SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 19 (Our California Times) — The University of California is again debating whether standardized test scores should be part of undergraduate admissions. For California families, the practical question is simple: if UC brings back a testing rule, students could once again need to decide whether to take the SAT, ACT or another exam before applying.
Nothing has changed yet. The decision is still moving through UC’s shared-governance process, which means faculty review comes first and the UC Board of Regents would have the final say. UC has said that if testing is restored, the earliest it could affect applications would be the fall 2028 cycle.
What is UC reviewing?
UC officials have set up two faculty-led work groups. One is looking at whether the university should require SAT, ACT or Smarter Balanced scores in admissions. Smarter Balanced is the state test California public school students take in English language arts and math.
The second work group is examining UC’s high school course requirements, often called the A-G requirements. Those are the classes students must complete to be eligible for UC admission.
The review matters because UC admissions is not decided by test scores alone. Former UC President Janet Napolitano has said a standardized test score “shouldn’t be a sole factor” in deciding access to the system, while a new review could determine that it should be “a factor.”
Who makes the decision?
UC operates under shared governance, which gives faculty an official role in academic policy. The Academic Senate, UC’s faculty governing body, is reviewing the question first. Regents then have to approve any policy change.
Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu 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.”
At the July Regents meeting, Regents Chair Maria Anguiano said, “We anticipate a recommendation from the Academic Senate no later than the end of this academic year.” UC has identified that as around June 2027.
That timeline was shortened from an earlier target that had pointed to fall 2027.
Why is the SAT/ACT debate back?
UC eliminated SAT and ACT requirements in a unanimous 2020 Regents vote. At the time, the system was trying to move away from a policy that many critics said gave too much weight to a single test.
The policy change also became part of litigation. Later coverage says UC agreed in a settlement not to consider SAT or ACT scores in admissions through spring 2025.
This year’s review was pushed forward after faculty pressure. More than 1,400 STEM faculty signed one open letter, and another set of open letters collected more than 3,000 faculty signatures urging UC to rethink standardized testing.
Supporters of bringing tests back argue that scores can add another measure of academic preparation, especially in math and writing. UC’s current review is also tied to questions about how well high school grades alone reflect college readiness.
Why do opponents object?
The UC Student Association has publicly opposed restoring standardized testing. In its letter, the student group said bringing tests back would not improve student preparedness.
Critics of standardized testing also argue that test access is uneven because some students can afford private tutoring or repeated test attempts while others cannot. That concern helped drive the earlier move away from required testing.
What happens next?
For now, the most important point for families is that there is no new rule yet.
The Academic Senate must finish its review before Regents can vote. UC’s latest timeline points to a recommendation by the end of the 2026-27 academic year, with any possible rollout no earlier than fall 2028.
The review could still end in several ways: UC could keep test scores out of admissions, bring back SAT or ACT scores, or choose some other testing option. UC has not said which path it would prefer.
Until Regents act, California students applying to UC should treat the debate as unresolved rather than assume tests are coming back or staying out for good.
