New York Times calls University of California's 'test-blind' admissions policy a 'terrible' mistake

UC Regents to Reconsider Test-Blind Admissions as Evidence of Student Preparedness Grows

The University of California Board of Regents is preparing to revisit a controversial admissions policy that has barred the use of standardized test scores for six years, responding to a mounting chorus of faculty criticism and data suggesting that incoming students are less academically prepared than a decade ago.

The regents are scheduled to meet on July 14 to discuss whether to reinstate SAT or ACT scores as part of the undergraduate admissions process. The agenda item comes after a New York Times editorial urged the board to reverse its 2020 decision, calling the test‑blind approach a “terrible” mistake that has produced “terrible” results.

The policy change stems from a yearslong debate over how best to measure college readiness. In 2019, UC convened an 18‑member Standardized Testing Task Force made up of professors from all 10 campuses. About a year later, the committee published a 225‑page report concluding that standardized test scores are useful predictors of success in college, including undergraduate grade point average, student retention, and degree completion.

“The STTF found that standardized test scores aid in predicting important aspects of student success, including undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), retention, and completion,” the report stated.

Despite those findings, the Board of Regents voted in 2020 to adopt a test‑blind admissions system, refusing to consider SAT or ACT scores even when submitted. The decision was made amid the COVID‑19 pandemic, which forced the cancellation of many test dates and heightened concerns about equal access.

Since then, data from UC San Diego has highlighted a stark shift in student preparedness. Last fall, nearly 12 percent of first‑year students at UC San Diego were deemed unqualified to enroll in pre‑calculus, a baseline math course, up from just 0.5 percent in 2020, according to a faculty report cited by the Times. The newspaper’s editorial board argued that the decline in preparedness at UC exceeds the broader regression seen across other institutions.

Faculty members across the system have grown increasingly vocal. More than 2,300 STEM professors have signed a letter calling for the return of standardized testing, while more than 900 humanities faculty members have endorsed a similar plea. The STEM letter warned that obscuring preparation gaps harms both students and the university.

“Obscuring preparation gaps harms both students individually and the University collectively. It offers the appearance of access while undermining the chance of success,” the STEM faculty wrote.

The UC Academic Senate, the governing body of the faculty, has acknowledged the concerns and launched a comprehensive review of admissions criteria. Ahmet Palazoglu, chair of the Academic Senate, said the review goes beyond previous efforts.

“Academic preparedness and student success are significant priorities at the University of California. That’s why the UC faculty Academic Senate is engaged in a comprehensive, data‑driven review of how to best assess college readiness and support student success at UC,” Palazoglu said. He noted that the review, led by the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, will consider a range of factors, including the role of standardized tests.

Former UC President Janet Napolitano, who backed the test‑blind policy in 2020, has since shifted her position. She described the policy as “a worthwhile experiment,” but added that the evidence makes it “increasingly clear that the experiment needs to be revisited.”

The debate over standardized testing is not unique to California. Many elite universities that suspended test requirements during the pandemic have since reinstated them. Harvard, Brown, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Caltech, Georgia Tech, and Purdue now require applicants to submit scores. The Naval Academy and West Point also maintain test requirements. Brown President Christina Paxson has argued that standardized scores are more reliable predictors of academic performance than high school grades, though she acknowledges lingering concerns about test fairness.

“Standardized test scores were better predictors of academic performance than high school grades,” Paxson wrote in a 2023 letter to the Brown community.

The upcoming regents meeting is poised to weigh these perspectives. The Times editorial called on the board to act decisively.

“When they next meet, on July 14, they should have the courage to admit they made a mistake six years ago and reverse it,” the editorial said.

Proponents of reversing the policy argue that reinstating standardized tests would provide a consistent metric to identify students who may need additional support and to ensure that admissions decisions reflect true academic readiness. Critics, however, caution that standardized tests have historically advantaged wealthier students and may not capture the full range of a candidate’s abilities.

As the regents prepare to deliberate, the broader higher education community will be watching to see whether California, the nation’s largest public university system, will restore standardized testing or continue to rely on a test‑blind model that has drawn increasing scrutiny.