Last Updated On: September 30th, 2026
In 2021, a great experiment in college admissions began: the University of California decided to drop the SAT and ACT from their application requirements, making it the largest major US university system to go test-free. Now that the UCs have gone through several admissions cycles, many professors and administrators are urging them to reconsider their decision and reinstate the test requirement. The UC Academic Senate has been asked to deliver a recommendation by June 2027. While current high school seniors won’t be affected, many students applying for the 2027-28 admissions cycle might be wondering if they should start preparing for an admissions test.
LA Tutors does not have a crystal ball to declare whether the test will be required in the future, but whether or not it’s required, high school sophomores and juniors would benefit from honing their math and reading skills so they’re ready for the test and the rigors of college.
Why did the UCs go test-free?
The unanimous vote by the UC Board of Regents in 2020 to go test-free was influenced by several factors. First, the COVID pandemic made it difficult for many students to safely access a test site, leading most colleges to make the test optional for at least a year or two. Second, civil rights organizations and the Compton School District filed a lawsuit alleging that the test requirement discriminated against less advantaged students. Finally, the political climate at the time led to an increased emphasis on educational equity. Evidence shows a strong correlation between income and test scores, and high-income students can afford test preparation classes and tutoring that many lower-income students can’t access. Many believed that eliminating the testing requirement would lead to an increase in admissions for lower-income and underrepresented students without compromising the quality of the student body. While the board originally proposed that they might adopt an alternative test, a few years later they dropped that idea.
Was the decision controversial?
Many groups and individuals opposed the decision, warning that it would make it difficult to compare students from schools with different grading standards and could result in the admission of students who are unprepared for the rigors of college. Most notably, the UC’s own Standardized Testing Task Force also opposed dropping the standardized testing requirement, and many critics were dismayed when the Board seemed to dismiss their research and arguments.
Why are some faculty pushing to bring the tests back?
After dropping the test requirement, the UC System has seen a sizable increase in the number of overall applicants and a smaller increase in the percentage of admitted students from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. The overall student GPA dropped only slightly.
Many UC faculty members, however, reported a noticeable increase in the number of students who entered their classes unprepared for rigorous coursework, especially in STEM fields. In June 2026, over 2300 STEM faculty members signed an open letter urging the UCs to reinstate the admissions testing requirement, and 900 social science and humanities faculty signed a similar letter. The STEM professors argued that admitting students who are unprepared does a disservice to both the school and the students themselves: “The 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.” The social science and humanities professors used similar arguments and also noted that standardized tests could be a way to counter student use of artificial intelligence: “As artificial intelligence becomes more capable, it is arguably more important than ever for students to be able to think through and compose sound arguments on their own, to comprehend the texts they read, and to recognize weaknesses in the arguments of those texts.”
Citing similar concerns, many top universities, including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Dartmouth, Cornell, Penn, and Brown, have all reinstated testing requirements for the 2026-2027 cycle, and several other schools have announced they will be reinstating the test requirement in the near future.
What could the new policy actually look like?
The UC Academic Senate will not make its final decision until at least June 2027, so current seniors are not affected. There are several possible verdicts the Senate could choose from: keeping the current test-free admissions, going test-optional, using another test (like California’s Smarter Balanced test administered to eleventh graders), requiring the SAT or ACT for only certain majors (like STEM), or requiring the test for all students.
I’m a high school freshman, sophomore, or junior hoping to attend a UC. What should I do?
For students planning to apply after the 2026-27 admissions cycle, my basic advice is that you should prepare to take an admissions test, unless doing so would cause extreme stress. While I admit I am biased because I am a test tutor, there are several reasons for this advice that go beyond me wanting your business. Regardless of the UC’s decision, many schools outside the UC system are now requiring a standardized test, so preparing for a test will help you have a competitive application for many universities. In addition, as (sometimes illegal) AI-enhanced essays and application statements become more common, schools will have a harder time discerning between applicants, which will likely lead more schools to reinstate standardized admissions tests.
In addition, test preparation is a good way to strengthen and refresh language arts and math skills that will be useful in high school, college, and beyond. While some critics bemoan students who “only learn how to take tests,” as a tutor, I can attest that most of the work I do preparing students for tests involves teaching and reinforcing important language arts and math skills. I’m always a bit perplexed when a client or parent asks me to “focus on test-taking strategies” instead of content—while strategies can be helpful, it’s nearly impossible to apply them without understanding the academic concepts.
The small percentage of students who find standardized tests extremely stressful might benefit from foregoing the test and applying only to test-optional schools, from which they will have several choices. Most students, however, would likely benefit from at least a little practice and test preparation, even if they end up at a test-optional or test-blind school.
How can lower-income students compete if admissions tests are reinstated?
While it’s true that wealthy applicants have more options for standardized test preparation than low-income students, the same is true for almost any other aspect of their college applications. Unlike pricey club sports and extracurricular activities or scoring a prestigious summer internship, standardized tests are predictable and include many resources that everyone can access. Students who know how to seek out free resources will find themselves in a better position in college, where resources like the writing center and free tutoring are often open to all students but are used only by those with the initiative to seek help.
What is the best way to prepare for the test?
The first step for all students is to take an official practice or diagnostic test to get your baseline score. After that, you should build a preparation plan based on your target score, timeline, and budget. Individualized tutoring is the gold standard for test preparation because it can focus on a student’s individual strengths and needs while providing them with a detailed timeline and roadmap to a higher score. Of course, one-on-one tutoring tends to be pricey, which is one valid reason why test critics say the testing requirement is unfair for low-income students. Fortunately, there are also several free and low-cost resources available to motivated students who want to increase their scores. The SAT’s Bluebook app, Khan Academy, and the College Board’s question bank (made easier to use by this website) are all free resources available to anyone with access to a computer and an internet connection. The ACT also offers a limited number of free resources on its website.
While many students (and adults) are now using ChatGPT and other AI programs as a first resource, I have found that ChatGPT often creates inaccurate practice questions that don’t reflect the actual test. While ChatGPT may be helpful in providing a timeline or study plan if you absolutely can’t afford a tutor or class, the official preparation books and materials developed by the test makers themselves, along with those from respected test preparation companies and websites, are the best resources for actual questions and practice tests.
Some final advice
While the test requirements of the UC system and many other schools are still in limbo, the smartest move is to be prepared to take an admissions test and not to wait until the last minute to start practicing. For those who have the resources to access tutoring, LA Tutors has experts available to give students the support and instruction they need to ace the SAT or ACT and improve their skills, no matter where they decide to apply. Students can schedule a free diagnostic today!
