The University of California is expediting its decision on readopting standardized tests for admissions to June 2027, driven by a faculty-led push citing concerns over student academic preparedness.

University of California officials have significantly accelerated their timeline for deciding whether to reinstate standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ACT, for undergraduate admissions. The decision, now anticipated by June 2027, comes after a concerted push led by more than 2,300 faculty members across the UC system, including seven of nine UC math department chairs.

The UC Board of Regents formally expedited the review, moving up a process that was initially slated for a fall 2027 recommendation by the Academic Senate. UC Regents board chair Maria Anguiano stated the goal is to "take a fresh look at how we define and evaluate college readiness in a rapidly changing world." The university initially adopted a test-blind policy for the Fall 2021 admissions cycle, with scores not considered at all through 2025, after ending test-optional admissions in 2021, driven by concerns that the tests disadvantaged low-income students, students of color, and those with disabilities, ultimately barring all consideration of scores following a lawsuit alleging discrimination.

Proponents of reintroducing the tests, such as UC Berkeley math professor Zvezdelina Stankova, point to a "crisis of student preparedness," particularly in mathematics. Stankova noted a significant portion of freshmen arriving at UC campuses lack "simple algebra skills" requiring instructors to "stop a lecture and explain how to add fractions." Data from UC Berkeley's introductory calculus courses and a report from UC San Diego, as reported by Berkeleyside, indicate a nearly doubled number of severely unprepared students between 2021 and 2023, and a rapid growth in remedial course enrollment respectively.

Conversely, critics argue the declining preparedness is more attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant inequities rather than the test-blind policy itself. Jesse Rothstein, director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Higher Education Studies, suggests the pandemic left some students more on their own, exacerbating academic disparities. The UC Student Association (UCSA) formally opposed reinstatement, with President Aditi Hariharan warning that reintroducing SAT/ACT requirements would "revert to a system that inherently disadvantages students from low-income backgrounds, including many Black and Latino students." EdTrust-West and Just Equations also cite research suggesting grades are a stronger predictor of college success and that test performance correlates more with socioeconomic status than readiness. The impending decision will require the UC Regents to weigh these competing concerns and determine the future of admissions for one of the nation's largest public university systems.