{"id":2615240,"date":"2026-06-17T14:09:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T18:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T14:12:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T18:12:08","slug":"amendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Amendment To Make Service Academies Accept CLT Advances"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2615240&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Jim Banks added an amendment to the FY2027 National Defense Authorization act requiring U.S. military academies to accept the Classic Learning Test (CLT) for admissions,allowing applicants to submit CLT scores instead of SAT or ACT results. The amendment, approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee, aims to attract top students and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-left-thinks-western-civilization-itself-is-white-nationalist\/\" title=\"The Left Thinks Western Civilization Itself Is &#039;White Nationalist&#039;\">promote classical education<\/a>. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth previously supported the CLT, calling it the \u201cgold standard,\u201d and had directed academies to accept it, but Banks\u2019 legislative move makes this requirement more permanent and harder to reverse. The CLT, launched in 2015 by Jeremy Tate to challenge the dominance of the College Board\u2019s exams, emphasizes classical texts and virtues. Its adoption aligns with a broader resurgence of classical education in America, with over 900 schools currently teaching this style. Political figures like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have also supported the CLT, funding its use in high schools and colleges. The exam is conducted online, testing students on texts from influential authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Dostoyevsky, and C.S. Lewis, aiming to inspire respect for cultural heritage and virtues. The movement toward accepting the CLT reflects a shift toward <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >traditional education values amidst critiques<\/a> of standardized testing&#8217;s influence on schooling and college admissions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-person-writing-on-paper-while-cheating-6684211\/\">Andy Barbour \/ Pexels<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/06\/17\/amendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Amendment To Make Service Academies Accept Classic Learning Test Added To Military Budget&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/06\/17\/amendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Amendment To Make Service Academies Accept Classic Learning Test Added To Military Budget&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/06\/17\/amendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/06\/17\/amendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Amendment To Make Service Academies Accept Classic Learning Test Added To Military Budget&#038;body=The amendment, passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee, would allow applicants to submit CLT test scores instead of the traditional SAT or ACT.%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/06\/17\/amendment-to-make-service-academies-accept-classic-learning-test-added-to-military-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &#038; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., added an amendment to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/BILLS-119s4784rs\/pdf\/BILLS-119s4784rs.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Defense Authorization Act<\/a> for fiscal year 2027 that would require military academies to accept the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cltexam.com\/tests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Classic Learning Test<\/a> for admissions. The CLT exam is a standardized assessment that tests students in reading, writing, and mathematics, with a focus on classical and historical texts.<\/p>\n<p>The amendment, passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee, would allow applicants to submit Classic Learning Test (CLT) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/san-francisco-officials-declare-acronyms-racist\/\" title=\"San Francisco Officials Declare Acronyms Racist\">test scores<\/a> instead of those from the traditional SAT or ACT.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2507209133\" class=\"d-flex justify-content-center fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 fdrlst__b89e9-entity-placement\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI was proud to secure this amendment to help our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dod-considers-pro-america-test-for-k-12-schools-academies\/\" title=\"DOD Considers Pro-America Test For K-12 Schools, Academies\">military academies attract<\/a> the best and brightest young Americans,\u201d Banks said in a press release. \u201cWe should be looking for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-kill-bill-to-stop-military-from-teaching-critical-race-theory\/\" title=\"Dems Kill Bill To Stop Military From Teaching Critical Race Theory\">future military leaders<\/a> in as many places as possible and accepting the CLT exam is an important step in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of War Pete Hegseth previously promised that he would work to authorize the use of the CLT in service academies, calling the exam the \u201cgold standard.\u201d Although Hegseth already directed the academies to accept the CLT, Banks\u2019 amendment would make it more difficult for future administrations to undo the decision.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <span class=\"fNKFs0awBm6o\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We\u2019re going to make this happen James. The CLT is the gold standard, and our academies need to attract the very best. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JoAzp1zW3a\">https:\/\/t.co\/JoAzp1zW3a<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PeteHegseth\/status\/1918730699500089459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Other political leaders have also embraced the CLT in recent years. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cltexam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Florida-Press-Release-May-2023.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed a bill<\/a> in 2023 that funded the use of the exam in the state\u2019s high schools. The Florida Board of Governors voted that same year to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/09\/08\/us\/florida-classical-learning-test-approval.html?eafs_enabled=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accept the CLT<\/a> for admission to Florida\u2019s 12 public colleges and universities.<\/p>\n<p>CLT founder and CEO Jeremy Tate launched the exam in 2015 to compete with the SAT and ACT and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JeremyTate41\/status\/2067081491369054564?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">challenge the monopoly<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Through the SAT, PSAT, and AP program, [the College Board] has wielded extraordinary influence over what students study, what schools prioritize, and what colleges reward. The result has been an education system increasingly detached from the Western tradition, hostile to the moral and religious foundations of our civilization, and obsessed with credentials rather than wisdom.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Political leaders\u2019 and colleges\u2019 embrace of the CLT comes as classical education gains popularity in America. This method of education, rooted in history, religion, and classical literature, is being taught at nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/classicalschools.heritage.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">900 schools<\/a>, according to a Heritage Foundation database. Many homeschool organizations, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/classicalconversations.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Classical Conversations<\/a>, also utilize classical curricula.<\/p>\n<p>The CLT exam is modeled on this style of education. Administered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cltexam.com\/tests\/clt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online<\/a> with virtual proctoring, a typical CLT exam asks students to respond to texts from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pepperdine.edu\/newsroom\/articles\/classic-learning-test-founder-jeremy-tate-discusses-the-great-books-tradition-at-president-speaker-series.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">authors<\/a> such as Plato, Aristotle, Dostoyevsky, and C.S. Lewis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[A] classical educator aims to inspire students to respect and love their cultural inheritance, and to imitate the virtues they see depicted in that inheritance,\u201d longtime classical teacher and administrator Joshua Gibbs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.gov\/about\/homeroom-blog\/teacher-defines-classical-education\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Skye Graham is an intern at The Federalist. She is a senior History major at Hillsdale College and serves as the assistant features editor for the Hillsdale Collegian.<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Skye Graham<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/skyegraham\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/classic-learning-test\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Classic Learning Test<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/classical-conversations\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Classical Conversations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/classical-education\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">classical education<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/clt\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">CLT<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/college-admissions\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">college admissions<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/higher-education\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">higher education<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/jeremy-tate\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Jeremy Tate<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/jim-banks\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Jim Banks<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/military-academies\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">military academies<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Pete Hegseth<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/standard-testing\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">standard testing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator Jim Banks pushes for CLT in military academy admissions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4302,"featured_media":2615241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pexels-andy-barbour-6684211-e1781710279482.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[81333,81332,37298,50922,53104],"class_list":["post-2615240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-admissions-reform","tag-clt-advances","tag-educational-policy","tag-military-recruitment","tag-service-academies"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pexels-andy-barbour-6684211-e1781710279482.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4302"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2615240"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2615244,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615240\/revisions\/2615244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2615241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2615240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2615240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2615240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}