College admissions is a tricky path to tread. Each college has specialties and requirements. One of the most common practices in the past 40 years or so has been to require a college entrance exam to ensure that a student is ready for the rigors of a college education. The process of completing a college entrance exam is not what it used to be. Every few years the SAT is changing, and the ACT becomes more popular. In 2015, the CLT (classic learning test) burst on the scene with another option. How do you know which one to have your child complete?
Because these tests are mostly multiple choice, the choices are limited and the student needs to know the material or be able to use problem solving skills to guess accurately!
We've talked about completing regular tests as a way to prepare for such a time as this, but not every college entrance exam is created equal.
A glimpse of the three main parts of the tests
Literature:
When it comes to literature, we have high school students reading everything from modern dystopia to Dante. How do you compose a multiple choice test to correctly assess a student's comprehension and thinking skills? The SAT consists of about 40% modern (post 1900) literature and 30% 1700-1800 with the remaining 30% for the 1600s and Renaissance. The CLT's literature contains very few modern literature pieces, but more classics. These are the texts that our modern society is built on. The ACT focuses more on writing and grammar in what they call the english portion of the test. The student shows his comprehension through choosing the proper meaning or word choice for select sections of the text.
Mathematics:
Most mathematics sections of these tests are similar. They all include mostly algebra, geometry, and a few trigonometry questions, which is why more educators recommend these tests for juniors and seniors.
Writing:
All three exams have the optional essay writing portion. The ACT and SAT require an additional fee for the writing portion, while the CLT includes the essay in the original cost. Because they all offer essays, they may seem equal, but the essay prompts vary. The ACT essay prompts are looking specifically for a thesis and the format of a good paper including the grammar, whereas the SAT tends to be a little more content focused.
While all three of these test options are developed for students entering college, all three have their benefits and drawbacks.
Summary:
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- The CLT is more affordable, shorter ( 2hrs), online with quicker results, and more classical in its literature approach.
- The SAT is more common and therefore accepted by more colleges.
- The ACT is accepted by most colleges, more specialized, and includes science.
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As always, we recommend starting your decision on a college entry exam by evaluating your student's goals (our roadmap form the toolbox is a great place to start building goals) and researching the college entrance requirements that your student's college of choice has. While we do not offer a specific SAT, CLT, or ACT prep class, we are more than willing to help you and your family prepare for these studious exams. Let us know what you'd like to see us add to our memberships!