UC Berkeley’s ban on standardized tests produces failure — as predicted

Nypost · Aug 18, 2026 · 491 words · By CA Post Editorial Board

Political Influence in Education Admissions Equity vs. Meritocracy Academic Standards

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What to know about Political Influence in Education

UC Berkeley’s ban on standardized tests produces failure — as predicted See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 8

Techniques found 5

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

UC Berkeley’s ban on standardized tests produces failure — as predicted See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on Google “The Task Force does not recommend that UC make standardized tests optional for applicants at this time.” That was the conclusion of a special task force appointed to study in 2020 whether the University of California (UC)…

Common ground

The purpose was blatant, and unconstitutional: To expand the number of black and Latino students at elite public universities, even though Proposition 209 banned the use of race in admissions.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Causal Oversimplification: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Political Influence in Education story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that then-UC president Janet Napolitano overruled the experts, and got rid of standardized testing in UC admissions?
How does this story connect Political Influence in Education with Admissions Equity vs. Meritocracy over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/opinion/uc-berkeleys-ban-on-standardized-tests-pro…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 5 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Causal Oversimplification 80% confidence

Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.

Why it matters: Recognizing causal oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Ad Hominem 85% confidence

Attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.

Why it matters: Recognizing ad hominem helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

verified Verified By Reference 2

info Single Source 2

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Claim 1: “then-UC president Janet Napolitano overruled the experts, and got rid of standardized testing in UC admissions.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the UC Board of Regents eliminated SAT/ACT requirements and that Janet Napolitano was the president who pushed for/implemented the suspension of these requirements.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Janet Ann Napolitano (; born November 29, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer. She is on the faculty at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, since 2015…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Napolitano

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michael Vincent Drake (born July 9, 1950) is an American physician. He served as the 21st president of the University of California from August 2020 to August 2025, as the 15th president of Ohio State…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_V._Drake

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of California (UC) is California's system of public research universities. Headquartered in Oakland, the system is composed of ten campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 2: “Proposition 209 banned the use of race in admissions.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly confirms that Proposition 209 amended the state constitution to prohibit state governmental institutions from considering race.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Proposition 209 (also known as the California Civil Rights Initiative or CCRI) is a California ballot proposition which, upon approval in November 1996, amended the state constitution to prohibit stat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_California_Proposition_20…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Proposition 16 was a failed California ballot proposition that appeared on the November 3, 2020, general election ballot, asking California voters to amend the Constitution of California to repeal Pro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_California_Proposition_16

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Proposition 6, titled Remove Involuntary Servitude as Punishment for Crime Amendment, was a California ballot proposition and constitutional amendment that failed in the 2024 general election on Novem…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_California_Proposition_6

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Instead of studying calculus, students find themselves taking remedial classes to learn fractions and middle-school algebra.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results specifically mention students needing lessons in fractions and basic algebra instead of advanced math like calculus.

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web search NEUTRAL — A UC Berkeley calculus professor reports some students arriving 5–8 years behind in maths, requiring lessons in fractions and basic algebra. Similar trends are also observed here among students seekin…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adam-w-7084199_some-students-…

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web search NEUTRAL — CalCentral. Sign in. UC Berkeley Logo. © 2026 UC Regents.
https://calcentral.berkeley.edu/

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web search NEUTRAL — Instead of diving into complex integrals, she finds herself spending her office hours teaching basic fractions and algebra. These are skills you would typically expect students to master during middle…
https://attackofthefanboy.com/social-media/a-uc-berkeley-mat…

verified

Claim 4: “Napolitano now admits she is having second thoughts.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While evidence confirms Napolitano's role in removing the tests, none of the provided search results contain a quote or report stating she is now having 'second thoughts'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, Berkeley Lab) is a federally funded research and development center in the hills of Berkeley, California, and Oakland, California, United States. Establish…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Berkeley_National_Lab…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “One student, writing in the UC Berkeley student newspaper The Daily Californian, argued that standardized testing is a form of white supremacy.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for this claim are generic definitions of 'student' and do not contain any articles from The Daily Californian regarding white supremacy and testing.

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web search NEUTRAL — In the U.S., a Junior is a student in the penultimate (usually third) year and a Senior is a student in the last (usually fourth) year of college, university, or high school.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student

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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of STUDENT is scholar, learner; especially : one who attends a school. How to use student in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/student

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web search NEUTRAL — Federal Student Aid is the largest provider of financial aid for college in the U.S. Understand aid, apply for aid, and manage your student loans today.
https://studentaid.gov/

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Claim 6: “UC Berkeley math professor Zvezdelina Stankova has noted, students are showing up at UC Berkeley... without basic math skills.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that a UC Berkeley math professor (Zvezdelina Stankova) has reported students arriving with significant gaps in basic math skills.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a partial list of notable Mills College alumnae. It includes alumnae, professors, and others associated with Mills College.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mills_College_people

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of women who have made noteworthy contributions to or achievements in mathematics. These include mathematical research, mathematics education, the history and philosophy of mathematics,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_in_mathematics

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zvezdelina Entcheva Stankova (Bulgarian: Звезделина Енчева Станкова; born 15 September 1969) is a Bulgarian and American mathematician who is a teaching professor of mathematics at the University of C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zvezdelina_Stankova

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 7: ““Computer science students are failing like never before, math skills are at a historic low and professors are spending valuable class time reviewing middle-school material,” the author [of the Daily Californian piece] admitted.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results mention failure rates in CS courses in 2026 related to AI, but do not contain the specific quote attributed to a Daily Californian author regarding middle-school material and historic lows in math skills.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — UC Berkeley’s computer science courses witnessed a steep rise in failure rates in spring 2026, sparking debate over the impact of generative AI on learning.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/is-ai-it-…

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web search NEUTRAL — He is a computer science student who is not good at math and wants to get better. Do you have any advice?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZwsKfo5VXE

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web search NEUTRAL — “Entering graduate students should be aware of this, so that they would have realistic expectations and perhaps try to plan their lives accordingly,” lead author Staša Milojević, associate professor o…
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/12/11/new-study-say…

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Claim 8: “a special task force appointed to study in 2020 whether the University of California (UC) should get rid of the SAT and other tests as criteria for admission... [concluded] “The Task Force does not recommend that UC make standardized tests optional for applicants at this time.””

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that a UC Academic Senate Standardized Testing Task Force recommended against making standardized tests optional for applicants.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — UC Browser is a web browser developed by mobile internet company UCWeb, a subsidiary of the Alibaba Group. It was the most popular mobile browser in India, Indonesia, and Mali, as well as the second-…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UC_Browser

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The UC Davis Aggies (also referred to as the Ags, Cal Aggies or Aggies) are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Davis. Eighteen of the school's 25 intercollegiate sports - …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UC_Davis_Aggies

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The UC San Diego Tritons are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of California, San Diego. The Tritons compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Big West Conference (B…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UC_San_Diego_Tritons

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.