The initiative

Evidence, preparation, and admissions policy

In Spring 2026, UCIFI convened a multi-campus faculty working group to examine questions surrounding the role of standardized test scores in UC undergraduate admissions. Several developments prompted this effort, including the expiration of the injunction that barred UC from considering SAT/ACT scores through 2025 and the release of a UC San Diego Academic Senate report documenting substantial academic preparedness challenges among recent incoming classes.

At the same time, faculty across the UC system were increasingly engaged in discussions about student preparation and admissions policy. In May 2026, a group of faculty in the UC Berkeley Department of Mathematics, including several UCIFI members, released an open letter highlighting declines in mathematical preparation among incoming students. The letter called for the reinstatement of an SAT/ACT mathematics requirement in admissions for STEM majors.

The letter received more than 1,000 signatures from UC faculty within its first week, including support from seven of the nine UC mathematics department chairs.

Against this backdrop, UCIFI released a policy brief examining the evidence surrounding standardized testing in undergraduate admissions. The brief reviews the context surrounding UC’s decision to abandon the testing requirement, examines arguments against the use of test scores, summarizes recent research and institutional experience, and offers policy recommendations based on evidence from both within and outside the University of California.