American Civics Exam coming in 2026, Classic Learning Test announces

The Classic Learning Test (CLT) will soon release its brand-new American Civics Exam in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The exam promises to “harken K-12 students to a deep, rich understanding of the founding principles and history of our democratic republic,” the testing company announced July 4.

Founded in 2015 and designed to infuse truth, goodness and beauty into standardized testing, the CLT has become a popular alternative for K-12 testing and college entrance exams.

The exam’s goal is to help students engage with the primary sources of America’s founding, CLT’s Vice President of Partnerships Soren Schwab told the Lion.

“We want to put students in front of the best of what’s been thought and said and we want to put them in front of primary source material,” Schwab said. “With America 250 coming up, it’d be a perfect opportunity for us to develop that and roll it out next year.”

CLT is partnering with prominent groups such as the Heritage Foundation, Bill of Rights Institute, PragerU and Jack Miller Center to design its exam for high school students.

Such efforts come when civics education appears to have reached an all-time low.

A recent survey found 70% of modern-day Americans would fail a basic civic knowledge test, and less than two-thirds of voters participate in presidential elections.

But Schwab argues the decline of civics goes to the heart of education – a failure of reading and comprehension.

“The crisis in civics education is actually a crisis in literacy,” Schwab told the Lion. “It’s really difficult for students to appreciate the greatness of the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution [if] they can’t comprehend it.”

By using founding texts in their American Civics Exam, CLT is encouraging students and teachers to spend more time studying these documents.

“What gets tested, gets taught. And if we can orient [students] to some of these foundational documents, we hope that will reignite the flame of civic learning,” Schwab explained.

Research has shown classically educated students display more civic engagement in their adult life.

One study found alumni of classical Christian schools were more involved in their churches and communities, more likely to volunteer their time, and generally had a more positive outlook on life.

While classical learning and exams might seem to be only for the academically gifted, Schwab explains this isn’t the case.

“I think sometimes we look at tests too much as an end-all-be-all versus ‘Here’s some gaps that I still have. Let’s read a little bit more on these documents or these skills.’”

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