Over 1,000 math and science professors within the University of California are advocating for the SAT and ACT’s reinstatement for STEM applicants. A recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece by UC Berkeley math professors raised concerns about a preparation gap among students. This issue arose after the University of California system suspended standardized tests in 2020, resulting in underprepared students that strain resources and affect academic objectives.

The New York Times Editorial Board is pressing the UC system to reconsider its decision. In an editorial, they labeled the elimination of standardized tests a significant error, stating it leaves students less prepared for college coursework. The editorial surfaced ahead of a decision by the UC Board of Regents to possibly revisit this policy.

In 2019, the UC system formed the Standardized Testing Task Force (STTF), a team of 18 professors from all ten campuses, to examine the role of standardized tests in admissions. The group presented a 225-page report a year later, highlighting the predictive value of standardized test scores concerning student success, including factors like undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), retention, and completion rates.

“The STTF found that standardized test scores help predict important aspects of student success,” noted the report.

Despite these findings, the UC system voted in 2020 to adopt a “test blind” approach, ceasing to consider test scores altogether. This decision coincided with the global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to The New York Times Editorial Board, the “test-blind” approach has yielded poor results. They referred to a UC San Diego faculty group’s report of a decrease in academic preparation among students; nearly 12 percent of first-year undergraduates were unqualified for pre-calculus, a substantial increase from 0.5 percent in 2020.

The Times also mentioned broader educational challenges, such as artificial intelligence, school closures due to COVID-19, and smartphone distractions. However, they argued that the UC system’s test-blind policy played a significant role in declining student preparedness.

In response to these issues, UC faculty members are pushing for the reinstatement of standardized testing. In two letters to the university, over 2,300 STEM faculty and 900 humanities faculty members urged a reversal of the test-blind policy. The STEM faculty stressed the harm caused by ignoring preparation gaps, portraying an illusion of access while reducing the chances of student success.

“Obscuring preparation gaps harms both students individually and the University collectively,” said the STEM faculty letter.

Despite the advocacy, the UC system has not changed its testing policy. Instead, a new committee is evaluating the potential pros and cons of reintroducing the tests.

The Times Editorial Board highlighted that Janet Napolitano, the university president in 2020, supported reinstating test scores. She viewed the test-blind approach as a necessary experiment but noted that recent results suggest revisiting the decision.

Though many institutions removed mandatory test scores during the pandemic, some have reinstated them. Schools like Harvard, Brown, Georgia Tech, and others now require scores, while others remain test-optional. Even the Naval Academy and West Point demand test scores.

Brown University President Christina Paxson supported standardized test scores, highlighting their predictive value over high school grades. She acknowledged concerns about the tests but emphasized the need for empirical assessment of their benefits versus drawbacks.

The New York Times Editorial Board concluded with a call to the UC system’s regents to admit their mistake from six years prior and rectify it during their upcoming meeting.