SB 1747, the Promoting Classical Learning Act of 2025, would direct the Department of Defense to allow applicants to the military service academies to submit scores from the Classical Learning Test (CLT) in addition to the SAT or ACT. The bill is aimed at broadening the standardized testing options available in academy admissions and formally placing the CLT on equal footing with the two more established college entrance exams for those applicants.
The bill would also require federally run secondary schools to administer the CLT to 11th-grade students. That mandate would apply both to schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and to schools funded or operated by the Bureau of Indian Education, including tribally controlled and BIE-operated schools. In practical terms, the measure would create a new testing requirement for those school systems and expand the use of the CLT in federal education settings.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would change federal education and defense-related admissions practices by requiring military service academies to accept CLT scores and by directing DoDEA and Bureau of Indian Education schools to administer the test to 11th graders. It would not appear to amend state law directly, but it would impose new federal requirements on federally operated or funded schools and on the admissions policies of the service academies under the Department of Defense.
Sentiment
The available record shows limited formal debate, with no committee transcript or vote data provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to measure. Based on the bill’s text and referral to the Senate Armed Services Committee, the measure appears to be a policy proposal intended to promote an alternative college admissions test rather than a broadly controversial restructuring of federal law.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely to be whether the federal government should require acceptance and administration of the CLT, especially in institutions that currently rely on the SAT and ACT. Supporters would likely view the bill as expanding choice and recognizing classical education pathways, while critics may question whether the CLT is sufficiently established, whether a federal mandate is appropriate, and whether requiring its administration in DoDEA and Bureau of Indian Education schools adds burden or diverts resources from existing testing programs.
Schools; modifying goals of certain programs; modifying eligibility for certain higher education programs; adding references to Classic Learning Test; effective date; emergency.