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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: UC considers reinstating standardized testing policies
UC gained national attention in May 2020 when regents unanimously voted to suspend testing requirements and eliminate them entirely by 2025.
LOS ANGELES - The University of California's admissions board has abruptly suspended its planned study on whether to reinstate SAT and ACT requirements.
What we know:
The Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, known as BOARS, voted Friday to pull back its recently announced road map, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The plan, introduced last month, was set to convene two work groups through next year: one to study the role of standardized tests in admissions, and another to reexamine high school course requirements.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: UC considers reinstating standardized testing policies
Following the vote, the links explaining the plan were reportedly scrubbed from the UC website. UC went test-optional in 2020 and subsequently test-free.
What we don't know:
It's unclear why the plan was suddenly suspended or what specific deliberations led to the board's vote. No new timeline or replacement plan has been announced to address the issues that prompted the initial study.
Dig deeper:
Faculty members reported noticing significant "gaps" in math readiness among students entering the university system since the requirements were dropped six years ago.
The internal push reflected a broader national trend, as several other prestigious universities across the country – including Ivy League schools, Stanford, and Caltech – have recently reversed their test-optional policies and reinstated testing requirements.
The debate highlighted a deep divide over how university admissions should evaluate merit and potential. Supporters of the testing requirement argued that the exams provide a crucial benchmark, stating that tests effectively "assess preparedness."
On the other hand, critics raised strong objections to the exams, focusing heavily on "concerns about fairness and equity" for applicants from diverse backgrounds.
What's next:
The UC Board of Regents is scheduled to meet in San Francisco, where Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu is expected to address the matter during remarks on Tuesday. While the testing study is shelved, the regents are still scheduled to discuss high school course requirements during a public session on Wednesday.
The Source: This article is based on internal university developments, public statements from the UC Academic Senate, and direct interviews with members of the UC admissions board and faculty as reported by the Los Angeles Times.