The University of California (UC) system's decision to remove standardized tests as an admissions requirement has resulted in students entering UC Berkeley without foundational math skills, necessitating remedial courses. This outcome was predicted by a task force that, in 2020, recommended against making standardized tests optional for applicants at that time.
Despite the task force's conclusion, then-UC President Janet Napolitano moved to eliminate standardized testing in UC admissions, partly in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and pressure to increase the number of Black and Latino students. This move occurred despite California's Proposition 209, which prohibits race-based admissions.
UC Berkeley math professor Zvezdelina Stankova has noted that students are arriving at the university unprepared for calculus, instead requiring instruction in basic algebra and fractions. This situation forces professors to dedicate class time to material that students should have mastered in middle school or early high school.
Ironically, the elimination of standardized tests has also made it more difficult for high-achieving Black and Latino students to gain admission, as broader criteria now obscure the accomplishments of top applicants. Meanwhile, former UC President Napolitano has reportedly expressed reservations about the policy.
Some student perspectives diverge on the issue. One student, writing in The Daily Californian, argued that standardized tests have historically served as a tool of oppression against people of color, a reality that she believes cannot be disregarded. She characterized these tests as a "white supremacist tool to segregate people of color from public education."
However, critics argue that while standardized tests are imperfect, their absence compels universities to rely on less reliable metrics. High school grade point averages (GPAs), for instance, are seen as increasingly unreliable due to widespread grade inflation, potentially admitting students who will struggle in a rigorous college environment.
The debate highlights the complex challenges in admissions policies, with calls to reinstate standardized tests to ensure a more common and reliable measure of academic preparedness.