UC to consider reinstating SAT, ACT tests after faculty say students are deficient in math

Key Points:

• The University of California (UC) Academic Senate’s Board of Admissions is reconsidering reinstating SAT and ACT test requirements six years after their elimination, responding to faculty concerns about significant math skill deficiencies among incoming students.
• A 2025 UC San Diego report revealed a dramatic increase in students with below high school-level math skills, prompting over 1,400 UC professors, especially in STEM fields, to call for the return of standardized testing to better assess college readiness.
• The UC Board of Regents holds the final decision on reinstating the tests, with any changes unlikely to take effect before fall 2028; meanwhile, the Academic Senate plans a year-long study involving diverse faculty and experts to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of standardized tests and current high school course requirements.
• The initial removal of test requirements in 2020 aimed to address equity concerns, but recent trends show other elite universities reinstating testing amid similar readiness issues, particularly in math, sparking debate over balancing fairness and academic preparedness.
• UC leadership emphasizes a data-driven, evidence-based review process to ensure admissions policies support student success, acknowledging ongoing challenges in college readiness and the need for policies that reflect current educational and workforce demands.