UC Berkeley Math Professor Warns Test-Blind Admissions Policy Has Left Students Severely Unprepared

A University of California Berkeley mathematics professor has raised serious concerns about widespread student unpreparedness at the university system, attributing the problem directly to the UC’s adoption of test-blind admissions policies. Zvezdelina Stankova, who teaches courses with 500 to 1,400 students per lecture section, described the impact as significant and troubling in a recent op-ed published in the San Francisco Standard.

Stankova reported that within the first two weeks of each semester, substantial numbers of students demonstrate critical gaps in fundamental mathematical knowledge. Some students arrive at UC campuses five to eight years behind in mathematics, requiring remedial instruction on fractions and basic algebra during office hours that should address college-level calculus and differential equations instead.

The professor presented empirical evidence demonstrating a sharp decline in mathematical readiness following UC’s elimination of standardized testing from the admissions process. Between 2018 and 2020, before the policy change, 71 percent of approximately 2,200 Calculus I students tested as ready or nearly ready, with just 0.14 percent scoring below basic algebra levels. By contrast, diagnostic assessments from 2021 to 2023 showed only 51 percent of roughly 2,800 students met readiness benchmarks, dropping to 44 percent by 2023, while 17 percent answered none of eight tested mathematical topics correctly.

Former UC President Janet Napolitano, who previously served in the Obama administration, spearheaded the 2020 decision to phase out standardized testing requirements, citing equity and access concerns. The policy prevented admissions officers from using SAT and ACT scores as a common academic measurement across California’s diverse high schools.

Stankova and thousands of faculty members across UC’s 10 campuses have signed open letters calling for reinstatement of standardized testing in admissions decisions. A June statement from UC STEM faculty directly challenged the notion that equity was compromised by standardized testing, stating that SAT and ACT requirements serve as prerequisites for equity rather than obstacles to it.

UC leadership announced in June that it would conduct a comprehensive, data-driven review of its standardized testing policy. University of California President James B. Milliken characterized college preparedness as a critical priority for the institution.

The UC Berkeley concerns reflect broader trends among elite universities. Columbia University and seven other Ivy League schools recently moved away from test-optional policies, with Columbia announcing the reinstatement of standardized testing requirements for undergraduate applicants beginning next year.