Effective entrance exams and assessments designed specifically with home education in mind.
The Classic Learning Test (CLT) is a post-secondary entrance exam, created as an alternative to the SAT and recognized at many post-secondary institutions across the United States, and a growing number in Canada.
In addition to the college entrance exam, the folks at CLT have created the CLT 8 for students in grades 8 or 9, and the CLT 10 for students in grades 10 or 11 (there are also grade 3-7 tests being developed). These tests focus on numeracy and literacy, and can be a useful evaluation tool, and one that can be conveniently accessed from home.
WISDOM families receive a discount for CLT exams and assessments.
Better tests, better students
The CLT exams are user-friendly and provide a rigorous measure of academic formation, accomplishment, and potential. CLT provides a new standard that puts students in front of the thinkers and questions that have most meaningfully shaped culture.
- Take the test from the comfort and safety of your home
- Provides parents with a worthwhile teaching resource
- Assesses both aptitude and achievement
- Delivers more rigorous content than other standardized tests
- Utilizes meaningful and timeless primary sources
- Promotes critical thinking and higher-level analysis
- Exams take approximately 2 hours to complete
- Exams assess English, mathematical, and critical reasoning skills
- Students receive scores within a few business days
- Millions in scholarship dollars available with CLT partner colleges
Assessments worthy of a student's time and attention
The CLT Suite of Assessments are the only exams that are taken at home, online, and designed with homeschoolers in mind. They are user-friendly and accurate—not only can they be taken online at home and completed in two hours, they also provide a rigorous measure of academic formation, accomplishment, and potential. CLT provides a new standard that puts students in front of the thinkers and questions that have most meaningfully shaped culture. In addition A student's overall score on the CLT is calculated based on the total number of questions answered correctly. No points are deducted for incorrect answers.
Accepted at 200+ partner colleges
CLT is partnered with over 200 colleges and universities, including Trinity Western University, Redeemer University College, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College, Catholic Pacific College, Wyoming Catholic College, Thomas Aquinas College, and many more. Plus, with CLT's unlimited free score sharing, students can share their score with any college and university in the world.
CLT & CLT10 Practice Tests
CLT offers free practice tests that can help students better prepare to take the real CLT exam. The benefits of practice tests include:
- Online Tests – Take the practice test using the same experience and content structure used for the CLT and CLT10.
- Immediate Results – View your practice test score as well as the results for each question.
- Answer Explanations – Review the explanation for each practice question to improve your performance.
CLT FAQs
Why Another Exam?
Classic Learning Test was formed in 2015 when their founder, Jeremy Tate, began to question why students needed to spend so much time preparing for a college entrance exam (SAT/ACT) that did not reflect the deep, holistic education they were receiving in homeschool or private Schools.
SAT and ACT are both aligned with Common Core and reflect a public school education. The passages used on the exams are from sources primarily written within the last 10 years, removing any vestiges of the Christian intellectual tradition. They do not allow students who have read widely and pursued truth and reason to showcase their real strengths. CLT was birthed out of a desire to provide a test aligned to an education that emphasizes the connection between knowledge and virtue and can highlight the strengths of these students.
What started as a college entrance exam has grown into a suite of assessments for 7th - 12th graders, with more assessments for younger students currently in development. The CLT suite of assessments assesses foundational educational concepts in language arts and mathematics with an emphasis on critical thinking and logic throughout the exams. The exams feature Great Books content that is primarily drawn from our Author Bank.
All CLT assessments can be taken online at home. The CLT8 (7th-8th grade) and the CLT10 (9th-10th grade) are proctored by parents. The CLT (college entrance exam) is remotely proctored to uphold the standards required by college partners. Each exam takes approximately 2 hours.
Why should my family use CLT?
The CLT suite of assessments provides Student Analytics on each exam that can help families strengthen the quality of their education. It’s not about simply improving on a test. The goal is to maximize your student’s education.
Additionally, the CLT suite of assessments provides students with experience taking standardized exams in a familiar environment. The content of the exams is well aligned with your style of education; therefore, the time spent testing is meaningful due to the Great Books content and challenging mathematical reasoning questions. Plus, the feedback provided is well-aligned to the education you are providing your students.
How does CLT offer greater flexibility with testing?
CLT8 and CLT10 are offered four times each year.
The CLT is offered 10-12 times per year.
Students test at their preferred time of day (not all students perform best early in the morning!) Score shares (CLT10 and CLT) are free and unlimited, and students do not opt into sharing scores until they view them. All CLT’s are taken at home. CLT8 and CLT10 are parent proctored tests, while CLT is remotely proctored. Please click here for remote proctoring information and preparation guides
When should students test with CLT?
CLT currently has exams for 7th-12th grade students. This timeline page has helpful information about choosing the right exam for your student and how to plan testing.
Should students prep for the CLT?
An education that emphasizes reading, discussion, mathematics, and critical thinking is the best preparation for the CLT. The CLT is designed to reflect a robust education; however, most homeschooled students are not accustomed to multiple choice or timed tests. Students may feel more confident if they have some experience prior to taking an official exam. For this reason, CLT provides free online practice exams with full answer explanations for CLT10 and CLT on the student dashboard. A CLT Student Guide is available for purchase for those seeking additional practice.
For the CLT8 (7th-8th grade), preparation is not recommended as it is intended to be a benchmark exam that provides feedback to parents about their students’ strengths and areas for improvement. Families are welcome to explore the functionality of the exam by viewing the practice CLT10 exam on the student dashboard, though students should understand that the content is more difficult than what they will encounter on the CLT8.
Is the CLT accepted by all colleges?
Though the CLT is not accepted by all colleges, over two hundred colleges partner with CLT, accepting the exam as a complete replacement of the ACT or SAT. Additionally, with many colleges going test-optional, even colleges who do not partner with CLT will accept CLT scores.
Sharing your scores is a great way to strengthen your application even if they are not required. CLT Partner Colleges tend to be private, liberal arts, or faith-based colleges which share their mission to reconnect knowledge and virtue in the classroom.
Can I earn scholarships with CLT?
Many colleges offer scholarships tied to CLT scores. You may view a list of scholarship opportunities with CLT Partner Colleges by clicking here.
Should I take the CLT if I have already taken/plan to take the ACT/SAT?
If you are planning to attend a CLT Partner College, sending CLT scores to those colleges demonstrates that you are a student who is well-prepared for their academics. CLT Partner Colleges have noted that CLT students do very well in their classes, so these colleges often respond with excited interest and generous scholarships to CLT scores. Additionally, many homeschooled students find they perform better on the CLT than the ACT/SAT. Even if you are not planning to attend a CLT Partner College, the Student Analytics that accompany each test give invaluable insight into your education, highlighting your strengths and areas for improvement.
What if the college I want to attend does not accept the CLT?
CLT is diligently working to earn greater acceptance, particularly with colleges that value a liberal arts education. They add new colleges to our partner list routinely, but the most effective way of adding new partners is for colleges to hear from students they want to use their CLT scores.
If you're interested in applying to a college that isn't currently a CLT Partner, don't be discouraged. Call the college or university of interest and ask to speak with an admissions representative. Explain what CLT is, why you want to use CLT in the admissions process, and why they should consider your scores. You can share that the CLT best reflects your education and demonstrates your academic excellence. This is a great way to connect with a college and to help CLT gain wider recognition. There have been many cases where these kinds of conversations have led to a new CLT college partnership.
Are there testing accommodations available for CLT?
Yes, Students with documented learning disabilities may apply for testing accommodations. Testing accommodations are adaptations to an exam that can help ensure that the test measures what it is designed to measure, rather than the negative effects of a person’s disability. The purpose of testing accommodations is to provide candidates with full access to the test – not to guarantee improved performance, a passing score, test completion, or any other specific outcome.
Please click here for more information and applications for testing accommodations.