An up-and-coming college admissions exam known as the Classic Learning Test is gaining in popularity, but its adoption isn’t without debate. About half a dozen states have recognized or accepted the test for admissions at public universities.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is a supporter, calling the college entrance exam the nation’s new ‘gold standard’ for institutions of higher learning. But critics say it’s not as rigorous as the SAT or ACT in college admissions and is an easier way to meet high school graduation standards.

USA Today examined its use in Florida, the first state to broadly embrace the exam. Florida uses the test in college admissions at public universities, to factor state scholarship eligibility and high school graduation concordant scores.

The publication also quoted Anna DeJarnette, director of the UC School of Education, and professor mathematics education and Evthokia Saclarides, associate professor in the UC School of Education. 

DeJarnette and Saclarides offered an assessment of the Classic Learning Test based on their findings and those from Juan Gerardo, assistant professor, and Saheed Hammed, a doctoral student in the UC School of Education. Mi Yeon Lee, an associate professor at Arizona State University, was also a contributor.

The Classic Learning Test (CLT) focuses on a classical education model, exploring topics of human nature, logical reasoning and lessons from history. It is divided into three sections – verbal reasoning, quantitative reading and grammar and writing. 

“Our study focused on comparing the ACT, CLT, and SAT math sections to document the content domains assessed and the cognitive domains assessed,” explains DeJarnette. 

“The CLT included a higher combined proportion of what we call ‘numbers and logic’ and ‘pre-algebra’ compared to either the ACT or SAT. This is content that’s typically associated with middle grades math before algebra,” says DeJarnette.

She says the UC researchers findings align with what some of the district administrators quoted in the USA Today article said that students who have struggled with one of the other two exams have had more success on the CLT math section.