The Texas State Board of Education voted in late January to add a new standardized test “rooted in tradition” to an approved assessment list, which includes the SAT and ACT.
Similar to high scores in the SAT and ACT, a student’s “outstanding” performance on the Classic Learning Test, or CLT, will be recognized on their transcript if the new approved assessment list is passed during the final board vote in April.
The exam was founded in 2015 by Jeremy Tate, a former director of college counseling at a private Catholic school in Maryland, as an alternative testing option “rooted in tradition.” The exam features reading passages from “classic literature and historical texts”, according to the website, featuring authors such as Aristotle, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.
“By grounding our assessments in primary texts, enduring works of literature, and historically significant documents, the CLT offers a more holistic picture of a student’s readiness for college-level study than exams focused primarily on speed and test-taking strategies,” wrote Alex Lash, CLT director of marketing, in an email statement.
As of May 2023, over 100,000 CLT assessments have been administered nationwide. Over 300 colleges and universities accept CLT scores, including the University of Austin, a private university, but UT Austin is not on that list.
The University does not accept the CLT as a replacement for the SAT or ACT, but the CLT is listed under “optional materials” on undergraduate applications. The UT Office of Admissions wrote in an email that UT has been evaluating the test, and there are currently no plans to expand the test’s use.
Florida was the first state to pass legislation allowing students to use their CLT scores to apply to in-state universities in 2023, a move supported by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Additionally, with the exam, students can gain scholarships, satisfy graduation requirements and earn dual credit, according to the CLT website.
The CLT exam contains three sections: grammar and writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning. The test is two hours long in a digital or print format with an optional essay section.
“Our digital format, alignment with classical and traditional curricula, and emphasis on intellectual virtue make the CLT a compelling option for schools seeking assessments that reinforce — rather than reshape — their educational mission,” Lash wrote.