Ohio legislators in Columbus have cleared the first big hurdle for a new player in the standardized testing game, backing a proposal that would let high school juniors take the Classic Learning Test alongside the ACT and SAT. The move has quickly reopened a familiar fight over whether more testing options mean more opportunity or just a new way to argue about fairness in college admissions.
Yesterday, Feb. 18, the Ohio House passed H.B. 326 on a 62-28 vote, sending the bill to the state Senate. The measure would allow districts to accept the Classic Learning Test as an alternative to the ACT or SAT and follows a state policy that covers the cost for juniors to take the ACT or SAT in the spring. Lawmakers also relaxed the rules in 2021 so that juniors are no longer required to take a statewide college entrance exam, according to Cleveland.com.
What H.B. 326 Would Change
H.B. 326 would tweak state law so that districts could pick from the ACT, SAT or, as the bill puts it, "any other valid, reliable, nationally norm-referenced examination used for college admission" in order to meet testing requirements. The legislation lists Rep. Kevin Ritter as the primary sponsor, along with several cosponsors, and the official filing, analysis and fiscal notes are posted on the General Assembly website. Supporters argue that giving districts access to another nationally recognized exam gives local schools and students more flexibility when navigating college admissions, according to Ohio House.
Who Already Accepts the CLT in Ohio
Backers of the bill point out that the Classic Learning Test is not starting from zero in Ohio. A handful of colleges in the state already accept CLT scores for freshman admission. Ashland University lists the CLT among its approved entrance exams, and Walsh University outlines how applicants can submit CLT results to its admissions office. Those schools, along with other faith-based and private campuses, have been early adopters of the test.
Service Academies and a National Push
Supporters also note that the CLT has moved beyond small private colleges. U.S. service academies have updated their guidance to accept CLT scores for applicants to the Class of 2031, a change reflected in West Point's admissions information, which now lists the CLT alongside the ACT and SAT. Advocates say that kind of endorsement from marquee institutions gives the test national credibility and could encourage more schools to consider it.
Mixed Reactions From Lawmakers
The proposal has not won over every lawmaker at the Statehouse. State Rep. Sean Brennan, a Parma Democrat, told Cleveland.com that standardized tests often serve as a mirror of access to tutoring and test prep more than a true gauge of college readiness. Ritter, by contrast, told the outlet that the CLT has become a preferred option for many home-school and private-school families because it aligns with what he called traditional education values centered on logic, reasoning and moral philosophy. Their back-and-forth underscored how the CLT fight overlaps with ongoing debates about school choice, faith-based curricula and who really benefits from additional testing options.
What Comes Next
Next up is the Ohio Senate, where committee hearings, potential amendments and floor scheduling will decide how fast H.B. 326 moves and in what form. The bill text and committee materials are publicly posted on the legislative website, and supporters and critics are already preparing testimony and suggested changes. If the Senate approves a version of the bill, it would return to the House for final consideration before heading to the governor, according to Ohio House.
Why It Matters
Backers of the Classic Learning Test say the change would give students whose coursework leans into classical texts and philosophy an exam that better matches what they have actually studied. Opponents caution that splintering the testing landscape could make it harder to compare applicants across different exams and point to questions about how well a newer test has been validated over time. National coverage has chronicled both the CLT's rapid expansion and the dispute over whether it measures the same predictive skills as the ACT or SAT, a tension highlighted by Politico. For Ohio families, guidance counselors and school administrators, the short-term concern is practical: how colleges, scholarship programs and local districts will treat CLT scores if the bill makes it into law.
