Faculty argue standardized tests weed out students who aren’t prepared for coursework, while opponents believe the scores don’t paint the whole picture of how students would fare at UC.
Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | yenwen/iStock/Getty Images | Mario Tama/Getty Images
Following an open letter that garnered over 3,000 faculty signatures, a New York Times editorial and nationwide discourse on the value of standardized tests, the University of California has expedited the timeline to determine whether the system should reinstate test requirements in admissions.
At a UC Board of Regents meeting Tuesday, Chair Maria Anguiano said she expects the Academic Senate to submit recommendations no later than the end of the upcoming academic year, by June 2027. The board, which wields the final authority, can then vote on whether to require applicants to submit standardized-test scores.
The board originally intended for the Academic Senate to provide recommendations in fall 2027, with any modifications to the admissions policies to be implemented for students applying in fall 2028. But on Monday, the Academic Senate chair said the group was “revising its timeline while ensuring the forthcoming review is thorough, evidence-based and informed by faculty expertise.”
