CLT Test Louisiana Homeschool: What Act 347 Changed for TOPS Eligibility

Until 2025, Louisiana homeschool families had one realistic path to TOPS scholarship eligibility: the ACT. The SAT was technically accepted, but Louisiana's college culture runs heavily ACT-oriented and LOSFA's documentation process is built around ACT scores. That changed when Act 347 (HB77) passed in the 2024 legislative session, authorizing the Classic Learning Test (CLT) alongside the ACT and SAT for TOPS qualification. BESE renewal remains governed by its separate evidence options.

This is significant for Louisiana homeschool families — not just because it adds a testing option, but because the CLT tests different content than the ACT, making it a better fit for students educated in classical or literature-heavy curricula. Here is what the change actually means, how CLT scoring maps to TOPS tiers, and how to decide whether the CLT makes strategic sense for your student.

What the CLT Tests

The Classic Learning Test is developed by Classic Learning Initiatives as an alternative to the ACT and SAT. Its content philosophy is grounded in the classical education tradition — it emphasizes reasoning, literary analysis, and engagement with primary texts rather than the kind of data-interpretation and science-passage content that dominates the current ACT.

The CLT has three sections:

Verbal Reasoning. Literary analysis of passages drawn primarily from classic literature and historical documents. Students analyze rhetoric, argument structure, and close textual meaning. The passage selection leans toward Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Tocqueville, and similar canonical works — familiar territory for students in classical curricula, Charlotte Mason programs, or literature-intensive homeschool approaches.

Grammar and Writing. Sentence correction and editing tasks that test grammar, clarity, and usage in context. The CLT's grammar section is comparable in structure to the ACT English section, though passage style differs.

Quantitative Reasoning. Mathematics through pre-calculus, broadly equivalent in scope to the ACT Math section. Topics include algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics. No calculus is tested.

The CLT scores on a scale of 120 points (40 per section). This is structurally different from the ACT's 36-point composite, which is why TOPS had to establish CLT-equivalent thresholds — you cannot directly compare a CLT 88 to an ACT 27 without a conversion table.

How CLT Scores Map to TOPS Awards

Act 347 directed LOSFA to establish CLT equivalency tables for each TOPS award tier. The current equivalencies for BESE Home Study students are:

These CLT thresholds are set by LOSFA and may be adjusted if subsequent research shows the initial concordance needs refinement. Families planning around a specific TOPS tier should verify the current equivalency tables on the LOSFA website rather than relying on any third-party source — including this post — as the sole reference point.

The TOPS Excellence Award, introduced by Act 347 simultaneously with the CLT acceptance, is worth noting. It provides tuition at Louisiana public institutions plus a $1,300 per semester stipend for books and expenses. To reach TOPS Excellence via the CLT, a student needs a 101 — a score requiring strong performance across all three sections, but achievable for well-prepared students in classical curricula.

How Act 359 Interacts with CLT Acceptance

Act 347 added CLT acceptance. Act 359 (HB378), passed in the same legislative cycle, removed the longstanding ACT score penalty that home study students faced when applying for TOPS.

Before Act 359, BESE Home Study students were required to score higher than public school students to receive the same TOPS tier. For example, a public school student needed ACT 20 for TOPS Opportunity, but a home study student needed ACT 22. That two-point penalty applied across all tiers.

Act 359 eliminated this disparity. BESE Home Study students now qualify for TOPS at the same standard ACT thresholds as public school students. The table above reflects the current ACT thresholds and LOSFA's current CLT equivalents.

Act 359 applies to the 2025/2026 graduating-class transition. Act 347 is the separate TOPS update that authorized CLT and the Excellence Award. Any forum post, CHEF orientation guide, or blog article from before mid-2024 that cites home study TOPS score requirements may contain obsolete thresholds.

CLT Registration and TOPS Documentation

To have scores counted for TOPS purposes, follow the current LOSFA and test-provider instructions. For the ACT, use ACT code 1595 on the ACT registration form and Home Study High School Code 969999 in the ACT school-code field. The 969999 code is not a transcript-submission code. Follow the current CLT registration and score-reporting instructions for CLT scores rather than assuming the ACT school-code field applies.

CLT scores are reported to LOSFA directly by Classic Learning Initiatives when families list LOSFA as a score recipient during registration. The process is analogous to requesting ACT scores be sent to the scholarship office.

LOSFA's home-study guidance gives July 1 following the one-year anniversary of high-school graduation as the TOPS application deadline; required documentation, including test scores and BESE enrollment records, is due by January 15 following that anniversary. Students who take the CLT in the fall of senior year should confirm their scores are received in time for the applicable deadlines.

How CLT Relates to BESE Renewal

Act 347's CLT update concerns TOPS qualification. Do not treat a CLT score as an automatic substitute for BESE renewal evidence. BESE renewal has three separate options: nationally normed standardized test scores, a statement from a certified teacher, or a packet of materials/portfolio. Follow the current LDOE guidance for the testing option.

The CLT can therefore serve the TOPS testing requirement, while the family separately selects and documents its BESE renewal option.

For elementary and middle school students, use the current LDOE guidance for the nationally normed testing option, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Stanford Achievement Test, or California Achievement Test.

CLT vs ACT: How to Decide

The choice between CLT and ACT is primarily a question of curriculum fit and testing strategy — not which test is universally easier or harder. Students who test better on one exam do not automatically test better on the other.

CLT may be the stronger choice if:

• Your student is in a classical, Charlotte Mason, or literature-intensive program and has read extensively from canonical texts. The CLT Verbal Reasoning section draws on exactly this material.
• Your curriculum is light on ACT-style science passages and data interpretation. The ACT Science section has no CLT equivalent, removing one source of ACT-specific test prep pressure.
• Your student demonstrates strong analytical reasoning in reading and writing but finds the ACT's standardized passage style less engaging.
• You want to explore a test where your student has a genuine comparative advantage from their educational background.

ACT may be the stronger choice if:

• Your student has taken standardized tests throughout their academic career and is familiar with ACT format, timing, and question style.
• Your high school curriculum includes strong math preparation aligned with ACT math content (pre-calculus breadth is similar, but question framing differs).
• You want maximum flexibility — the ACT is accepted at every US college and university, while CLT acceptance in college admissions is growing but not universal. For college applications beyond Louisiana public universities, the ACT remains the broader standard.
• Your student's target college or university lists ACT as preferred or required and does not yet accept the CLT.

Some families prepare for both and take both exams. Submitting whichever score is stronger is a legitimate strategy. Both are accepted by LOSFA, and many colleges now accept the CLT alongside the ACT.

What the CLT Looks Like Logistically

The CLT is offered through testing sites, online with remote proctoring, and at select home study cooperatives. It is available in full (all three sections) and in shorter CLT10 versions (a less comprehensive version intended for younger students in grades 3–10). For TOPS purposes, the full CLT is the relevant exam; BESE renewal follows its separate evidence options.

Test registration happens through the Classic Learning Test website. There is no state-administered registration process in Louisiana — families register directly with CLT and select a testing location or remote proctoring option, following the current score-reporting instructions.

CLT test dates run throughout the year, with multiple administrations available. This scheduling flexibility is a practical advantage over the ACT's fixed national test dates, particularly for families who want to time test preparation around their academic calendar rather than around ACT's schedule.

TOPS Planning Checklist for CLT Users

If your student is using the CLT for TOPS eligibility, the documentation requirements are the same as for ACT-based TOPS, with CLT scores substituted:

• Register for the ACT using code 1595 and enter Home Study High School Code 969999 in the ACT school-code field when taking the ACT; follow current CLT instructions for CLT registration
• Request score reporting to LOSFA during CLT registration
• Maintain BESE approval records for both 11th and 12th grade, unless a documented LOSFA exception applies
• Submit the TOPS application by July 1 following the one-year anniversary of high-school graduation, and required documentation by January 15 following that anniversary
• Confirm CLT concordance thresholds for your target TOPS tier on the LOSFA website before finalizing your testing plan

If you are tracking TOPS eligibility requirements, CLT score targets, and BESE documentation for a high school student, the Louisiana Portfolio & Assessment Templates includes a TOPS tracker updated for Act 347 and Act 359 requirements, plus the full BESE renewal documentation system for both portfolio and testing pathways.

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