Faculty Coalition Breaks Ranks on Test-Blind Admissions
Following the University of California system’s abandonment of the SAT and ACT, the Board of Regents is facing a renewed push to bring them back. A growing contingent of faculty members is challenging the current “test-blind” policy, arguing that the absence of standardized metrics is leaving incoming students ill-equipped for the rigors of university coursework.
The Case for Standardized Metrics
An open letter signed by more than 3,000 UC faculty suggests the university’s current admissions process is failing to account for a widening gap in academic preparedness. Proponents of reinstatement argue that standardized scores offer an objective data point to cut through the noise of inflated grades and AI cheating.
The faculty letter warns that the university system has finite resources to address these deficits. Without test scores, professors say they are increasingly forced to teach basics that students should have mastered long before stepping onto a UC campus.
Socioeconomic Barriers and the Predictor Debate
Critics of the reinstatement movement argue that the SAT and ACT are fundamentally flawed tools for a diverse, public university. Saul Geiser, a UC Berkeley researcher, has characterized the SAT as “antithetical” to the mission of the UC system.
Opponents point to the strong correlation between test scores, family income, and parental education levels. They maintain that reintroducing these requirements would disproportionately disadvantage first-generation students and underrepresented groups. While some researchers have proposed a UC-designed assessment to measure resilience and persistence, those efforts were killed off by the pandemic and costs.
Managing Academic Rigor Through Support
As the system balances its status as a premier research institution with its mandate to serve the California public, the volume of applications continues to climb. Berkeley received a record 133,000 first-year applications in 2026.
Some departments are opting for internal solutions rather than policy shifts. Björn Birnir, chair of the Mathematics department at UC Santa Barbara, pointed to existing support structures like summer programs and community college coursework. “Just shutting the door is not really the best solution. We think the best way is to have a path for these students to make up deficiencies,” Birnir said.
The Path Forward for the Board of Regents
The current test-blind policy stems from a 2020 vote by the Board of Regents, which followed a report from a 19-person task force. While that group acknowledged that tests were useful predictors of college success, it suggested that California create its own alternative test.
The system remains officially test-blind, but the pressure is mounting. Any reversal of this policy would require a formal vote by the Board of Regents, forcing them to reconcile faculty anxieties regarding student preparedness with the university’s long-standing commitment to broad access and diversity.