The Classic Learning Test: What is it and which schools accept it?

The Classic Learning Test (CLT) is a college-entrance exam that has begun to be accepted along with the SAT and ACT in a number of places. It has been around since 2015 and it is known to be most notably accepted as an alternative to the SAT and ACT in the Florida public state system. So if you are student applying to a state school in Florida, you could take the CLT instead of the ACT or SAT.

According to the CLT website, other than the 12 public university system in Florida about 200 private and religious institutions accept the test. Florida state system requires that you take an exam for applying to their public universities so this is an alternative to the SAT and ACT. It is most popular with students who are home-schooled or attend private school. The most notable public institutions other than the Florida state system that accepts the test are Christopher Newport University and the University of New Mexico. Some private institutions that accept it are Liberty University and Catholic University of America.

It is a 2 hour test, shorter than the SAT and ACT and it covers verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, grammar and writing. Only a fraction of the number of students took the CLT over the past few years compared to the better known SAT and ACT: 21,000 students took the CLT between 2016-2023 and 1.7 million students took the SAT and 1.3 million took the ACT in 2022 alone.