The CLT exam or Classic Learning Test is an elective college entrance exam acknowledged by a few schools. In case you’re curious about taking a college entrance exam that bills itself as reasonable, convenient, and imaginative, the CLT exam may be worth your time.
What Is the CLT?
For pupils in the eleventh and twelfth grades, there is an online college entrance exam called the Classic Learning Test. Over 200 universities in the US accept this college entrance exam, which was introduced in 2015 as a rival to the SAT and ACT.
The CLT, a newcomer to the world of standardized testing, prides itself on testing the fundamentals of a “classical education,” particularly logic, reasoning, and reading. It also assesses reading comprehension using passages from classic literature, and the quantitative reasoning component emphasizes logic more so than computation.
The format of the CLT is different, too. Unlike the ACT (which has four sections plus writing) and the SAT (which has two sections plus writing), the CLT consists of three required sections:
Verbal Reasoning, which tests students’ textual comprehension and analysis skills
Grammar/Writing, which tests students’ textual editing and improvement skills
Quantitative Reasoning, which tests students’ skills in logic and mathematics
There is also an optional essay portion of the exam that students can choose to take, but the score on this portion will not affect your numerical score on the exam. Each CLT exam section (excluding the writing section) consists of 40 questions.
The CLT test lasts for a total of two hours or 120 minutes. This total testing period is divided into the following time frames for each individual exam section:
- 40 minutes — Verbal Reasoning section
- 35 minutes — Grammar/Writing section
- 45 minutes — Quantitative Reasoning section
- Additional 30 minutes — Optional essay section (not included in total two hour exam time)
Students who take the CLT in school will receive their official exam scores the Tuesday after taking the exam. For students taking the test online, their scores will be released the second Tuesday after their exam date. CLT scores can be sent to an unlimited number of colleges of your choosing.
Who can take the exam ?
So who can take the CLT exam? The CLT is especially arranged for tall school youths and seniors who orchestrate to go to college. In case you’re a junior or senior in tall school (or a tall school graduate orchestrating to go to college after a break), you will be able take the CLT.
Having said that, the CLT isn’t a common standardized test. Meaning there may not be a CLT testing location in your zone, and not each school directs the test themselves. Be that as it may, there’s a web choice open in that case on the off chance that you’re interested by taking the exam.
Whereas a few states allow you to require the ACT or SAT for complimentary, there isn’t a broadly available program that subsidizes the taken a toll of the CLT. You will be able apply for a expense waiver, but waivers are permitted on a case-by-case introduce rather than on a set of standardized criteria, which is how both the SAT and ACT choose who gets a waiver. Which suggests the CLT may be taken a toll prohibitive for a couple of understudies.
Additionally, not all colleges consider the CLT a considerable entrance exam. (We’ll discussion more nearly what schools recognize the CLT a short time later.) So while you might meet the criteria for taking the CLT, you might not got to require the test since your target, security, and reach schools don’t recognize it.
Why Take The CLT Exam?
Like we specified around 200 colleges within the U.S. acknowledge the CLT as an elective to the SAT or ACT. In other words, these colleges will accept your CLT scores rather like they would SAT or ACT scores in arrange for you to pick up affirmation.
Schools that acknowledge the CLT tend to be little, devout, private colleges like Official College in Virginia Shoreline, Virginia or Holy person Martin’s College in Lacey, Washington. In case you’re considering progressing to one of these little private colleges, at that point you might consider taking the CLT.
In case you’re applying to schools that acknowledge the CLT, there are a few other benefits to the exam, as well. For occurrence, the CLT incorporates a moderately brief test time of as it were two hours, it’s a computerized test, and you don’t require a calculator.
The most excellent reason to require the CLT test is to gotten to be qualified for grant offerings that are specifically tied to CLT scores. More than 100 U.S. colleges have particular grants that are granted to understudies who achieve high CLT scores. Like we specified prior, the larger part of these schools are little, private, religiously-affiliated colleges, so understudies who are inquisitive about applying to this sort of school are particularly balanced to advantage from taking the CLT. You’ll be able see a total list of colleges that have joined CLT scores into their scholarly grants.
When Is The CLT?
The CLT is advertised on a few testing dates all through the year. In any case, the arrange for regulating the CLT varies for each testing date, and it’s vital to get it what testing organize you’re marking up for some time recently you enroll.
The CLT is advertised in two designs all through the year.
The primary way you’ll take the CLT Exam is with a inaccessible delegate. For this testing organize, understudies will use a portable workstation or desktop computer and a web browser to require the exam online at an relegated time from their claim domestic.
You’ll be able take the CLT through a assigned CLT Accomplice School. On a “Partner Schools Only” testing date, particular schools will regulate the CLT to understudies on the assigned testing date. Your school will inform you in case a Accomplice School testing date is being given.
You’ll too see these testing location subtle elements in our table of official up and coming CLT testing dates for the 2022-2023 school year:
| Testing Date | Registration Deadline | Testing Format |
| August 6, 2022 | August 1, 2022 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| August 27, 2022 | August 22, 2022 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| October 5, 2022 | September 21, 2022 | For Partner Schools Only |
| October 15, 2022 | October 10, 2022 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| November 10, 2022 | November 3, 2022 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| December 8, 2022 | December 1, 2022 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| February 16, 2023 | February 2, 2023 | For Partner Schools Only |
| February 25, 2023 | February 20, 2023 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| March 18, 2023 | March 13, 2023 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| April 15, 2023 | April 10, 2023 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| April 26, 2023 | April 12, 2023 | For Partner Schools Only |
| May 27, 2023 | May 22, 2023 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
| June 22, 2023 | June 15, 2023 | Remotely Proctored (administered online at student’s home) |
The General CLT Format
-
- Verbal Reasoning
- Grammar/Writing
- Quantitative Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning
|
Category |
Number of Questions |
Concepts Tested |
|
27 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
In the comprehension category, CLT there are three different types of questions: those that gauge your comprehension of a reading passage as a whole, those that gauge your comprehension of its specifics, and those that gauge your capacity to recognize connections among the various reading passages.
On this section, there are two different kinds of analysis questions: those that test your comprehension of the passage’s textual components, such as figurative language, analogies, and cause-and-effect relationships, and those that examine your ability to interpret the evidence provided in the reading passages.
Grammar/Writing
| Category | Number of Questions | Concepts Tested |
| Writing | 20 |
|
| Grammar | 20 |
|
Quantitative Reasoning
| Category | Number of Questions | Concepts Tested |
| Algebra | 10 |
|
| Geometry | 14 |
|
| Mathematical Reasoning | 16 |
|
Because it places a greater emphasis on logic and reasoning, the CLT’s Quantitative Reasoning part stands out among college entrance tests. In other words, compared to the SAT or ACT, the CLT has a higher percentage of logic-based quantitative problems.
4 Tips on How to Prep for the CLT
Tip 1: Take a Practice CLT Exam
Taking a practice test is one of the best things you can do to get ready for the CLT. On its website, the CLT offers a sample test that you can take. Although there aren’t many CLT preparation resources available, you might have a look at some online CLT study guides and pair them with a practice test.
You can get a taste of what to anticipate from the CLT by taking a practice test. You’ll become accustomed to the guidelines, structure, and question types, saving you time on exam day. Just make sure you test yourself in a real-world setting!
Tip 2: Use the ACT/SAT To Your Advantage
You can use any ACT/SAT prep books to assist you prepare for the CLT Test if you decide to take it in addition to the SAT and ACT.
This is so since there aren’t many differences between the CLT and the SAT or ACT. There are many core competencies that are tested on each of the three tests. For instance, you’ll still need to be able to read rapidly and comprehend fundamental arithmetic ideas in order to respond to queries requiring quantitative thinking.
Tip 3: Review Missed Practice Questions
A tried-and-true strategy for test prep is dedicating extra time to questions and content that you struggle with. The CLT website allows you to review explanations for the answers to questions you miss on their practice exam.
Reviewing these explanations can help you improve your understanding of difficult content and turn missed questions into correct answers as you continue practicing. Targeting your problem areas when you prep for the CLT will help you answer more question types correctly when you take the real exam.
Tip 4: Take the ACT/SAT Practice Tests for Extra Review
Finally, taking numerous practice tests will help you hone your test-taking skills and give you a great chance to review the material.
Since there are only a limited number of CLT practice tests available, you may find you need a few other tests along the way. ACT practice tests and SAT practice tests are a good way to check your progress on mastering core knowledge skills, even if they aren’t exactly the same.
