Along with an examination of your academic program and grades, colleges also examine the results of your standardized testing. Most colleges continue to require the SAT or ACT, and some of the most competitive colleges also require the SAT Subject Tests. Additionally, there is now a new test, designed for classical schools, called the CLE (for more information, see below).
ACT
This test measures skills in four major curriculum areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. There is also an optional writing test. You must check with individual colleges to see if they require the ACT Plus Writing.
Registration as well as information regarding testing dates and centers is available at www.act.org .
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test changed significantly starting March 5, 2016. The redesigned “New SAT” format has two sections: EBRW (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) and Math, and the optional essay. You can earn a scaled score of between 200 and 800 on each section, for a total of 1600 possible points on the Redesigned SAT. The test is 3 hours and 50 minutes with the essay or 3 hours without it.
Registration as well as information regarding testing dates and centers is available at www.collegeboard.org .
CLT
Classical Learning Test (CLT)- This new test was designed to better assess the goals of a classical education and is currently accepted by over fifty colleges and universities. The CLT includes three sections, verbal reasoning, grammar/writing, and quantitative reasoning. The reading and grammar sections utilize works of some of the great minds of Western thought, such as Plato, Augustine, or C.S. Lewis. In considering these works, students explore ethical questions in addition to questions on reading comprehension and writing. The quantitative reasoning section assesses students’ logical reasoning abilities and preparedness for college-level mathematics, including trigonometry.
This test may be taken at ECS, which is an official CLT testing site. Registration and testing dates are available at www.cltexam.com.