# UC Berkeley Math Professor Pushes to Restore Standardized Testing in Admissions

University of California, Berkeley mathematics professor Zvezdelina Stankova is advocating for the reinstatement of standardized exams in college admissions decisions. Stankova, who teaches at one of the nation's most selective universities, believes standardized tests provide valuable data points for evaluating student preparation and potential.

The push comes as UC schools moved away from test-optional and test-free policies over the past decade. In 2021, the University of California system announced it would eliminate SAT and ACT requirements entirely, citing concerns that standardized tests disadvantage low-income and minority students. That decision affected over 280,000 annual applicants across the system.

Stankova's position reflects a growing debate among educators and admissions professionals. Proponents of standardized testing argue that exams offer objective measures of academic readiness, level the playing field for students from under-resourced schools, and help identify talented students who might be overlooked by grades alone. Critics counter that tests correlate strongly with family income, create unnecessary stress, and fail to predict college success better than grades do.

Berkeley's own admissions processes have faced scrutiny. The university received criticism for demographic imbalances in recent freshman classes after eliminating test requirements. Some faculty members, including Stankova, contend that standardized exams could help identify talented students across diverse backgrounds when used appropriately.

The debate extends beyond Berkeley. Colleges nationwide have adopted varying approaches. Some elite institutions have returned to test requirements, while others remain test-optional or test-free. The NCAA recently changed transfer rules that could affect how standardized test scores are used in recruiting.

Research on this question remains mixed. Some studies show standardized tests help predict first-year grades, while others find them less predictive of long-term