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Texas public universities may soon embrace a new entrance exam when considering applicants. The state’s higher education commissioner, Wynn Rosser, said the state plans to formally approve the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as a new test option for homeschool, private school or out-of-state applicants.
The acceptance of the conservative-favored CLT comes despite an independent study that found the test may not be as indicative of college performance and readiness as other standardized tests, like the SAT and ACT.
Beyond the study’s findings, there is also controversy surrounding the exam, with some criticizing its cultural and religious focus on the Western canon.
What is the Classic Learning Test?
The CLT, founded in 2015 by Jeremy Tate, is an academic assessment for Grades 3-12, focused on evaluating reading, grammar, writing and mathematics.
It’s specifically designed to serve students from a variety of backgrounds, including those who grew up being homeschooled or in a private school.
“Jeremy questioned how American education had come to be so utilitarian,” the CLT website reads. “He was working as an evening high school English teacher — and realizing transcendent, moral, and ethical ideas had been gutted from the classroom.”
That realization sparked him to create a new type of exam focused on reconnecting “knowledge and virtue by providing meaningful assessments and connections to seekers of truth, goodness, and beauty.”
“By including reading passages from classic and historical texts, CLT exams offer a unique opportunity to engage students with the influential authors and ideas that have shaped history and culture,” the website says.
Why do people want the CLT?
Those who support the CLT as a new form of standardized test say it tests students’ ability to think critically and aligns with a classic liberal arts education.
They say it features more materials from classic and historical texts, rather than modern works and is more accessible, specifically for those who are homeschooled.
According to the CLT website, what makes the test different is it “does not censor reading passages from different viewpoints and includes content on a variety of topics, including philosophy, religion, literature, history, science, and more.”
The other significant argument is that parents and educators want more options for college admission tests. They argue that students have different strengths, so they should have more testing options.
“While the SAT and ACT measure reading and math skills, the CLT gauges student critical thinking ability and knowledge by incorporating texts from classical works of literature and history into the reading comprehension sections,” Jonathan Butcher and Lindsey Burke, directors of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy, wrote in a September op-ed.
The desire for new tests also stems from a distaste for the ACT and SAT, with some parents and educators arguing the tests have too much influence, include changes that some don’t agree with, and have shifted educational priorities over time.
What are the criticisms?
The test, while gaining traction across the U.S., is facing criticism from Americans who say the exam focuses too much on Western culture.
The exam focuses on authors in the canon of Western literature, including Plato, St. Augustine, Dante and Shakespeare. But critics argue that with this focus, some voices won’t be heard.
“My biggest concern is that students won’t learn the truth about history,” Curtis Dozier, a Vassar College professor of Greek and Roman studies, told The Washington Post.
Critics also argue the test hasn’t been studied enough to already be used in universities. That claim is backed by an independent review from Texas A&M Public Policy Research Institute, which found the ACT, SAT and CLT were not “equally ready, equally comparable, or equally defensible.”
Where the test is used
As it stands, more than 350 schools accept the CLT exam as an alternative or in addition to the ACT and SAT, but none require it. Of those, many are private colleges.
When it comes to public schools, Florida is the strongest adopter. It allows CLT scores to be used for admission consideration at state schools. Arkansas, Indiana and Oklahoma accept the scores as well.
In North Carolina, undergraduate students can submit CLT scores for admissions beginning in fall 2027, and in Georgia, 24 of 26 admissions accept CLT, excluding the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech.
Meanwhile, students in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Wyoming can use the scores to apply for state merit scholarships.
Beginning in the 2027 admissions cycle, U.S. Military Service Academies, such as West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy, will also be accepting CLT scores.
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