In a move to re-establish standards for college admissions, top tier schools like MIT and the “Ivies” (except Princeton and Columbia), now require an admission test: either the SAT or ACT, the two largest college entrance exams in the country. Approximately 83% of students take one or both of these tests. Achieving high scores on these exams can qualify students for scholarships and grants.
Within the last several years, the standards for both the traditional exams have decreased. The ACT now makes the science section optional, and there are fewer questions than in the past. In 2024, the College Board made changes to the SAT including shortening test lengths, offering fewer questions and increased time per question. An AI model in 2024 found that the SAT has been getting steadily easier by about four points each year for nearly two decades.
While the aforementioned tests have been the most common, an alternative is available. In 2023, Florida became the first state to approve The Classic Learning Test.as an entrance exam in its statewide public university system. Now, Texas is also expanding college entrance exam options to include the CLT. Characterized as a “conservative, Christian-backed alternative” that emphasizes foundational critical thinking skills it is accessible to students from a variety of educational backgrounds.” Over 350 colleges—mostly smaller private or religious institutions—accept the CLT.
According to Veronica Bryant, Academic Affairs fellow at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, the CLT is “based in classical Western intellectual tradition and will raise the bar for academic rigor in higher education . . . She stated: “The CLT is providing a remedy for several major issues in higher education caused by this dereliction of duties.slipping academic standards, students’ inability to read, and neglect of foundational content knowledge.”
