Classic Learning Test’s Challenge to the Testing Monopoly

In a recent episode of the State of Choice podcast, EdChoice’s Ed Tarnowski sat down with Michael Torres, Director of Legislative Strategy at the Classic Learning Test (CLT), to discuss how the organization is shaking up the world of standardized testing. From its origins as an alternative to the SAT and ACT to its growing acceptance nationwide, CLT is offering students and families something the education system has long lacked, real competition in college entrance exams.

CLT was founded in 2015 by former public school teacher and test prep company owner Jeremy Tate, who saw a growing disconnect between traditional college entrance exams and the values many private and classical schools hold. When the SAT and ACT were rewritten to align with Common Core standards, Tate noticed that many schools didn’t want to test students using those benchmarks but had no alternative.

“So he started thinking,” Torres explained, “why doesn’t someone make a third option?”

That idea led to the creation of the Classic Learning Test, which began with fewer than 100 students. Ten years later, the CLT has grown dramatically — especially after the state of Florida adopted it as an official college entrance and accountability exam in 2023. The move allowed Florida students to use CLT scores for high school graduation, dual enrollment, and college scholarships. The state’s public university system soon followed suit, approving the test for admissions.

The CLT aims to measure not just what students know, but how they think. Unlike other college entrance exams, it’s rooted in the Western and liberal arts tradition, featuring passages from classic works of philosophy, literature, and science — from Aristotle and Frederick Douglass to Einstein and Shakespeare.

“When college entrance exams were rewritten, education became about utility,” Torres said. “CLT asks, what does it mean to be an educated person?”

That philosophy extends to the test’s structure. Students are not allowed to use calculators, encouraging a deeper understanding of mathematics rather than reliance on memorized formulas. The exam also includes logic and reasoning sections, geometry, and number theory, content designed to measure genuine aptitude.

Growth and State-Level Momentum

Since Florida’s adoption, CLT has seen explosive growth, with more than 100,000 students taking the test in its first year. Other states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Texas, have followed suit in varying capacities.

In Arkansas, the state legislature passed measures requiring public universities to accept CLT scores and giving high school students the option to take the exam. In Texas, legislators worked with CLT to modernize outdated testing laws and open pathways for competition.

Torres emphasized that this work is not about replacing other exams but about creating space for alternatives. “We’re just asking for a fair opportunity to compete,” he said.

Despite these successes, Torres noted that the biggest challenge CLT faces is the entrenched dominance of the College Board and ACT. In most states, these tests are written into law, a situation he compared to “writing Lockheed Martin into the defense budget.”

This lack of competition, Torres warned, gives private testing companies enormous influence over what is taught in schools. Research has long shown that testing drives curriculum, and when only one or two exams dominate, that power becomes centralized.

“If you want your curriculum guided by one private company,” Torres said, “keep the monopoly. But if you want real education that prepares students broadly, allow competition.”

Looking Ahead: An Alternative to AP

College Board’s oversized influence doesn’t end with college entrance exams. It also extends into advanced coursework through its Advanced Placement (AP) program. Torres said that CLT is in the early stages of developing an alternative to AP, with the goal of launching its first courses and exams by late 2026.

“There’s a huge desire for an alternative,” he said. “AP has an even bigger monopoly than the SAT.”

The new program will be developed in collaboration with K–12 partner schools and university faculty to ensure rigor and alignment for college credit. The goal is to provide high-quality advanced coursework without ceding control of curriculum to a single organization.

As CLT continues to grow, its mission remains clear: to bring competition, diversity, and academic depth back into standardized testing.

“Choice and competition aren’t just about where you go to school,” Torres said. “They’re about how you learn, what you study, and the tests that open those doors.” To learn more about the Classic Learning Test, visit cltexam.com. You can also listen to the full conversation with Michael Torres on the State of Choice podcast or by clicking below.