SCR198 - University of California: admissions: standardized tests.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 198 Introduced by Senator Choi August 27, 2026 Relative to the University of California. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 198, as introduced, Choi. University of California: admissions: standardized tests. This measure would declare the Legislature’s support for reinstatement by the Regents of the University of California of the SAT, ACT, or other nationally recognized standardized test as a requirement in consideration for student admissions to the University of California system. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, The University of California is one of the nation’s premier public institutions of higher education and has long provided academic excellence, research, and innovation in the State of California; and WHEREAS, The University of California has a responsibility to maintain rigorous academic standards and to ensure students admitted to its campuses are prepared to succeed in the demanding coursework required to earn a degree; and WHEREAS, In 2020, the University of California suspended the use of SAT and ACT scores in undergraduate admissions and adopted a policy prohibiting the consideration of scores in its admissions decisions; and WHEREAS, Eliminating the consideration of standardized testing in admission decisions has left the University of California without a common measure to evaluate the academic preparation of applicants from California high schools that have widely varying curricula, grading practices, and educational opportunities; and WHEREAS, The SAT and ACT provide a common measure of student achievement to be considered alongside grades, extracurricular activities, and other factors currently used in the University of California’s review of applicants; and WHEREAS, In 2025, the University of California, San Diego Senate Administration Workgroup on Admissions reported that the academic preparation of entering first-year students had declined substantially since 2020, with the most significant decline occurring in mathematics, writing, and language skills; and WHEREAS, Between 2020 and 2025, the number of students entering the University of California, San Diego whose mathematics skills fell below high school standards increased thirtyfold, with more than 70 percent of those entering students performing below middle school standards, amounting to one in 12 entering students; and WHEREAS, The University of California, San Diego Senate Administration Workgroup on Admissions report found instances in which students who received exemplary grades in advanced high school mathematic courses demonstrated a need for remediation upon entering the university; and WHEREAS, These findings raise concerns regarding the ability of high school grades and coursework to fully identify the academic preparation of students entering the University of California without a common standardized measure; and WHEREAS, The causes of declining academic preparation are complex and cannot be attributed to any single factor, but the University of California should carefully examine whether current admissions policies provide sufficient information to determine the academic readiness of incoming students; and WHEREAS, More than 2,300 University of California mathematics faculty members and faculty from other STEM disciplines, including five Nobel Laureates, seven of the nine chairs of University of California Mathematics Departments, and an additional 73 STEM department chairs, have signed a letter calling on the Regents of the University of California to reinstate the SAT or ACT mathematics requirement for University of California applicants to STEM majors beginning with the 2027 admissions cycle; and WHEREAS, In addition, more than 900 University of California faculty from social sciences, humanities, arts, business, law, education, and other non-STEM fields have signed a letter arguing for the use of the verbal reasoning component of the SAT or ACT in undergraduate admissions; and WHEREAS, University of California faculty are directly responsible for teaching and evaluating the students admitted to the University’s campuses; and WHEREAS, The experience and concerns of faculty members regarding academic preparation of incoming students should be given serious consideration in any review of University of California admissions policies; and WHEREAS, A common standardized assessment provides a consistent, objective measure of readiness for students whose academic abilities are not fully reflected by high school grades or the educational opportunities available at their schools, which can vary widely; and WHEREAS, Incoming students are arriving unprepared for college‑level work, with severe preparation gaps requiring remediation; and WHEREAS, A common, standardized test would give University of California campuses a clear, outside measure of student readiness, helping to identify those needing extra support to succeed in college; and WHEREAS, The State of California has a strong interest in ensuring that its public universities maintain the academic standards necessary to prepare students to contribute to the state’s economy and future workforce; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature supports reinstatement by the Regents of the University of California of the SAT, ACT, or other nationally recognized standardized test as a requirement in consideration for student admissions to the University of California system; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.