditions on top of the general rule. Check the program you have in mind before the end of Secondary IV, while switching is still possible.
What did Secondary III algebra look like? Marks on equations and functions in Secondary III are the honest predictor. A gap there is cheaper to close in the summer than in the middle of Secondary IV.

A common comparison, not an official one

Secondary IV is often compared to Grade 10 elsewhere in Canada, because Quebec secondary school ends a year earlier, at Secondary V. That comparison is ours and is approximate; no ministry page we read sets an equivalence.

Families moving in from another province should ask the receiving school how it places the student, and bring the old transcript.

Secondary IV math and CEGEP

Québec.ca's CEGEP admission page lists, for one admission route, "the Secondary IV mathematics program" among the subjects to have passed. Secondary IV math, in whichever option, is one of the building blocks of college entry.

Program-specific conditions vary from one college program to the next, and each program's document on Québec.ca sets them out.

The three competencies

How the program grades math, and how we teach to it

Every option is built on the same three competencies: "Solves a situational problem", "Uses mathematical reasoning" and "Communicates by using mathematical language". The ministerial exam papers are labelled with the second.

The three competencies (names from the Québec Education Program) and our classroom habits for each (ours)
Competency	What it asks of a student	What we do in class
Solves a situational problem	Decode a situation, model it, work out a solution, validate it	Every problem starts with the student saying, in words, what is known and what is wanted
Uses mathematical reasoning	Make conjectures and build proofs; apply networks of concepts	Students justify each step aloud, and we ask "how do you know?" more than "what is the answer?"
Communicates by using mathematical language	Interpret and produce mathematical messages	Written solutions are marked for clarity as well as correctness, as a teacher marking the exam would

We do not hand out answer keys or write homework. AI tools can produce a solution in seconds, and a student who copies one learns nothing the constructed-response part of the exam can reward. ChatGPT, for anyone under 18, needs a parent's permission. What we teach is the reasoning, so that the student can produce the solution alone on 21 January or in June 2027.

Where a student starts

Four stages for a Secondary IV math student

Our placement stages, used in the first class. They apply to all three options.

From Secondary III gaps to exam-ready (ours)
Stage	What it looks like
1. Secondary III gaps	Loses marks on rearranging equations or reading a graph, whatever the new topic
2. Following the course	Keeps up with class but freezes on an unfamiliar situational problem
3. Reasoning on paper	Writes complete, justified solutions without being prompted
4. Exam ready	Finishes a three-hour reasoning paper in time and checks it

For parents

A student at stage 1 in late October 2026 has about three months before the 21 January 2027 sitting. That is time for real progress with steady weekly work, and a June sitting gives five more months.

Ask the teacher which session your child writes. It changes the plan by five months.

For students

Write the sentence before the calculation: "Let x be the number of...". Half the marks for reasoning start there.

After every practice problem, check the answer back in the original situation, not only in your last line.

The catalogue

Nine courses for Quebec secondary students

Taught live online in English by a regular teacher, in a batch or one to one, at a time set in Eastern time for Quebec families.

I

Building the base

Secondary I to III

QUE / BASE / 01

Middle school mathematics

Pre-algebra and geometry before Cycle Two.

Open the syllabus

QUE / BASE / 02

Mental math

Number sense that saves time on every paper.

Open the syllabus

QUE / BASE / 03

Statistics and probability

For the statistics strand in every option.

Open the syllabus

II

Secondary IV and V

Ages 15 to 17

QUE / SEC / 01

Precalculus

Functions, logarithms and trigonometry, at a pace that suits TS and Science.

Open the syllabus

QUE / SEC / 02

Competition math

Proof and problem solving beyond the course.

Open the syllabus

QUE / SEC / 03

Python for teens

Programming, for students eyeing a CEGEP science program.

Open the syllabus

III

Towards CEGEP

Secondary V and after

QUE / NXT / 01

Calculus

A head start on college calculus.

Open the syllabus

QUE / NXT / 02

College mathematics

Calculus and linear algebra at college level.

Open the syllabus

QUE / NXT / 03

Data science for teens

Statistics put to work in Python.

Open the syllabus

How lessons run

Secondary IV math classes, in English, around the Quebec school year

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

After school in Eastern time.

Weekends

Longer morning sessions before the January and June sittings.

1-on-1

Planned around your option and your exam session.

Your option

CST, TS or Science, as on your timetable.

Reasoning on paper

Full written solutions, every class.

Timed practice

Three-hour sittings before the exam session.

No answer keys

Homework explained, never written for you.

One regular teacher

The same teacher all year.

Batch or private

Fifteen to twenty students, or one to one.

Student work

What our students make outside math class

Plenty of our math students code as well. A few of their projects are below, and the student labs page has more.

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

A monthly fee for eight live classes a month, paid month to month with no contract for the school year. Stop after the June 2027 sitting, or carry on into Secondary V; there is nothing to cancel.

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a month, eight live classes

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One to one

$150 USD

a month, eight live classes

A teacher to yourself
Paced to your exam session
Built on your own tests and homework

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What families say

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Questions from Quebec families

Quebec Secondary 4 math: common questions

What do CST, TS and Science mean in Secondary 4 math?

They are the three options of the Québec Education Program in Secondary Cycle Two: Cultural, Social and Technical (CST), Technical and Scientific (TS), and Science. Each has its own content and aims, and all three begin in Secondary IV.

Is CST math easier than TS or Science?

The program does not rank them. CST uses more statistics and discrete mathematics; TS focuses on case studies and technical models; Science asks for more complex algebraic operations and formal proofs. Which feels easier depends on the student.

When is the Secondary 4 math ministerial exam in 2027?

For the English sector, Québec.ca lists Thursday 21 January 2027 for all three options; Friday 11 June 2027 for TS and Science; Friday 18 June 2027 for CST; and a retake session on Tuesday 3 August 2027. Each sitting runs 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

How much does the Secondary 4 math exam count?

Québec.ca says the ministerial examinations in Secondary IV and V count for 50 percent of the final mark for the competency or competencies evaluated. The other half is the moderated school mark.

Can my child switch options after Secondary 4?

The program allows a switch at the end of Secondary IV, but only in certain specific cases, and a move from CST to Science may need a compensatory measure decided by the school. Talk to the school before the end of the year.

Do all three options lead to CEGEP?

The program says all of the options allow students to enrol in a pre-university program. Some individual college programs set their own math conditions, so check the program you have in mind.

Can a homeschooled student write the ministerial exam?

Québec.ca says a student may sit a Secondary IV or V ministerial exam after taking the program or receiving equivalent instruction at home following an exemption from school attendance. Ask your school service centre or school board early about how to register.

Do your classes give Quebec credits?

No. We teach alongside the school course and do not grant Quebec credits. Credits come from the school system, after the final result is calculated.

Are your Quebec math classes in English?

Yes. We teach in English, using the English version of the Québec Education Program, which suits students in the English sector.

When are classes for Quebec students?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. Times are set in Eastern time.

Can I see past Secondary 4 math exams?

The ministry publishes preparatory documents, and its guides for parents present samples from past exams. We link to those official documents and write our own practice problems; we never copy exam material.

Elsewhere on this site

Related pages

More for Quebec students and for math across Canada.

Coding classes in Canada

All our Canadian pages in one place.

Online math tutor, Canada

Math help mapped to each province.

Precalculus tutoring

Functions, logs and trigonometry for Science and TS.

Calculus tutoring

For students looking ahead to CEGEP calculus.

Waterloo math contests

Contests open to Quebec secondary students.

Simultaneous equations

More on the systems every option teaches.

Writing a proof

The habit the Science option builds.

Word problems

Turning a situation into equations.

AI and studying

Using AI for help without copying.

Start here

Book a free first class

Tell us the option and the exam session. The first class works through one short reasoning problem in that option, and the teacher tells you which of our four stages the student is at and what to do before January or June 2027.

Want to know how a lesson goes first? See inside one of our classes, or open the course syllabuses.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com

Our teachers teach from India over live video, in English, in Eastern time for Quebec. There is no centre in Montreal or Quebec City; everything happens online.

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Three courses for a Secondary IV math student

High school mathematics

Algebra foundations

Maths through coding

What the Québec Education Program says each option is for

When the choice is made

Can a student switch?

The concepts each option introduces in Secondary IV

What the lists tell a parent

What the lists do not say

Secondary IV math exam dates for 2026 to 2027

How much it counts

Who marks it

Moderation, conversion and the retake, in plain terms

Moderation

Conversion

Retake

One problem, three options: a system of equations at a sugar shack

The CST way: a table and a graph

The TS way: comparison

The Science way: the general case

How to choose between CST, TS and Science: five questions

A common comparison, not an official one

Secondary IV math and CEGEP

How the program grades math, and how we teach to it

Four stages for a Secondary IV math student

For parents

For students

Nine courses for Quebec secondary students

Building the base

Middle school mathematics

Mental math

Statistics and probability

Secondary IV and V

Precalculus

Competition math

Python for teens

Towards CEGEP

Calculus

College mathematics

Data science for teens

Secondary IV math classes, in English, around the Quebec school year

Your option

Reasoning on paper

Timed practice

No answer keys

One regular teacher

Batch or private

What our students make outside math class

NutriLife

Misti

GuardianX

SkyCast

Fees

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

Quebec Secondary 4 math: common questions

What do CST, TS and Science mean in Secondary 4 math?

Is CST math easier than TS or Science?

When is the Secondary 4 math ministerial exam in 2027?

How much does the Secondary 4 math exam count?

Can my child switch options after Secondary 4?

Do all three options lead to CEGEP?

Can a homeschooled student write the ministerial exam?

Do your classes give Quebec credits?

Are your Quebec math classes in English?

When are classes for Quebec students?

Can I see past Secondary 4 math exams?

Related pages

Book a free first class

Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

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From the blog

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