So that you have an idea of where I am coming from in my education, I will say that I have been homeschooled my entire school-age life, and I've been classically educated since 8th grade (this is my senior year).
This was my second time taking the ACT, and my first time taking the CLT.
First, I'll give you some background on the CLT. The CLT is a brand new college entry exam that is now accepted at over 75 colleges as a stand-alone admissions option (in some schools it is accepted in addition to the ACT or SAT). Instead of the Common Core-based studies of the ACT, the CLT follows a model of classical education. The makers of the CLT saw the need for a new college entry exam that could more closely measure a student's progress. The funny thing was, after I began studying for the ACT, that was exactly what I was looking for.
Here is what I disliked about the ACT most: every single question felt like a trap. This test appears to throw students off track, not so as to grow their reasoning abilities, but to sound confusing and impossible. It can frustrate even the most excited learner to find out that the answer was so simple, but the question was not. To me and many other students, the ACT felt like it came from people who did not want us to succeed.
But then there was the CLT.
On the CLT, the passages to be read came from great works of Western literature, as well as classic novels and essays.
When I took the ACT, four of the passages I had to read were wholly based on the Theory of Evolution.
On the CLT, the quantitative reasoning (math) section was full of questions that a student could logically come to conclusions about, even if that student was a bit unfamiliar with the concept.
On the ACT, the math section contained mostly traps for the student, and a lot of trigonometry (which I have not yet taken).
On the CLT, the grammar section questioned about thoughts that the passages evoked, and comparisons were made between major themes.
On the ACT, I was asked to choose between "she was" and "she were".
The CLT wasn't a trap! It was actually refreshing in comparison to the ACT. It was obvious to me that the goal of the CLT was to cultivate truth, beauty, and goodness in a student. It was a fun test. It made me excited for the future of testing. The required passages were works that I had either read, or that I would read on my own time. Instead of the ACT passage I read where an author remembered how much fun he had on the beach as a child, the CLT included writings from Boethius and C.S. Lewis. I even answered questions about a scene from The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Are you wondering about what my point was in all of this? I want you to know about the CLT. I want you to know about the hope of another test that is more accurate and enjoyable. I want you to be excited for this experience instead of being full of dread. I want you to know about a test that is changing college entry exams for the better.
Want to read more about the CLT? Visit the website here, and feel free to ask me questions about my experience. I would love discussing it with you!
Happy testing!
Olivia
(The makers of the CLT did not ask me to write this post; I just want others to know about this test!)