Over 1,000 math and science professors from the University of California (UC) are advocating for the reintroduction of SAT and ACT scores for STEM applicants. A Wall Street Journal opinion piece by UC Berkeley math professors has highlighted a significant preparation gap among students. This issue surfaced after the UC system stopped requiring standardized tests in 2020, leading to underprepared students who drained resources and compromised academic goals.
More than six years after the UC system’s Board of Regents ceased using standardized test scores in undergraduate admissions, The New York Times Editorial Board is urging them to reconsider. In a recent editorial, the board labeled the decision as a “terrible” mistake that left students less equipped for college-level work. This editorial appears as the UC Board of Regents plans to discuss the policy again.
In 2019, the UC system assembled the Standardized Testing Task Force (STTF), an 18-member committee of professors from all ten campuses. They were tasked with analyzing the role of standardized testing in undergraduate admissions. The committee released a 225-page report with its findings and suggestions.
The STTF found that standardized test scores aid in predicting important aspects of student success, including undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), retention, and completion.
Despite this conclusion, the UC system voted in 2020 to discontinue using test scores, choosing a “test blind” approach. This meant UC schools would not consider test scores, even if students submitted them. The decision came during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The New York Times Editorial Board criticized the “test-blind” approach, noting a decline in students’ academic preparation. They reported that nearly 12% of first-year UC San Diego students were not ready for pre-calculus, a significant increase from 0.5% in 2020.
The Times acknowledged broader educational challenges like artificial intelligence and smartphone distractions but claimed that the lack of preparedness at UC was significantly worse, emphasizing the importance of the test-blind policy’s impact.
The UC faculty is urging the system to reinstate standardized testing, arguing that the current policy has left students unprepared. In response to Fox News Digital, UC’s Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu stated that academic preparedness and student success are top priorities. The Academic Senate is conducting a comprehensive review to determine the best ways to assess college readiness.
Faculty members of UC have sent letters advocating for reinstating testing requirements. Over 2,300 STEM faculty and more than 900 humanities faculty members signed letters opposing the test-blind policy. They argue it covers up preparation gaps, offering the illusion of access but hindering success.
Obscuring preparation gaps harms both students individually and the University collectively. It offers the appearance of access while undermining the chance of success.
Despite these calls from professors, the UC system has yet to change its stance on the test policy. Instead, they plan to form a new committee to review the pros and cons of reinstating the tests. The Times Editorial Board highlighted that Janet Napolitano, UC president in 2020, supported test scores’ return. She considered the test-blind policy a “worthwhile experiment” but recognized its shortcomings.
The editorial pointed out that many universities dropped test score requirements during the pandemic, though some have since reinstated them, either as mandatory or optional. These universities include prestigious schools such as Harvard, Brown, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and the California Institute of Technology.
The university’s trustees, known as the regents, have the final word. When they next meet, on July 14, they should have the courage to admit they made a mistake six years ago and reverse it.
Rachel Wolf provides coverage as a media and culture reporter for Fox News Digital.
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