The following article is a guest contribution from our partner, the Classic Learning Test (CLT).
Have you started panicking about college admissions tests and SAT prep? The prospect of high-stakes standardized testing can be overwhelming for students and parents alike. And the universal feeling of anxiety makes sense given that there’s a multi-billion-dollar test prep industry specifically designed to make you feel unequipped and behind before you even begin. But what if I told you that classical education has already done much to prepare your students for success on the SAT, ACT, and CLT?
While there are whole books and classes dedicated to teaching students how to read, understand, and apply their knowledge to questions on these tests, classically educated students have been acquiring such skills from their first days in the classroom. A Challenge student’s capacity to retain information, think critically, and recognize rhetorical devices provides them with skills that other students pay hundreds of dollars to obtain.
The Challenge Program as SAT Prep, ACT Prep, and CLT Prep
Classically educated students, and Challenge students in particular, are engaging in SAT prep, ACT prep, and CLT prep on a daily basis. Here are just a few of the ways that the liberal arts equip students to achieve a high score before they even crack open a test prep handbook:
Memory Work
The ability to quickly recall factual information serves students well in a variety of ways. Even if formulas are provided on a test’s math section, producing the necessary information on demand can save precious time for computation that would have been spent looking up that information. Familiarity with definitions and parts of speech is also essential for navigating reading and writing sections. Memory work wires the brain to retain factual knowledge accumulated in reading passages and logic problems that will lay a solid foundation for success on test day.
Latin and Grammar Study
Understanding the rules of grammar will ensure that your student answers a large majority of verbal reasoning questions correctly. Their knowledge of Latin, however, provides an extra edge for those sections, because understanding etymology can help them reason through vocabulary questions they would otherwise miss.
Socratic Discussion
Being able to listen carefully, parse out another’s meaning, and formulate penetrating questions comprises the essence of any “tips and tricks” for SAT prep you may find on the market. If your student knows how to question a question, then they will be that much closer to discovering the truth of its answer.
Logic
Critical thinking and sound reasoning are, in many ways, the whole ball game on a standardized test (especially for the CLT). From testing the logic of multiple-choice options to mapping out the argument of a reading passage, understanding the rules of logic will help a student work through the test with ease.
Rhetoric
Even if they are not composing an essay for the optional writing portion of the ACT, familiarity with rhetorical devices will still put your student far ahead of those who have not studied rhetoric. It will particularly aid them in answering questions that require reading comprehension. Recognizing when others use rhetorical devices will help a student understand the meaning and purpose of various textual excerpts on the test.
Preparing for the SAT vs. ACT vs. CLT
The SAT
The SAT has an even split of Reading and Math sections, so equal attention must be given to preparing each domain of knowledge. The two sections are then further divided into two equally timed modules of testing.
There are 54 questions in the Reading section (27 in each module), and it takes 64 minutes to complete (32 minutes for each module). Students should be prepared to encounter short reading passages ranging from 25 to 150 words with only one multiple-choice question attached to each passage.
The Math section contains 44 questions (22 for each module) and takes a total of 70 minutes to complete (35 minutes per module). Calculators are allowed, and the test covers Algebra, Advanced Math, Data Analysis and Problem Solving, and Geometry and Trigonometry.
The ACT
The core ACT has three sections: English, Math, and Reading. Optional Science and Writing sections are also available.
The English section has 50 questions and a time limit of 35 minutes. According to the ACT website, it covers grammar, usage, and rhetorical skill. The Math section has 45 questions and a 50-minute time limit. Its problems range from pre-algebra to trigonometry, and students may use calculators during this portion of the test. The Reading section has 36 questions and a 40-minute time limit, with the purpose of testing reading comprehension and text analysis. Passages are longer in length, and a set of 9–10 questions is attached to each passage.
The optional Science section has 40 questions at 40 minutes and tests data interpretation and scientific reasoning across the natural sciences. The optional Writing section requires students to compose an essay supporting a position within a 40-minute time limit.
The CLT
The Classical Learning Test comprises three 40-question sections covering Verbal Reasoning, Grammar/Writing, and Quantitative Reasoning.
Students have 40 minutes to complete the Verbal Reasoning section. There they will encounter extended passages drawn primarily from classic and historical texts, with some modern texts also featured. There are ten questions attached to each passage. Classical students will find that this section rewards the deep reading of significant texts that they have engaged in throughout their education.
The Grammar/Writing section has a 35-minute time limit and tests textual editing and improvement, including rhetoric and style, in addition to the rules of grammar.
The Quantitative Reasoning section has a 45-minute time limit and is unique among standardized tests in that no calculator is allowed. However, classical students are especially well prepared for this section in that, in addition to Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry, the Quantitative Reasoning section tests Mathematical Reasoning, a student’s ability to use logic and reasoning to arrive at new conclusions about given information.
The CLT will uniquely reward the classical, discussion-based education of a CC Challenge student because, among standardized tests, it is the only one designed to assess aptitude in addition to achievement. In other words, the CLT tests not only what a student already knows, but also their natural cognitive ability to achieve new skills. Classical education teaches you how to think, not what to think, and thus classically educated students are especially fit for an aptitude test.
What Test Prep Do Classically Educated Students Actually Need?
At CLT, we believe that a student who has received a thoughtful and rigorous education has essentially completed all of the test prep they will need for our test. However, there are still a few ways for students to “close the gap” and go from “mostly prepared” to fully prepared.
Even if a student has all of the intellectual skills they will need for test day, it is still beneficial to familiarize them with the structure and process of testing itself. Students should become comfortable with time limits, multiple-choice mechanics, and the overall design and format of the test.
Still, rather than dedicating weeks, months, or even a whole year to “studying toward the test,” simply taking a few practice tests or working through the Official CLT Student Guide should be all the preparation a student needs.
FAQ: Classical Education and College Admissions Test Prep
Which classical education practices map to which test skills?
Memory work builds the recall needed for fact-based questions, Latin and grammar study sharpen vocabulary and verbal reasoning, Socratic discussion strengthens reading comprehension, the study of logic supports critical reasoning sections, and rhetoric trains students to recognize the devices used in reading passages across the SAT, ACT, and CLT.
Do classically educated students test better on the CLT specifically?
Yes. Because the CLT draws its passages from classic and historical texts and measures aptitude alongside achievement, it rewards the kind of deep reading, discussion, and reasoning that classical education already emphasizes.
How much dedicated test prep is still needed on top of a classical curriculum?
Not much. Students mainly need to become familiar with the format of the test itself, such as time limits and multiple-choice mechanics. A few practice tests or a run through the Official CLT Student Guide is typically enough to close that gap.
The Classical Conversations Advantage
University Ready claims that CC students are “already well prepared” for the content of the CLT, and they are right. Instead of having to cram college admissions test prep around the edges of curriculum, students in the Challenge program are already building the skills they need to succeed on the CLT. As a result, those critical thinking and reasoning skills will stay with them for a lifetime. They will not “use and lose” them on test day.
In recognition of CLT’s partnership with Classical Conversations, CC members have access to a 50% discount on CLT registration. We look forward to celebrating your student’s success and helping them on the road to achieving their dreams!
Learn more about how to prepare your student for higher education with these resources:
- CLEP Tests for Homeschoolers: Earn College Credit Before You Graduate
- How Serving Others Prepares Teens for the Christian Life
- Top 5 Common Sense Skills Every Student Should Learn Before College
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