By Lucy Spence
Hundreds of University of California (UC) faculty signed an open letter Tuesday demanding a return to mandatory mathematical standardized testing in college admissions.
The letter, now signed by over 550 STEM professors from various UC campuses, alerted the university president, Board of Regents and academic Senate of students’ failing performances in mathematical subjects, warning of “preparation gaps so severe that instructors must re-teach middle school mathematics.”
UC removed its mandatory standardized testing admission requirements in 2020, joining over a thousand other universities that implemented similar policies in the wake of COVID-19 school disruptions. UC currently evaluates student applications based on GPA and “subject” requirements, as well as a student essay.
The UC admissions website notes that math requirements may be completed by coursework from “7th and/or 8th grade.”
The faculty called the test-optional policy a “permanent vulnerability” in a world of “severe grade inflation and AI-assisted application essays.” (RELATED: Harvard Faculty Approve Grade Cap As University Faces Soaring Grade Inflation)
The faculty letter demanded the “reinstatement of the SAT/ACT mathematics requirement for applicants to STEM majors beginning with the 2027 admissions cycle,” warning that UC’s mission as an “engine of social mobility” is “at risk.”
The letter observed rapidly declining levels of student preparation for college math coursework, citing a UC-San Diego study from November 2025. In 5 years, the number of students with math skills below a high school level increased “nearly thirtyfold.” Nearly 70 percent of those students had math skills below a middle school level.
UC Berkeley found that nearly one-third of first-semester calculus students showed “severe preparation deficits” in diagnostic testing from 2021 to 2023.
Additionally, university faculty complained of the strain imposed on their classes by students’ diminishing capabilities. The letter noted that students take longer to complete required coursework and are less prepared for advanced classes. Moreover, professors face mounting pressure to reduce the level of academic rigor.
“Recent research shows standardized tests (SAT/ACT) are often more reliable than high school grades for predicting college performance. Widespread grade inflation has made A-averages commonplace, but test scores provide a standardized baseline that helps colleges identify students most likely to succeed,” notes an expert on educational testing.
Of the top 46 universities, excluding the UC colleges, the signatories noted that over one-third required standardized testing, including “all other leading STEM universities, including UC’s primary peers.”
A 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings placed UC Berkeley and UCLA as the top 2 public universities in the nation. All 9 undergraduate UC campuses ranked in the top 45 universities. The same ranking placed UC Berkeley as the fourth-best computer science school.
The letter also took a hit at the common equity complaint used against standardized testing, as a 2023 article by the National Education Association asserts: “Most of us know that standardized tests are inaccurate, inequitable, and often ineffective at gauging what students actually know.” (RELATED: Less Than Half Of Americans Favor DEI Initiatives On College Campuses, Poll Finds)
The UC faculty responded to this claim, saying, “SAT/ACT mathematics requirement is not an obstacle to equity; rather it is a prerequisite for it. Failing to measure preparation gaps does not remove barriers; it moves them into the classroom, where they become harder to overcome.” (Standardized tests are not racist: they do not underpredict the performance of black and brown students).
The letter concluded by demanding the university give faculty oversight in determining “readiness standards” and “admissions policies.” Faculty also insisted that the university hold itself accountable by regularly testing and revising admissions standards.
The UC Office of the President and Board of Regents did not respond immediately to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.
