University of California Faculty Push for Reinstatement of Standardized Tests

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University of California Faculty Push for Reinstatement of Standardized Tests

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The University of California system is facing growing pressure from its faculty to reconsider its test-blind admissions policy, which eliminated the use of SAT and ACT scores for admissions decisions in 2020. Over 1,400 UC faculty members, predominantly from STEM fields, signed an open letter in May 2026 urging the UC Board of Regents to reinstate standardized testing, specifically for math scores, for undergraduate STEM applicants starting with the 2027-28 admissions cycle.

Faculty concerns stem from observations of what they describe as severe preparation gaps among incoming students. For example, a November 2025 UC San Diego report found a nearly 30-fold increase between 2020 and 2025 in first-year students whose math skills were below high school level, with 70% of those students struggling with middle school concepts. UC Berkeley math professor Zvezdelina Stankova, a vocal proponent of reinstating the tests, noted that in some calculus classes, instructors are forced to reteach basic mathematical concepts. Professors argue that without standardized tests, it is difficult to accurately assess students’ academic readiness, especially with concerns about high school grade inflation and the use of AI in application essays.

The UC system initially suspended standardized testing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a unanimous vote by regents in May 2020 to phase them out entirely by 2025. This decision was partly influenced by a lawsuit alleging that SAT and ACT scores disadvantaged students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities. While the UC Academic Senate’s Standardized Testing Task Force had recommended keeping the tests in 2020, the regents moved forward with elimination. Many other selective institutions, including Harvard, Dartmouth, and Brown, have since reinstated standardized testing requirements for their fall 2025 admissions cycles.

In response to faculty pressure, the UC-wide Academic Senate’s Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools announced in June 2026 that it would host a work group over the next year to examine whether standardized testing requirements should be reinstated. The Academic Senate can provide recommendations to the UC Board of Regents, which holds the ultimate decision-making authority. If tests are reinstated, changes would not take effect until

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