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Top California Republicans have now joined thousands of University of California professors in calling for the rapid return of standardized tests as part of the admissions application process.
The concerns stem from the fact that many UC students cannot perform basic math and English skills expected of middle and high school graduates, according to thousands of professors.
They’ve argued reinstating the SAT or ACT standardized tests would ensure students are better prepared for the rigors of university-level academics. Meanwhile, many students have been forced into remedial math classes, and humanities professors say they cannot assign long reading assignments.
While a formal review over whether to reinstate the testing requirement is underway by the UC Academic Senate, under the current timeline the earliest a change could be enacted is with the 2027 admissions cycle for the class entering university in fall 2028, the Sacramento Bee reported.
That timeline does not sit well with Republican lawmakers.
Republican state Senators Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh and Roger Niello sent a letter Aug. 20 to the chair of the UC Board of Regents, president of the UC system and chair of the system’s academic senate asking leadership to reinstate the SAT and ACT sooner rather than later.
“We understand that the process of reinstating these admission requirements will take significant effort and forethought so they can be implemented effectively and efficiently,” the two state in their letter.
“For that reason, we call upon [system leaders] to move quickly towards reinstatement without delay, and we eagerly await more information from the Regents as to how you plan to move forward in a timely manner,” they wrote.
In a statement to The College Fix, Sen. Ochoa Bogh told The Fix that “data show proficiency rates have declined since admissions testing was eliminated.”
“More than 3,000 UC faculty members have sounded the alarm and called for action. These professors are the experts on the front lines. They see these challenges firsthand and live with the consequences in the classroom every day, and we need to listen to them,” she said via email. “I believe the UC Regents need to act by the end of this year and restore consideration of the SAT and ACT for fall 2027 admissions. Waiting until 2028 risks losing another cohort of students.”
Candidate for California governor, Steve Hilton, also weighed in, announcing his support for mandatory testing in a recent letter sent in collaboration with lieutenant governor candidate Gloria Romero to UC regents.
The two called the current situation an “academic crisis.”
They also echoed themes similar to the two state senators, stating a high school diploma cannot become a substitute for proficiency. They called for the reinstatement of the SAT or ACT “as one factor in comprehensive undergraduate admissions review” revamp.
“Grade inflation cannot produce engineers. Eliminating an examination does not teach algebra. Lowering or obscuring academic expectations will not prepare young Californians to compete in the global economy,” the two wrote.
“This is not a partisan question. It is a question of academic integrity, educational equity, and California’s economic future,” they added.
Wenyuan Wu, executive director of the pro-meritocracy Californians for Equal Rights Federation, said her group supports the reinstatement of the tests.
Benefits include combating grade inflation and fraud, helping colleges select students ready for a college-level education, and saving institutions from having to offer remedial courses for students unequipped for regular classes, she said in an email to The College Fix.
Wu also said she believes that if schools select students based on their individual academic performance—something best represented by test scores—race and ethnicity would be discouraged from the admissions process, creating a more color-blind academic environment.
“Higher education in America needs structural reforms to dispel the double threats of dumbing down and indoctrination,” Wu said. “A good starting point is reinstating the tests. More needs to be done to tilt the ideological imbalances in too many academic departments and solidify the spirit of open inquiry and critical thinking.”
Standing against the reinstatement is the University of California Student Association, which represents more than 237,000 undergraduates, which has “expressed deep concern over racial and social disparities that it said standardized tests would bring into the college admissions process,” the Sacramento Bee reported.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to add a statement from Sen. Ochoa Boghs’ office.
MORE: College students can’t do middle-school math after test-blind admissions: UC Berkeley professor
