139,000 California Teens Took the SAT, Even Though It Wasn't Required
California SAT participation jumped 12.6% this year (the largest one-year gain in three years) even though UC and CSU still don't require it. Here's why students are testing anyway, and what UC's pending 2027 decision could change.
California high school students took the SAT in record numbers this year — even though the state's two largest public university systems, the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU), still don't require it for admission.
According to new data released by the College Board on September 29, 2026, 138,763 students in California's Class of 2026 sat the exam — a 12.6% jump from the year before, and the largest one-year increase in three years.
Why Are More California Students Taking the SAT?
Several things are pushing participation up even where it isn't required:
- Other schools are reinstating the test. The University of Texas at Austin, every Ivy League school, Stanford, and Caltech have all brought back testing requirements after pausing them during the pandemic.
- Students want their options open. Priscilla Rodriguez, the College Board's senior vice president of College Readiness Assessments, told the Los Angeles Times that students are taking the SAT "to keep all these options open," even when their first-choice school doesn't ask for a score.
- The test is easier to access. The College Board has expanded SAT School Day offerings and partnered with nonprofits on free test prep, including live online tutoring.
A college counselor at a Huntington Park high school told the Times she's also seeing more students retake the SAT specifically because private colleges they're applying to still require it.
Why Don't UC and CSU Require the SAT Anymore?
UC and CSU first dropped testing requirements in 2020, during the pandemic, and later eliminated them permanently. The stated reason: concern that scores correlated more with race and family wealth than with a student's actual readiness for college.
That said, the two systems still aren't ignoring test scores entirely — UC and CSU use SAT and ACT results as one factor in course placement, such as whether an incoming student starts in an entry-level or more advanced math class.
Will UC Bring Back the SAT Requirement?
This is where it gets unsettled. UC is currently reevaluating its no-test policy, driven largely by faculty concern that incoming students — especially in math — aren't as prepared as they should be. Three state senators have publicly pressed UC to restore the requirement, and UC Regents have set a 2027 deadline to decide.
Rodriguez said this debate likely didn't affect this year's 12.6% jump, since most of the Class of 2026 had already taken the test by the time the reevaluation ramped up — but she expects it to drive even more test-takers next year.
Where Do Things Stand by School?
| Still test-optional or test-free | Back to requiring scores |
|---|---|
| University of California | University of Texas at Austin |
| California State University | All Ivy League schools |
| USC (test-optional) | Stanford |
| Caltech |
Among California's 2026 SAT takers, 40.6% were Latino, 21.7% were Asian, 21.4% were white, and 4.2% were Black, according to College Board data.
How Parents Can Support SAT Prep at Home?
Whether or not a student's first-choice school requires a score, SAT math prep works best as steady, low-pressure practice rather than a last-minute cram. Working through word problems and reasoning-based questions — not just drilling formulas — tends to carry over into stronger classroom performance too, since that's what the SAT's math section actually tests.
Cuemath's own guides on how to study for the SAT and boosting an SAT score break this down by timeline and strategy.
Sources
Primary data:
2026 California SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report — College Board
As the SAT Turns 100, Nearly 2 Million Students in the Class of 2026 Take the Test — College Board Newsroom
News reporting:
Why more students are taking the SAT, even as UC and CSU remain test-free — Los Angeles Times
More California students taking SAT exams, even as UC, CSU don't require it — EdSource
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