California Debates Reinstatement of Standardized College Admissions Tests

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California Debates Reinstatement of Standardized College Admissions Tests

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The University of California system is currently embroiled in a debate over whether to reinstate standardized tests like the SAT and ACT for undergraduate admissions. The UC Regents voted in May 2020 to eliminate these requirements, driven by concerns that the tests were biased against low-income and minority students and did not accurately predict college success. This decision made the UC system “test-blind,” meaning SAT or ACT scores are not considered for admissions or scholarships.

However, this policy is now under review, with a UC Academic Senate committee formally considering the reintroduction of standardized exams. This comes after more than 1,400 UC faculty members, including UC Berkeley mathematics professor Svetlana Jitomirskaya, signed an open letter calling for the reinstatement of these tests, especially for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. These faculty members assert that they are observing “preparation gaps so severe that instructors must reteach middle-school mathematics.” A Fall 2025 report from UC San Diego also indicated a significant increase in first-year students with math skills below high school level.

Proponents of reinstating the SAT argue that, despite imperfections, the test measures basic knowledge and reasoning skills, and that grade inflation has diminished the utility of GPAs as a sole predictor of college success. They suggest that standardized tests provide valuable additional predictive information. Conversely, opponents of standardized tests maintain that they are biased and that high school GPA is a stronger predictor of first-year success, particularly when socioeconomic factors are controlled. Some studies have indicated that test-optional policies can lead to a more diverse applicant pool, though not always a more diverse enrolled student body, as other financial and structural barriers may persist.

The earliest any changes to the UC’s testing policy could take effect is the Fall 2028 admission cycle.

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