Republican’s bill requires military academies accept Classic Learning Test
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Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has introduced legislation that would require U.S. service academies and federally operated secondary schools to incorporate a new standardized test based on classical learning principles.
The Classical Learning Promotion Act of 2025, introduced in the House on Nov. 3, would allow West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and other service academies to accept the Classical Learning Test (CLT) along with the SAT and ACT for admission.
Federally administered schools will also be required to administer the test to 11th grade students.
“America’s service academies must represent our nation’s highest ideals – courage, integrity and intelligence. The Classic Learning Test upholds those same ideals,” Miller said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. he said. ““Requiring our military academies to accept CLT will help develop a new generation of leaders who are not only exceptionally talented but also deeply committed to the principles that make America strong.”
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Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., poses in her congressional office. He introduced the Promotion of Classical Learning Act, which aims to challenge dominant college entrance exams. (Courtesy of Representative Mary Miller)
“The College Board claims to be neutral, but it censors right-of-center materials while pressuring schools to adopt left-wing curricula,” Miller’s office said in a summary of the legislation. “CLT validates the educational choices of millions of families across the country who choose private, religious, classical and home education models.”
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Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., signs a document at her desk. (Courtesy of Representative Mary Miller)
Miller introduced the measure jointly with Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind. The bill would force both the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to implement CLT for all 11th grade students in their school systems.
According to Miller’s office, the proposal would codify War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s previous directive that U.S. service academies begin accepting CLT starting in the 2027 admissions cycle; it’s a policy the Pentagon officially announced in September 2025.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth arrives at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, for a press conference on June 22. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Created by Jeremy Tate in 2015, the CLT assesses reading, writing and numeracy skills using classical texts drawn from the Western canon. Supporters describe it as an alternative to the Common Core-aligned SAT and ACT.
More than 320 colleges and universities nationwide now accept CLT scores, and Florida and Arkansas have approved the test for use in public schools. Miller’s office says more than 120,000 students have taken the test in Florida since September 2023.
“The College Board, while unelected and unaccountable, serves as a taxpayer-funded monopoly that dictates the curriculum for schoolchildren,” Miller’s summary continues.
“This bill codifies Minister Hegseth’s directive to military academies to adopt CLT from 2027.”
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Miller’s office says the bill offers a rigorous, standards-based alternative based on logic and timeless literature to break that monopoly and expand access to “classic tests” for students in federal schools.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
