Service academies to accept conservative alternative to SAT and ACT

By Sophia Cai | Politico

The nation’s service academies next month will announce they will accept scores from the Classic Learning Test, a standardized exam that emphasizes classical literature such as Greek and Roman classics and Christian thinkers beginning in the 2027 admissions cycle, according to internal communications obtained by POLITICO and a person familiar with the matter granted anonymity to discuss the policy change.

The Pentagon’s move marks a victory for conservative lawmakers and activists who have pushed to elevate the test, known as the CLT, as an alternative to the SAT and ACT emphasizing “deep comprehension of classical texts.”

According to the internal emails, the U.S. military academies by Oct. 1 plan to update all public-facing websites accessible to prospective students reflecting the new option. They will also train admissions staff, liaison officers, congressional offices and volunteers involved with admissions on the addition of CLT in advance of the 2027 admissions cycle.

The inclusion of a standardized test favored by conservatives is another flashpoint in a broader ideological clash over the future of American education during the Trump administration. President Donald Trump and his allies have frequently railed against what they call “woke” curriculum, targeting everything from Advanced Placement courses to diversity initiatives in higher education.

The Pentagon did not reply to a request for comment.

“The CLT measures deep comprehension, discipline, and knowledge of the great ideas that built our nation. It’s a victory for merit and America’s future leaders,” said Sen. JIM BANKS (R-Ind.), who introduced a bill that would mandate the service academies’ acceptance of CLT. The bill has not made it out of committee.

A sample CLT includes passages from E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web” and Mark Twain and discussions about Renaissance art and philosophers including Plato and Socrates. Unlike the SAT and ACT, the CLT forbids calculators on the math section.

Though still a niche alternative, CLT’s adoption in the U.S. military academies may represent its biggest breakthrough, signaling mainstream legitimacy for a test long confined to religious and ideological circles. The test is currently accepted by around 350 schools, primarily small, private Christian colleges and Bible schools and a few public schools in red states.

Jeremy Wayne Tate, the CLT’s co-founder and CEO, argues that the politicization of education “is aided — even initiated — by standardized testing.”

“By allowing young Americans to apply to the U.S. Service Academies with the CLT, these institutions will have the opportunity to welcome students who have taken a standardized test rooted in rigor, logical thinking, and a deep understanding of the classic and historical texts that made America great,” Tate said in a statement to POLITICO.

CLT is a for-profit company. The SAT is administered by the College Board, a not-for-profit organization. ACT Inc. a for-profit company.

Education policy has become a central plank in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s cultural agenda, and CLT’s profile rose sharply in that context.

“CLT’s big break came when Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) searched for a College Board alternative after seeing the woke bias in its tests. We were happy to extend our offerings to the state, giving students, teachers, and families the choice of which tests they want to use,” Tate wrote in the Washington Examiner.

Since then, other red states including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming have passed legislation paving the way for the test to be an option.

In Washington, Banks’ bill would not only mandate the service academies’ acceptance of CLT but also require federally run secondary schools, including those overseen by the Department of Defense and the Bureau of Indian Education Schools, to administer the CLT to all 11th graders.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in May voiced his support of CLT in a post on X: “The CLT is the gold standard, and our academies need to attract the very best.”

First published on Politico