# UC Berkeley Professor Pushes for Standardized Test Return in Admissions
UC Berkeley mathematics professor Zvezdelina Stankova is advocating for the reinstatement of standardized exams in college admissions. Stankova spoke with NPR about efforts to restore testing requirements that many universities, including UC Berkeley, dropped or made optional during the pandemic.
The debate centers on whether standardized tests like the SAT and ACT serve students fairly or perpetuate educational inequality. Stankova's position favors bringing these exams back as part of the admissions process, arguing they provide objective measures of student preparation.
Universities across the country moved away from standardized testing requirements between 2020 and 2023, citing concerns that test scores correlate with family income and that test-optional policies would increase access for underrepresented students. The University of California system ended its use of SAT and ACT scores for admissions, a major shift affecting thousands of applicants annually.
However, Stankova contends that standardized tests offer valuable information about student readiness for college-level work. Her advocacy reflects broader disagreement among educators about whether these exams help or hinder equitable college access.
This debate matters to prospective students, particularly first-generation and low-income applicants who may lack test preparation resources. It also affects high schools, which still offer test prep courses and counseling around standardized testing.
The conversation highlights ongoing tensions in higher education admissions. Some institutions argue that removing testing requirements levels the playing field. Others maintain that standardized exams, when properly administered and interpreted, provide reliable data for admissions decisions. As more schools reconsider their policies, the question of standardized testing's role in college admissions remains unresolved nationally.