Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to mandate that U.S. service academies accept the Classic Learning Test for their admissions.
The bill titled the Promoting Classical Learning Act of 2025 would enshrine into federal law the Trump administration’s changes that have permitted the U.S. Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and Merchant Marine Academy to accept the Classic Learning Test beginning with the 2027 admissions cycle.
“The Classic Learning Test sets a true standard of academic excellence for admission to our military academies. This bill ensures the Department of War can recruit a new generation of leaders grounded in merit, integrity, and intellect to defend our nation,” Miller told The Daily Signal.
The proposed law is companion legislation to a bill sponsored by Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., in the Senate. In addition to mandating the CLT for military academy admissions, the act would also require federally operated secondary schools to give the CLT to all 11th-grade students. That includes students who attend schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity and by the Bureau of Indian Education.
“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,” Banks told Politico when asked about his proposed legislation.
“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 rigorous standardized test rooted in quantitative reasoning, logic, and deep literacy proven though an ability to comprehend the classic and historical texts that made America great,” Jeremy Tate, the CEO and Founder of the Classic Learning Test, told The Daily Signal.
The Classic Learning Test was founded in 2015 by Tate as an alternative to the SAT and ACT. In recent years, it has seen an explosion of growth. The exam went from being administered to 25,000 students in 2023 to 200,000 students in 2024. Red states like Oklahoma and Florida were trailblazers in permitting the test to be accepted for admissions into their flagship public universities.
The CLT emphasizes testing students on reading passages about historical and classical literature like Plato and the U.S. presidents, and unlike its competitors, tests students on their math skills without the help of a calculator.
“The CLT stands unique among college entrance exams as offering the most comprehensive picture of a student’s intellectual formation, rewarding those who demonstrate strong reasoning and a rigorous education,” the organization that administers the test told The Daily Signal.
“The standards embodied by the CLT mirror those upheld by our nation’s service academies—excellence, discipline, and moral integrity. We’re encouraged to see growing recognition that this test can help identify the kind of thoughtful, well-prepared leaders our country needs.”
The CLT is currently accepted by approximately 350 educational institutions including Hillsdale College, the Catholic University of America, Wheaton College, Covenant College, Pepperdine University, and the University of Florida, among others.
