SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 19 (Our California Times) — The University of California is again weighing whether SAT or ACT scores should play a role in undergraduate admissions.
Nothing has changed yet. But the debate matters because UC campuses enroll tens of thousands of students across California, and any return of standardized testing would affect how high school juniors and seniors plan for college, test prep, and applications.
What is UC considering?
UC is reviewing whether to use SAT, ACT, or the Smarter Balanced test again in admissions. The review is happening through UC’s shared-governance system, which means faculty members study the issue first and the UC Board of Regents makes the final decision.
That is a major shift from 2020, when the regents voted unanimously to remove SAT and ACT requirements from undergraduate admissions.
Two faculty-led work groups are now part of the process. One is looking at standardized testing. The other is reviewing high school course requirements for UC admission.
Why is the issue back now?
The reconsideration grew out of faculty pressure. UC officials have said the system received letters from faculty who wanted another look at whether standardized tests could help show college readiness, especially in math and writing.
UC Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu said in a UC Office of the President statement that “The Academic Senate is not rescinding its commitment to a comprehensive review of standardized testing in admissions.”
The debate also reflects a larger question inside UC: whether grades, coursework, tests, and other signs of preparation should work together, instead of relying on one measure alone.
Has UC decided to bring back testing?
No. UC has only started the review.
Regents Chair Maria Anguiano, an appointed member of the Board of Regents, said at the July regents meeting that the Academic Senate should deliver a recommendation by the end of the current academic year, around June 2027.
UC has said that if a testing requirement returns, the earliest it could affect students would be the fall 2028 application cycle.
That means current high school students should not assume the policy will change before they apply, and schools do not yet have a new admissions test requirement to plan around.
What would a change mean for students and families?
If UC restores a test requirement, students would likely need to add test preparation and scheduling back into the college-planning process.
That could matter most for California families whose students are mapping out junior-year and senior-year coursework, counselor meetings, and application deadlines. It could also change how teachers and school counselors talk about readiness for UC.
For now, though, UC admissions remain test-free while the review is underway.
What is Smarter Balanced?
Smarter Balanced is California’s statewide standardized test for public school students. UC is looking at whether it should be part of the admissions discussion along with the SAT and ACT.
The fact that UC is considering more than one test matters. It shows the system is not only asking whether to bring back the SAT or ACT, but also whether there is a California-based option that could fit its admissions goals.
Why did UC stop using SAT and ACT scores in the first place?
UC Regents eliminated the test requirement in 2020.
Later, UC’s test policy was also shaped by litigation. Summaries of that settlement say UC agreed not to consider SAT or ACT scores in admissions through spring 2025. Those same summaries say test scores could still be used for some limited purposes, such as placement and scholarships.
UC also never developed the separate UC-specific test that had once been discussed as part of the transition away from SAT and ACT.
What happens next?
The Academic Senate’s review is still moving forward, and regents approval would still be needed before any policy change could take effect.
For students, the main takeaway is simple: UC is reconsidering standardized testing, but there is no new admissions rule yet. Any return of SAT or ACT scores would be a future change, not an immediate one.
