CLT: An Alternative to ACT / SAT?
I’ll be the first person to tell you the SAT and ACT are flawed. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a better alternative?
The CLT (Classic Learning Test) would like step in where the ACT and SAT fall short.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it is a viable alternative at this time.
What is the CLT?
Short answer: Another standardized test— a market competitor to the SAT/ACT.
The CLT, unlike the ACT and SAT, claims to be an aptitude test (not just an achievement test) that emphasizes critical thinking and features “enriching, thoughtful reading passages drawn from classic literature and historical texts.”
How is the CLT different?
The CLT prides itself on reading passages from classical works with a goal of leaving “students feeling inspired and enriched while equipping them to pursue their goals.”
From a more practical standpoint, it is a timed digital exam. It is broken down it’s to three sections of 40 questions each:
- Verbal Reasoning (reading)
- Grammar / Writing
- Quantitative Reasoning (math)
One big difference is the CLT can be taken in the comfort of your own home with remote proctoring (they keep video evidence of you taking the exam on your computer.) Test are given on a schedule similar to the SAT/ACT with exam opportunities every month and twice in October.
Do all colleges accept the CLT?
No! Absolutely not.
The CLT website lists 300 partner colleges. While some public universities (state schools) accept the CLT, most of the schools on the list are private Christian affiliated schools.
I looked up schools in Texas. 23 schools accept the CLT, mostly schools with a religious affiliation like Baylor, Abilene Christian, Dallas Baptist, Houston Christian, and University of Dallas. None of the state universities accept the CLT: UT, A&M, UH, Texas Tech, Texas State, etc. Most of the private universities my clients consider were also absent from the CLT list: Rice, TCU, SMU, Trinity, St. Edwards, Southwestern, and many more.
What do I think?
I like to see competition in the admissions test market. (If you’ve ever had a customer service issue with College Board, you know they aren’t bending over backwards to earn your business!)
Unfortunately, at this time the CLT isn’t widely accepted. It doesn’t make sense to plan and prepare for an exam if multiple schools on your list won’t take it.
I can see a small area for potential use— if I have a client who is ONLY applying to the schools taking CLT and that client hadn’t been pleased with their ACT/SAT scores and the client found the CLT was a better fit… BUT this assumes the CLT is still better for this particular client than applying test optional.
I’m also skeptical of many of the CLT’s claims. The idea that students will feel enriched or inspired after taking a college admissions test is laughable. I’m a huge fan of great books, but I also know that when the SAT has used “old” literature (anything written before 1950), my students tend to struggle with the vocabulary and writing style. I doubt a test full of these thoughtfully selected works will feel more accessible.
I also have concerns with the security of the remote proctoring system. How do they make sure students don’t have a computer with two monitors (one for the on-camera student and one for “me” working the questions and prompting them with answers)? The Varsity Blues cheating scandal a few years ago revealed how far some families are willing to go to cheat the system and I worry that testing at home may be exploited.
Conclusion
I will keep an eye on the CLT over the next few years to see if it becomes more widely accepted. Only at that time will I give the structure and content more serious evaluation. For now, I view the CLT as a possibility for the future, but not a meaningful alternative to the ACT/SAT.