No, UC Did Not Just Deliver the Knockout Punch to the Test-Prep Industry

Updated on July 4, 2023

The University of California Board of Regents have recently approved a plan which many are touting as the death knell of college admissions tests.

It’s not.

That said, it is easy to see how it appears that way on the surface. There are undoubtedly several unknowns about how the 5-year plan will actually roll out, but much of the reporting on the subject has been too quick to jump to doomsday conclusions for the test-prep industry. Splashy headlines, like USA Today’s “So long, standardized testing: University of California regents unanimously vote to drop SAT and ACT admissions requirements,” do a disservice to parents and students who see them and fail to understand the critical consequences of UC's announcement.

As a professional in the field of test-prep tutoring, you will need to educate your clients (both current and prospective) on the practical realities of test prep—which the sensationalized headlines fail to communicate.

Choosing to skip the SAT® and ACT® has always limited a student's options for selective colleges. Now more than ever, students must seize every opportunity to set themselves apart from the crowd of students, who are—at least on paper—indistinguishable from one another.

The fact is that COVID-19 has rendered many fields on the common application meaningless. Amid the chaos of GPA and the void of extracurricular activities, college admissions testing stands to take on a heightened importance, making the SAT® and ACT® anything but "optional."

What changes did UC really approve?

Whenever big news like this drops, it’s best to go directly to the source. Here are the testing changes, as of now, UC is planning to make to their admissions policies over the next 5 years:

• UC campuses can be “test-optional” for the next 2 years. There is a lot of confusion about what “test-optional” really means (subscribe to our blog for an in depth look coming soon). In simple terms, schools can consider an applicant’s ACT® or SAT® scores, but not every student is required to submit scores.

  This policy has become en vogue in recent years as select schools have adopted it in an attempt to help level the admissions playing field for underrepresented and disadvantaged applicants (spoiler alert: it didn’t). Ironically enough, UC’s Academic Senate’s own study found that test scores gave an important data point to use when evaluating disadvantaged populations.

  Effective or not, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many schools to go “test-optional” in the short term to compensate for cancelled 2020 test dates and educational disruptions. This part of UC’s announcement is pretty par for the course in the current admissions climate.

• UC will go “test-blind” for in-state applicants in fall 2023 and fall 2024. “Test-blind” is what it sounds like: admissions counselors do not look at ACT® or SAT® scores submitted by applicants. In the case of UC, “test-blind” seems to be a bit of a misnomer.

  According to the new plan, only California residents would be assessed on a test-blind basis; out-of-state applicants would still be able to submit scores in accordance to the test-optional policy in place for the 2020-2022 application season.

  Furthermore, there are still reasons why California residents should be taking admissions tests. According to UC, “Test scores could still be considered for other purposes such as course placement, certain scholarships, and eligibility for the statewide admissions guarantee.” Not quite “test-blind,” now is it?

• UC is beginning the hunt for a new test. This is a big piece that much of the coverage is overlooking. UC is not doing away with standardized testing. Instead, they are looking for a different test that they feel better reflects their ideals of college readiness.

  Some are speculating that UC will use the next two years to develop their own test in-house. Others are guessing that this is a move designed to force the College Board and ACT to revise their tests to appease UC’s concerns over bias and other testing inequities.

  This is not the first time UC has made this type of power play. As one of the largest university systems in the world, UC has used their influence to force major revisions to the SAT® and ACT® over the last decade and a half. In another ironic twist, one of the things UC once pushed for was the addition of the writing portion of the SAT®—a test element that will no longer be considered for any applicant beginning in fall 2021.

• The current ACT® and SAT® will be eliminated for in-state applicants in 2025. Whether there is a new test ready or not, today’s versions of the ACT® and SAT® will not be used in any capacity for assessing applicants from California. This sounds heavy, but there are about a million miles between this announcement and the end of admissions testing.

  For one thing, UC still aims to have a test to use to assess in-state applicants—they just don’t want to use today’s tests. There will still be an incentive for applicants to take tests as a way to stand out from their peers. Where there are tests, there will remain a flourishing test-prep industry.

  Secondly, there are plenty of out-of-state applicants that will either be submitting ACT® and SAT® scores or have to take the UC test. Again, tests (and, in turn, students seeking test prep) aren’t going anywhere.

Taking an Admissions Test Matters More Now Than Ever

COVID-19 has made a mess of the college application process for this year’s college-bound students. Canceled testing dates and missed opportunities for GPA improvement and extracurriculars have made it that much harder for students to separate from the pack.

While many colleges and universities have committed to a year or more of “test-optional” admissions, very few are committing to go “test-blind.” This means that if a student is able to achieve and submit a strong score on either the ACT® or SAT®, it can be a way to stand out in a pile full of “What I learned from my quarantine” essays and pass/fail senior year grades.

This is doubly true for UC applicants. As UC’s testing policies continue to grab headlines, many applicants will falsely assume that testing and test prep is just a waste of time and money. On the contrary, the UC Academic Senate has voiced support for the value of test scores as a means to add clarity and a valuable point of comparison when assessing students from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Even in these times of general uncertainty, if students send in scores, you can be certain that they will be looked at.

To be clear, UC did not just end standardized testing. UC is not eliminating admissions tests. The SAT® and ACT® are not going to disappear.

That said, test-prep tutors and businesses need to be sure they are prepared for an evolution as tests are revised and/or new tests are rolled out. If these past few months have taught us anything, it is that we don’t know what the future will hold. We must simply be prepared to react to new changes and support our students with the best advice and preparation we can offer.

For more on what to make of the constantly evolving worlds of college admissions and test prep, be sure to subscribe to our blog.