The University of California Board of Regents announced on August 11, 2026, a comprehensive review to consider reinstating mandatory SAT/ACT testing in undergraduate admissions [1, 2]. The move responds to an open letter signed by about 1,400 UC faculty members warning that many first-year students arrive with math skills below middle school level, requiring remediation of middle school content [1, 2]. The letter stated, "We now observe preparation gaps so severe that instructors must re-teach middle school mathematics while simultaneously teaching the material students need for sciences, engineering, economics and other quantitatively demanding fields" [2].
UC President James B. Milliken said, "The Board of Regents and University leadership take very seriously the critical issue of college preparedness, and the UC Academic Senate has proposed a comprehensive, data-driven review to support its recommendations to strengthen student readiness and success at UC. There are few things more important on our agenda" [2]. The UC Academic Senate is leading this review focusing on admissions policies and student readiness [1, 2].
A report by a UC San Diego Senate-Administration Working Group found the share of underprepared first-year students with math skills below high school level increased sharply from about 1 in 200 in 2020 to 1 in 8 in 2025 [1, 2]. Among these underprepared students, about 70% perform at levels below middle school math, representing roughly 1 in 12 of all incoming students [1, 2]. Faculty also voiced concern that high school grade inflation and generative AI compromise the reliability of transcripts and application essays [1].
Other prestigious universities such as MIT, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, and University of Texas at Austin have reinstated mandatory SAT/ACT testing after the pandemic-related removal of these requirements [1].
The UC Academic Senate is expected to submit a preliminary report with recommendations to UC leadership by July 2026 [1, 2]. If reinstatement of SAT/ACT testing is recommended, it could take effect starting with the Fall 2028 admissions cycle [1].
