Classic Learning Test
Classic Learning Test (CLT) provides standardized academic assessments for grades 3-12 emphasizing classical literature and critical thinking. The company offers college entrance, preparatory, and K-8 exams accepted by 350+ colleges and used by homeschool families, private schools, and state-funded testing programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAnnapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Classic Learning Test does
Classic Learning Test (CLT), operating as Classic Learning Initiatives, LLC, is a private education assessment company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. The company provides standardized academic assessments for grades 3 through 12, anchored by three core products: the CLT college entrance exam for 11th and 12th graders ($112 per registration), the CLT10 college preparatory exam for 9th and 10th graders ($69 per registration), and CLT3-8 diagnostic and summative assessments for grades 3-8. The CLT platform evaluates verbal reasoning, grammar/writing, and quantitative reasoning, with two-thirds of verbal content drawn from a proprietary Author Bank of classical and historical writers spanning ancient through modern periods — a deliberate differentiator from Common Core-aligned competitors. Exams are delivered either in-school or through a remotely proctored format using LockDown Browser.
The business model is primarily high-volume, low-margin consumer test fees supplemented by school-based bulk ordering and state-funded administration contracts. CLT scores are accepted by over 350 colleges and universities, including U.S. Military Service Academies and five state university systems (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina), with more than $100 million in annual scholarships tied to CLT performance. The company pursues a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer self-serve registration, direct sales to K-12 schools and homeschool groups, and channel partnerships through state Education Savings Account programs across 13+ states.
Founder and CEO Jeremy Tate leads a team of 11-50 employees. The company has no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent-company relationships, and operates as a founder-controlled LLC. Growth has been exponential at the test-taker level — from fewer than 300 a decade ago to approximately 183,000 annually — driven by policy tailwinds (notably Florida's 2023 legislation mandating state-funded CLT administration to 11th graders), classical education market positioning, and third-party validation including a 2025 Grove City College study finding higher CLT correlation to college GPA, retention, and graduation rates than SAT/ACT.
Classic Learning Test firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Classic Learning Test
- Legal name
- Classic Learning Initiatives, LLC
- Website
- https://cltexam.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Classic Learning Test (CLT) provides standardized academic assessments for grades 3-12 emphasizing classical literature and critical thinking. The company offers college entrance, preparatory, and K-8 exams accepted by 350+ colleges and used by homeschool families, private schools, and state-funded testing programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Classic Learning Test industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Standardized Educational Assessment
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assessment, Testing & Analytics Platforms (Formative/Summative) (EDAJAMAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- K–12 Standardized Test Prep & Practice Materials (EDAGADAA), Higher Education Admissions & Placement Exam Prep (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT) (EDAGADAC), Assessment Item Banks, Question Authoring & Test Development Content (EDAGADAG), K–12 Standardized Assessments & Benchmark Exams Prep (State tests, MAP, ISEE/SSAT) (EDANABAD)
Keywords
Where Classic Learning Test is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Annapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Classic Learning Test business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- CLT Exam Registration: One-time test registration fees for the main college entrance exam (CLT) priced at $112 per test. Fee includes comprehensive Student Analytics and unlimited score sharing with colleges.
- CLT10 Exam Registration: One-time test registration fees for the college preparatory exam (CLT10) priced at $69 per test. Fee includes comprehensive Student Analytics and unlimited score sharing with colleges.
- CLT3-8 Assessment Fees: Fees for diagnostic and summative exams for grades 3-8. At-home and in-school administration options available.
- CLT Student Guide Sales: Official CLT Student Guide (3rd Edition) available for purchase, featuring three full-length practice tests, essay prompts, and test preparation content.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CLT Exam - $112 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CLT10 Exam - $69 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Classic Learning Test product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Classic Learning Test develops and administers online standardized academic assessments for students in grades 3 through 12, centered on a college entrance exam (CLT) that uses reading passages drawn from classical and historical literature. The company offers the CLT exam ($112), the CLT10 preparatory exam ($69), and the CLT3-8 diagnostic/summative assessments, delivered either remotely proctored at home or in-school via bulk school orders, with detailed Student Analytics and score-sharing accepted by over 350 colleges.
Product overview
Classic Learning Test offers a suite of academic assessments for Grades 3-12 designed to evaluate reading, grammar, writing, and mathematics. The core products include the CLT (college entrance exam for 11th-12th graders), CLT10 (college preparatory exam for 9th-10th graders), and CLT3-8 (diagnostic/summative assessments for grades 3-8). These exams are complemented by supplementary offerings including practice tests, the official Student Guide, Student Analytics, and scholarship connections. The CLT suite is unique in emphasizing classical literature and critical thinking, with two-thirds of verbal content drawn from a curated Author Bank of classic writers. Over 350 colleges accept CLT scores with over $100 million in annual scholarships tied to test performance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CLT (College Entrance Exam): Online college entrance exam for 11th and 12th graders, accepted at over 350 colleges and universities
- CLT10
- CLT3-8
- CLT in Florida
- Parental Choice Programs
- Classical Baccalaureate
- Classical Teaching Corps
Products and services
- CLT (Classic Learning Test)
Quantifiable outcome
- Higher correlation to college success metrics (GPA, retention, graduation rates) than SAT or ACT according to Grove City College study
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Classic Learning Test
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Classic Learning Test technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Classic Learning Test partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, strategic and minor.
- 350+ Partner Colleges and UniversitiescoreOver 350 colleges and universities accept CLT scores and actively recruit CLT test-takers. Partner colleges offer scholarships tied to CLT scores totaling over $100 million annually. Partner colleges include private liberal arts, faith-based, and select public institutions.
- U.S. Military Service AcademiesflagshipU.S. Military Service Academies including USNA (Naval Academy), USMA (Military Academy), USAFA (Air Force Academy) accept CLT scores for admissions.
- State University Systems (AR, FL, GA, IN, NC)flagshipFive state university systems have formally accepted CLT as an alternative to SAT/ACT for admissions: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and North Carolina.
- Florida Department of EducationflagshipFlorida legislation (2023) mandated state funding for CLT administration to all 11th graders in public schools. CLT approved for Bright Futures scholarship qualification and state university admissions.
- Step Up For StudentscoreFlorida's largest school choice organization includes CLT as an approved vendor for personalized education programs and scholarship accountability testing.
- Education Savings Account Programs (Multiple States)coreCLT suite approved as qualifying expense in ESA programs across Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia.
- Grove City CollegestrategicConducted research study demonstrating CLT is more effective predictor of college success than SAT/ACT, with higher correlations to GPA, retention, and graduation rates.
- Clayborne Test Prep and College Prep GeniusminorThird-party test prep partners offering additional tutoring and self-study resources for CLT students.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Classic Learning Test competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- College Board: Administers the SAT and PSAT, the dominant college entrance and college preparatory exams in the U.S. CLT is explicitly positioned as an alternative to the SAT, serving the same college-bound high school student segment with a similar admissions-test value proposition.
- Renaissance Learning: Offers Star Assessments for K-12 alongside its broader learning analytics platform. Overlaps directly with CLT3-8 in providing computer-adaptive academic assessments and analytics to schools and districts.
- NWEA: Provider of MAP Growth assessments widely used in K-12 schools for formative and summative measurement. CLT3-8 competes for the same school-level assessment budget and the same diagnostic and growth-tracking use cases across grades 3–8.
- Curriculum Associates: Maker of i-Ready Diagnostic, a major K-12 adaptive assessment and instruction platform. Competes with CLT's diagnostic/summative offerings for school-level assessment budgets and instructional alignment.
- Educational Records Bureau (ERB): Administers the ISEE for private school admissions and other K-12 assessments. Closely comparable to CLT in serving private and classical school communities with admission and progress assessments.
- ACT, Inc. Administers the ACT and PreACT, the other incumbent college entrance and college preparatory exams. CLT competes head-to-head with ACT for college-bound juniors and seniors and competes with PreACT at the 9th–10th grade level via CLT10.
- Iowa Testing Programs (University of Iowa): Provides Iowa Assessments (ITBS/ITED) widely used in K-12 schools, particularly private and homeschool settings. Competes with CLT3-8 and CLT10 for standardized testing mandates in non-public school segments.
Broad incumbents
- Pearson: Diversified education and assessment company offering a wide range of K-12 and professional testing products. Operates broadly in the educational-assessment category rather than directly competing with CLT's college-entrance niche.
- Educational Testing Service (ETS): Major U.S. testing organization administering GRE, TOEFL, Praxis, and other assessments. Operates broadly in the standardized testing space but does not directly compete in the undergraduate college-entrance exam market CLT serves.
- Cambridge Assessment: Global assessment and learning provider with a broad portfolio spanning K-12, English language, and professional testing. Compares as an incumbent with overlapping educational-assessment capabilities but different geographic and product focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Classic Learning Test social profiles
Digital presenceClassic Learning Test financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Classic Learning Test leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Classic Learning Test funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Classic Learning Test M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Classic Learning Test
What does Classic Learning Test do?
Classic Learning Test develops and administers online standardized academic assessments for students in grades 3 through 12, centered on a college entrance exam (CLT) that uses reading passages drawn from classical and historical literature. The company offers the CLT exam ($112), the CLT10 preparatory exam ($69), and the CLT3-8 diagnostic/summative assessments, delivered either remotely proctored at home or in-school via bulk school orders, with detailed Student Analytics and score-sharing accepted by over 350 colleges.
Is Classic Learning Test a public or private company?
Classic Learning Test is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Classic Learning Test founded?
Classic Learning Test was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Classic Learning Test based?
Classic Learning Test is headquartered in Annapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Classic Learning Test make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. CLT Exam Registration is the primary driver. The others are CLT10 Exam Registration, CLT3-8 Assessment Fees and CLT Student Guide Sales.
Who are Classic Learning Test's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are College Board, Renaissance Learning, NWEA, Curriculum Associates, Educational Records Bureau (ERB), ACT, Inc. and Iowa Testing Programs (University of Iowa). Broad incumbents are Pearson, Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Cambridge Assessment.
Does Classic Learning Test have an API?
No public API is recorded for Classic Learning Test.
What industry is Classic Learning Test in?
Classic Learning Test's product category is Standardized Educational Assessment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAC, Assessment, Testing & Analytics Platforms (Formative/Summative), with a secondary code of EDAGADAA, K–12 Standardized Test Prep & Practice Materials. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.