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Prior to the introduction of OAC in 1984, Ontario had 13 grades. Previously, there were two high school diplomas in Ontario, the Secondary School Graduation Diploma (SSGD) which was awarded after Grade 12 and the Secondary School Honours Graduation Diploma (SSHGD) awarded after Grade 13. The "Grade 13 diploma" was recognised in some jurisdictions as being the equivalent of first year university and having it would enable some students to apply directly for entry into second year at Canadian universities outside of Ontario. This practice ended with the replacement of Grade 13 and the SSHGD with OAC.

OAC replaced Grade 13, and more formally allowed for the completion of schooling after only 12 Grades, where previously, this had been an exceptional circumstance. To enter university, students were required to complete 30 high school courses (credits), 6 of which had to be at the OAC level; students who completed these requirements in 4 years of high school were permitted to graduate. However, most students chose to stay in high school the extra year.

The elimination of OAC was announced by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party soon after their election to office in 1995 and was scheduled to take effect eight years later. The extra year was replaced with an extra ten days of schooling at each lower grade. Most Ontario universities which had offered three-year Bachelor's programs began to phase those out in favour of four-year Honours degrees.

The elimination of OAC in 2003 produced a "double-cohort" caused by both the last OAC class and the first Grade 12 class graduating in the same year. This has lead to more stringent admission standards and overcrowding at many Ontario universities. Many students who feared that they might not be able to gain admission to the university of their choice as a result of the double cohort decided to take their OAC courses at a slower pace to postpone their graduation dates.