University of California Eliminates SAT and ACT

While the writing has been on the wall for some time, the University of California system is officially done with the SAT and ACT — at least until spring 2025. But that’s like breaking up and saying maybe we’ll get back together four years from now. It’s not going to happen. And just like that The College Board and ACT, Inc. have lost their biggest customer, the University of California. The most significant domino in the high stakes game of the consideration of testing in elite college admissions has fallen. One can only imagine that folks at The College Board and ACT, Inc., long mighty forces in the world of standardized testing, are starting to sweat about their continued employment.

Baby Bye Bye Bye to the SAT and ACT at the University of California

As Celine Castronuovo reports for The Hill in a piece entitled “University of California system will no longer consider SAT, ACT scores in admissions process,” “Friday’s settlement seemingly ends a prolonged legal dispute over the use of standardized tests. In a 2019 lawsuit, a coalition of students, advocacy groups and the Compton Unified School District argued that the tests place an unfair disadvantage on students of color, as well as those with disabilities and those from low-income families. The University of California had joined other universities last year in making SAT and ACT scores optional for applications due to the coronavirus pandemic, and had already decided to extend this optional period another year. However, students sued the university, alleging that providing the option to voluntarily submit scores would still be unfair to students with disabilities, many of whom were not able to take the tests with their needed accommodations during the pandemic. Last year, Alameda Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman issued a preliminary injunction blocking UC universities from accepting standardized test scores while the complaint was considered in court. The university filed an appeal to the decision.”

University of California Is Now the Standard-Bearer Among Universities Not Considering Testing in Admissions

The University of California, which includes elite universities such as UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSD, is now the standard-bearer among highly selective universities in not considering SAT or ACT test scores in the college admissions process. The University of California schools, to be clear for our readers, will not be test-optional in these upcoming years. No, test-optional is not the term for it. Rather, they’ll be test-blind. And as our readers know all too well, we believe test-optional policies aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. They’re nothing more than the virtue signaling of admissions officers. But test-blind? Well, that sure is real. Change, change is coming! An important domino has fallen — the University of California domino. And it’s down for the count.