CLT, CLT10 and CLT3–8: Which Test Is Which

CLT makes several exams, and the college entrance CLT can be taken three ways. Here is how to tell them apart.

Updated October 2, 2026

When people say "the CLT" they usually mean the college entrance exam for students in grades 11 and 12. That is the test colleges accept in place of the SAT or ACT, and it is the test this course prepares you for. CLT10 and CLT3–8 are different exams for younger students.

The three exams

Exam	Who takes it	What it is for
CLT	Grades 11 and 12	College admission and scholarships. Three sections, 120 questions, scored 0–120.
CLT10	Grades 9 and 10	A separate exam with its own specifications. Not covered in this course.
CLT3–8	Grades 3 through 8	A separate set of exams for younger students. Not covered in this course.

If you are registering yourself, check that the date you pick is for the CLT and not the CLT10. The two share a website and many of the same instructions.

Three ways to take the CLT

The questions and the section clocks are the same however you test: Verbal Reasoning 40 minutes, Grammar/Writing 35 minutes and Quantitative Reasoning 45 minutes, with 40 questions in each. What changes is the setting.

	Remote, at home	In school, online	In school, on paper
Who registers you	You, through your CLT account	Your school	Your school
Proctoring	Recorded video, audio and screen; no live proctor	A proctor in the room	A proctor in the room
Break	Optional one-minute stretches between sections	Ten minutes after Grammar/Writing	Ten minutes after Grammar/Writing at standard timing; confirm with your school
Optional essay	Not offered	May be offered; 30 minutes	Not part of the paper manual we checked
Going back to a finished section	Not allowed	Not allowed	Not allowed
Scores	Third Wednesday after the test	The next Wednesday, or the next Friday for a Saturday test	About 30 days after answer documents arrive

The optional essay

The essay is a 30-minute typed response to one prompt. It is offered only to students testing online at a school, and only if the school chooses to give it. CLT does not score it and it does not change your 0–120 total. You decide whether to send its text to colleges.

The scored Grammar/Writing section is not an essay. It is 40 multiple-choice editing questions.

CLT essay practice Grammar/Writing section

Extended time

Students approved for extended time get longer section clocks. Apply through CLT at least four weeks before the test; a school accommodation plan does not carry over on its own.

Approval	Verbal	Grammar/Writing	Quantitative	Total working time
Standard	40 min	35 min	45 min	120 min
Time and a quarter (+25%)	50 min	44 min	57 min	151 min
Time and a half (+50%)	60 min	53 min	68 min	181 min
Double time (+100%)	80 min	70 min	90 min	240 min

Details that differ between official pages

CLT’s own pages do not always agree with each other, because some are older than others. These cases matter:

The score scale. An older scoring FAQ gives a lowest score of 1. The 2026 Technical Report gives 0–40 for each section and 0–120 for the total. This course uses the newer report.
Score release dates. The general rule for remote tests is the third Wednesday, but the December 8, 2026 remote date releases on a Tuesday. Use the date listed for your sitting.
Tablets. One CLT page lists tablets as usable for remote testing, while the detailed remote instructions say they cannot be used. Plan on a laptop or desktop.

Full CLT exam guide Test dates

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The CLT is the college entrance exam for grades 11 and 12. The CLT10 is a separate exam for grades 9 and 10.

The sections, question counts and section clocks are the same. The remote test has recorded proctoring, no essay and no ten-minute break.

Only as an option for students testing online at a school. It is 30 minutes, unscored by CLT, and not part of the 0–120 total.