Why It Matters
California’s University of California system is reconsidering one of the most consequential admissions policy shifts in its recent history — the elimination of SAT and ACT requirements — after data revealed a dramatic rise in math deficiencies among incoming students. The review has implications for admissions standards at one of the nation’s largest public university systems, serving hundreds of thousands of undergraduates across nine campuses.
What Happened
The University of California announced Thursday it is launching a comprehensive review of its standardized testing policy, responding to mounting pressure from faculty who say the current test-blind admissions approach has contributed to a measurable decline in student math preparedness.
More than 1,400 faculty members signed an open letter calling for the reinstatement of SAT and ACT mathematics requirements. Notably, seven of UC’s nine mathematics department chairs added their names to the petition — a signal of broad concern among the system’s most senior math educators.
UC suspended standardized testing requirements in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and later formalized a permanent test-blind policy following a legal settlement. Under that policy, SAT and ACT scores cannot be considered in admissions decisions. The UC Board of Regents, which holds final authority over admissions policy, has now directed the Academic Senate to conduct a faculty-led, data-driven review.
UC President James B. Milliken said the issue ranks among the system’s highest priorities. “There are few things more important on our agenda,” he said.
By the Numbers
The data driving faculty concern comes largely from a UC San Diego working group report on admissions, which tracked math readiness trends over a five-year window. The findings show a sharp deterioration in incoming student preparation:
- In 2020, roughly 1 in 200 entering students arrived with math skills below high school level.
- Over the following five years, that share climbed to nearly 1 in 8 students.
- Of those underprepared students, 70% tested below middle school proficiency — representing approximately 1 in 12 members of an entering cohort.
- More than 1,400 faculty signed the open letter, including seven of nine UC math department chairs.
- If the Academic Senate recommends reinstating testing requirements, the earliest those requirements could take effect is the fall 2028 admissions cycle.
Zoom Out
UC’s experience mirrors a broader national debate over standardized testing in higher education. Dozens of universities went test-optional or test-blind during the pandemic, and many retained those policies afterward. However, a growing number of institutions — including MIT and Yale — have reversed course in recent years, citing evidence that test scores remain useful predictors of academic readiness, particularly in math-intensive fields.
The tension in California is especially pronounced. The state’s public university systems serve large numbers of first-generation and lower-income students, and supporters of the test-blind policy have argued that standardized tests disadvantage applicants from under-resourced high schools. Opponents counter that eliminating the tests removes a consistent benchmark that helps identify students who may need additional academic support before they arrive on campus.
Karajean Hyde, one of the voices supporting a return to standardized testing, argued that such tests provide a stable reference point. “Standardized testing can play an important role in ensuring one level of measuring where that bar is so that the bar doesn’t move,” Hyde said.
The debate also intersects with ongoing discussions about California’s public education leadership, where accountability and academic standards have become prominent issues heading into state elections.
What’s Next
The UC Academic Senate will lead the review, examining data on student preparation, admissions outcomes, and whether standardized testing should be restored as a requirement. The UC Board of Regents and President Milliken are expected to receive an initial update on the review’s findings in July.
Any formal recommendation to reinstate testing requirements would then go to the Board of Regents for a final decision. Given the timeline for curriculum and admissions planning, fall 2028 represents the earliest practical window for implementing a reinstated testing requirement — meaning students currently in middle school would be among the first affected by any policy change.