SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 19 (Our California Times) — The University of California is again weighing whether SAT or ACT scores should be part of undergraduate admissions, a move that could change how California students plan for college. No new testing rule has been adopted yet. UC says the issue is still moving through its shared-governance process, which means faculty review comes first and the Board of Regents makes the final decision.
What UC is reviewing
Two faculty-led work groups are now looking at admissions issues. One is examining whether UC should require the SAT, the ACT, or California’s Smarter Balanced test. The other is reviewing high school course requirements for UC admission.
Ahmet Palazoglu, chair of the UC Academic Senate, said in a UC Office of the President statement, “The Academic Senate is not rescinding its commitment to a comprehensive review of standardized testing in admissions.”
Why the debate is back
The renewed push follows faculty concerns about whether some students are arriving at UC ready for college-level math and writing. More than 1,400 STEM faculty signed one open letter, and another set of faculty letters drew more than 3,000 signatures urging UC to reconsider standardized testing. The UC Student Association has opposed restoring the tests, saying it would not improve student preparedness.
What changed before
UC Regents voted unanimously in 2020 to eliminate SAT and ACT requirements for undergraduate admissions. A later legal settlement limited how UC could use test scores, with UC agreeing not to consider SAT or ACT scores in admissions through spring 2025. The tests could still be used for some placement and scholarship decisions.
How UC makes the decision
Under UC’s process, faculty review the question first and the Regents act after that. Regents chair Maria Anguiano said at the July meeting, “We anticipate a recommendation from the Academic Senate no later than the end of this academic year.” UC has said that if testing is brought back, the earliest it could take effect would be the fall 2028 application cycle.
What this could mean for students and families
If UC restores a testing rule, students applying from California high schools would need to think about test preparation again as part of their college plans. But UC has not said which exam, if any, it would choose, and it has not said whether any new requirement would apply to all applicants or only certain groups.
For now, the biggest effect is uncertainty. Families, counselors, and students are waiting to see whether UC keeps admissions test-free or brings back some form of testing.
