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Healthy Assessments Strengthen Families

Parents of homeschoolers should be aware that test scores are not only important for college admissions but also provide valuable information on the areas where their child may need additional support. Despite some claims that tests are going away, they are still crucial for gaining admission to college, with 85% of schools tying scholarships and admission directly to test scores.

Tests like the CLT, SAT, and ACT are particularly important for homeschoolers as they provide a fair way to compare students equally and level the playing field. As top colleges like MIT and Purdue have gone back to requiring tests, other colleges are following suit. The resources below will help you navigate which tests are best for your family.

Parents homeschooling their children

Stop listening to those who say tests are going away—they are wrong. Test scores are still the golden tickets to free college.

Jean Burk
Homeschool Mom and Founder, College Prep Genius

Child studying online on laptop

Classic Learning Test (CLT)

Grades 3–12

The Classic Learning Test offers three assessments at middle to high school grade levels designed to complement a classical education by engaging students with reading passages from Plato, C. S. Lewis, Charlotte Brontë, William Shakespeare, and other Great Books authors. These exams assess students in three areas: Verbal Reasoning, Grammar/Writing, and Quantitative Reasoning. Upon completion, parents receive an in-depth analytic report detailing their student’s achievement in 15+ academic domains. In addition, many classical colleges award scholarships based on outstanding CLT scores.

CLT also offers similar tests at the elementary levels, assessing young students on classic children’s literature, poetry, historical non-fiction, and more.

As a Classical Conversations® partner, the Classic Learning Test offers CC members a 25% discount on any CLT exam. Just click the button below to access your promo code.

  • CLT3–6: Exams for 3th–6th graders
  • CLT8: Formative and summative assessment for 7th–8th graders
  • CLT10: College preparatory exam for 9th–10th graders
  • CLT: College entrance exam for 11th–12th graders
Get 25% Off Every CLT Exam
Mother helping son with homework

SAT

Grades 11–12

The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is recommended for students pursuing college and also counts as a standardized test in states requiring homeschool families to complete one of these exams each year. Ultimately, an SAT score is an indicator of a student’s potential college or military academy success and is a metric for many scholarship applications. Although mainly a multiple-choice exam, the SAT does include an optional essay.

Find an SAT Center Near You
Teenage girl doing homework while parents resting on sofa at home

ACT

Grades 11­–12

The ACT, or American College Test, is a multiple-choice college entrance exam similar to the SAT. It includes English, math, reading, and writing sections, as well as an optional essay. While some states will require your student to take this exam, most do not. Even so, high ACT scores may help your student gain admission to their college of choice as well as qualify them for scholarships.

Find an ACT Center Near You

How Should Your Student Prepare for College Entrance Exams?

Your student should prepare diligently for the CLT, SAT, ACT, and, if applicable, the PSAT/NMSQT®—the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test—which enables students to enter the National Merit Scholarship Program.

We recommend College Prep Genius—which provides practice tests and coaching for the CLT, SAT, ACT, PSAT, and more—to homeschool families seeking to prepare their students well for these college entrance exams. As a Classical Conversations partner, College Prep Genius offers CC families $50 off their membership access. Just log on to your CC Connected account to find the link to the special Classical Conversations landing page, which includes a free Roadmap to College, a free 10-part webinar series, and access to the CC family discount.

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