Pentagon school system may adopt classical testing alternative to SAT, ACT
The Department of Defense may soon be adding a new college admissions exam oriented towards classical learning.
The Classical Learning Test is being pushed by officials such as Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) as a superior alternative to the SAT and ACT.
The Department of Defense’s federally operated school system may soon allow students to take the Classic Learning Test (CLT), a classical education–based alternative to the SAT and ACT.
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), which serves about 70,000 students across 160 schools in the United States and abroad, would administer the exam if Congress adopts language included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) is leading the initiative through the Promote Classical Learning Act. His proposal would require U.S. military service academies to accept the CLT for admissions and mandate DoDEA schools to administer it to all 11th graders.
Banks recently told The Federalist that the measure would ensure that “talented students from every educational background” can compete for military academy admission.
“Many homeschool students take the CLT, which focuses on reading, logic, and classic texts in a way other tests don’t,” Banks said. “Putting this into law would ensure future administrations can’t unilaterally undo what Secretary Hegseth is trying to achieve.”
The CLT consists of three sections: Verbal Reasoning, Grammar/Writing, and Quantitative Reasoning. It is currently accepted at more than 300 colleges and universities, including the University of Florida in Gainesville, the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Hillsdale College in Michigan, and the University of Dallas.
Supporters argue the test restores rigor missing from other standardized exams. Jeremy Wayne Tate, founder and CEO of the CLT, said in a press release that service academy applicants “should have the opportunity to demonstrate their academic aptitude through an admissions assessment grounded in the classical tradition—a tradition that has historically underpinned the intellectual rigor and excellence of these institutions.”
The SAT has drawn criticism in recent years after the College Board announced changes to shorten the test and remove sections. Advocates of the CLT contend that the exam maintains higher standards by emphasizing logic, grammar, and primary texts rather than adaptive digital modules.
The Pentagon school system operates in 11 countries as well as on U.S. military bases. If the NDAA provision is adopted, DoDEA would become the first federally run school system to require the CLT.
Campus Reform has contacted the Department of Defense, DoDEA, and the Classic Learning Test for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
