UCLA testing policy at a glance: No. UCLA will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes; scores a student chooses to submit may be used only as an alternative way to meet minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after enrolling. UC says students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 will not be required to submit scores, and the UC Academic Senate is reviewing standardized testing, with a report due February 12, 2027 and a recommendation to the Regents no later than June 2027. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.
Sources: UCLA Undergraduate Admission; University of California Office of the President.
Does UCLA Require the SAT or ACT?
No. UCLA states that it will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes. If a student chooses to submit scores, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after the student enrolls (UCLA First-Year Requirements). That makes UCLA different from a test optional school, where a submitted score is read as part of the review. UC says students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores, and that no change to its testing policy will be made before June 2027 (UC Academic Senate review FAQ).
What Does UCLA Read Instead of Test Scores?
UCLA uses holistic review. Its criteria include achievement in high school or college coursework, personal qualities, likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus, achievement in academic enrichment programs, and other achievements in any field of intellectual or creative endeavor. Applicants must complete 15 A-G courses, with at least 11 finished before the start of senior year, and UCLA says competitive applicants present an academic profile much stronger than the UC minimum, reviewed in the context of the courses available to each student (UCLA First-Year Requirements).
The written part of the file is the four Personal Insight Questions, chosen from eight, with a maximum of 350 words each. UCLA does not require or accept letters of recommendation and does not offer admission interviews, although some majors in its specialty schools require a supplemental application that may involve an audition, portfolio, or letters of recommendation.
| Policy detail | UCLA |
|---|---|
| Requirement status | SAT and ACT scores are not considered for admission or scholarships |
| Use of submitted scores | Alternative method of meeting minimum eligibility requirements; course placement after enrolling |
| Academic requirements | 15 A-G courses, at least 11 completed before senior year |
| Written component | Four of eight Personal Insight Questions, 350 words maximum each |
| Letters and interviews | No letters of recommendation and no interviews, except some specialty school supplemental applications |
| Fall 2025 admissions | 145,085 applicants, 13,659 admits, 9.4 percent |
| Policy review | UC testing report due February 12, 2027; no change before June 2027 |
Sources: UCLA Undergraduate Admission, First-Year Requirements and First-Year Profile; University of California Office of the President.
How Has UCLA’s Testing Policy Changed?
UCLA follows University of California policy. On May 21, 2020, the UC Regents unanimously voted to suspend the SAT and ACT requirement for California applicants (UC Office of the President, May 21, 2020), and a May 2021 legal settlement barred consideration of the scores in admission from fall 2021 through spring 2025, as NBC News reported. On July 22, 2026, the UC Academic Council directed the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) to lead an expedited review of standardized testing: its report is due February 12, 2027, and the Regents are to receive recommendations no later than June 2027 (UC statement, July 22, 2026).
The review follows a November 2025 UC San Diego workgroup report that found the number of entering students testing below high school math levels increased nearly thirtyfold between 2020 and 2025 (UC San Diego workgroup report), and a 2026 open letter, launched by five UC Berkeley faculty members and signed by more than 1,450 faculty by June 11, 2026, urging UC to reinstate SAT or ACT math scores for applicants to STEM majors (UC Berkeley Letters and Science). UC says it has not determined whether requirements for fall 2028 or later will change. The Oriel Admissions analysis of whether UC will bring back the SAT covers the systemwide review.
Should You Still Take the SAT If Applying to UCLA?
For most students, yes, even though UCLA will not consider the score for admission. Most college lists include schools that require or consider scores, a submitted score can still serve as an alternative way to meet minimum eligibility requirements and can inform course placement after enrolling, and UC has not decided whether requirements will change for fall 2028 or later. Oriel Admissions suggests a first SAT or ACT in junior spring, especially for out-of-state students, since UC noted in 2020 that assessing nonresident students without a standardized test presents challenges in terms of fairness and practicality.
How Should You Plan a UCLA Application?
UCLA admitted 13,659 of 145,085 first-year applicants for fall 2025, a rate of 9.4 percent, and 2,241 of 33,052 applicants to the Samueli School of Engineering, or 6.8 percent (UCLA First-Year Profile). With no score, letters, or interview in the file, the transcript and the four Personal Insight Questions carry the application, so the most rigorous curriculum available and carefully drafted PIQs matter most. The UC application opens August 1 and is submitted between October 1 and November 30. For the PIQs, see our UCLA Personal Insight Questions guide; for testing timelines, see our guide to which colleges require the SAT and ACT and our junior year SAT and ACT strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions About UCLA’s Testing Policy
UCLA does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes, even if they are submitted, which is different from test optional schools that read submitted scores.
Oriel Admissions usually says yes. Most college lists include schools that require or consider scores, a submitted score can meet minimum eligibility requirements or inform course placement at UCLA, and UC has not decided whether requirements will change for fall 2028 or later.
UCLA says submitted scores may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after a student enrolls. They are not considered for admission or scholarships.
Coursework and grades in the context of what each school offers, the four Personal Insight Questions, and achievements in and outside the classroom. UCLA does not accept letters of recommendation and does not offer interviews, except in some specialty school supplemental applications.
Yes, as part of coursework. UCLA reviews achievement in high school coursework, and its fully weighted GPA adds an extra grade point for UC-approved honors courses, which include AP and IB courses.
UC has not decided. On July 22, 2026, the Academic Council charged BOARS with an expedited review of standardized testing, with a report due February 12, 2027 and a recommendation to the Regents no later than June 2027. No change will be made before June 2027.
The UC application opens August 1 and is submitted between October 1 and November 30, and one application covers all UC campuses. Students applying for fall 2027 will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
UCLA admitted 13,659 of 145,085 first-year applicants for fall 2025, a rate of 9.4 percent. The Samueli School of Engineering admitted 2,241 of 33,052 applicants, or 6.8 percent.
Sources: UCLA Undergraduate Admission, First-Year Requirements, UCLA Undergraduate Admission, First-Year Profile, Fall 2025, University of California Office of the President, July 22, 2026, University of California, Academic Senate Review of Admissions FAQ, University of California Office of the President, May 21, 2020, UC San Diego Senate-Administration Workgroup on Admissions, November 2025, UC Berkeley Letters and Science, June 11, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
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