In a series of open letters signed by hundreds of faculty members, UC professors are strongly advocating the reinstatement of the SAT and other standardized testing. Over 1,500 STEM faculty have signed, along with over 400 from the social sciences and humanities. Seven of nine Math Department chairs are signees, in addition to 53 other department chairs.
Why the push for standardized testing? The Wall Street Journal reports that professors are citing "severe preparation deficits" which make it impossible to teach some classes. A significant number of freshmen show math proficiency below high school-level, and some even below middle school-level. A recent report from UC San Diego stated that 8.5% of freshmen in 2025 required elementary- and middle-school remediation math, compared with 0.5% in 2020.
A number of factors are making it harder and harder to evaluate applicants, including grade inflation, uneven teaching objectives, and hidden bias. Many argue that a baseline standard must be established in order to better compare applicants against one another and establish college readiness.
The University of California system removed standardized testing based on the idea that testing enhances socioeconomic differences, so it remains to be seen just how amenable they might be, even with this kind of internal pressure. More and more schools are returning to standardized testing, however, so it may be a matter of time before a change takes place.