Texas is moving to expand college admissions options by paving the way for the conservative-backed Classic Learning Test to join the SAT and ACT for certain public university applicants, despite an independent review finding weaker evidence that the exam predicts college success.
Texas Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser told university leaders last week that public institutions can immediately consider Classic Learning Test scores for applicants who fall outside the state's top 10% automatic admissions program, The Texan reported.
According to a July 23 letter from Rosser, a study conducted by the Texas A&M Public Policy Research Institute concluded that the CLT, SAT, and ACT "are of sufficient rigor and reliability to be used as criterion for college admissions in this state."
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, though, voted to send an independent review of the CLT, SAT, and ACT to legislative leaders, according to The Texas Tribune.
The board did not vote to approve the CLT's use or change the state's admissions rules.
The review, required by a law passed last year, did not put the CLT on equal footing with the SAT and ACT.
The board plans to consider final rules no later than January 2027.
Researchers concluded the CLT showed "adequate readiness but moderate risk" and awarded it just 1.4 of 4 possible points for predicting college success, compared with 3.8 for the ACT and a perfect 4.0 for the SAT.
Senate Bill 1241, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, directed the coordinating board to evaluate other college entrance exams rather than limiting students to the SAT and ACT.
Supporters of the CLT argued those results reflected the limited amount of Texas-specific data available because the exam has not previously been recognized for statewide admissions.
Founded in 2015, the CLT emphasizes classic literature, philosophy, history, and primary source texts, including works by Plato, Aristotle, and other influential writers.
Unlike the SAT and ACT, it prohibits calculators and is designed to encourage students to engage with the Western intellectual tradition.
The Texan reported that CLT CEO Jeremy Tate welcomed the board's action, noting that Texas joins Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, the U.S. service academies, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of New Mexico in recognizing the exam.
Tate said the test better aligns with Texas' recently adopted social studies standards and reading lists.
Backers of the legislation, including state Sen. Mayes Middleton, the Republican attorney general nominee, have argued Texas should end what they describe as the SAT and ACT "duopoly," citing concerns about the College Board's perceived ideological influence and arguing students deserve more educational choices.
If the proposed rules are approved next year, the CLT will become an official admissions option for qualifying applicants beginning with the 2028-29 academic year while remaining immediately available as a consideration for many non-automatic admissions applicants.