University of California Admission by exam

Standard

If you don’t meet UC’s minimum requirements, you may be considered for admission to UC if you earn high scores on the ACT with Writing or SAT and two SAT Subject Tests.

In general, this method of consideration is designed for students who have been unable to meet the regular subject requirements and/or earn a high school diploma because of unique circumstances, such as non-traditional education or long-term illness.

To be considered, you must take either the ACT with Writing or the SAT, as well as two SAT Subject Tests.

You must earn a minimum UC Score total — calculated according to the instructions below — of 410 (425 for nonresidents). In addition, you must achieve a minimum UC score of 63 on each component of the exams.

You may not use a SAT Subject Test to meet these requirements if they have completed a transferable college course with a grade of C or better in that subject.

How to convert your test scores to UC Scores:

If you took the SAT Reasoning Test (prior to March 2016):

  • Convert the highest scores in critical reading, math and writing from a single sitting and the two highest SAT Subject Tests from different subject areas to equivalent UC Scores (see the SAT test score translation table).
  • Add all five UC Scores to produce your UC Score total. For example: critical reading + math + writing + Subject Test 1 + Subject Test 2 = UC Score total.

If you took the SAT with Essay exam (starting March 2016)

  • Using scores from a single sitting, convert the new reading, math, and writing & language scores to the old SAT scores using the tables listed below. Get the equivalent UC Scores for the three converted scores using the SAT test score translation table.
  • Convert the two highest SAT Subject Tests from different subject areas to equivalent UC Scores using the SAT test score translation table.
  • Add all five UC Scores to produce your UC Score total.

SAT w/ Essay
Reading

Old SAT
Critical Reading

40 800
39 760
38 720
37 700
36 680
35 660
34 640
33 610
32 590
31 570
30 550
29 530
28 520
27 500
26 480
25 460
24 440
23 420
22 400
21 380
20 370
19 340
18 310
17 280
16 270
15 260
14 250
13 240
12 220
11 210
10 200

SAT w/ Essay
Math

Old SAT
Math

800 800
790 780
780 760
770 750
760 740
750 720
740 710
730 700
720 690
710 680
700 670
690 660
680 650
670 650
660 640
650 630
640 620
630 610
620 600
610 590
600 580
590 570
580 560
570 550
560 530
550 520
540 510
530 500
520 490
510 470
500 460
490 450
480 440
470 430
460 420
450 410
440 400
430 390
420 380
410 370
400 360
390 350
380 340
370 330
360 310
350 300
340 290
330 280
320 280
310 270
300 260
290 260
280 250
270 240
260 240
250 230
240 220
230 220
220 210
210 200
200 200

SAT w/ Essay
Writing & Language

Old SAT Writing

40 800
39 760
38 740
37 710
36 680
35 650
34 630
33 600
32 570
31 550
30 530
29 510
28 490
27 470
26 450
25 430
24 420
23 400
22 380
21 370
20 350
19 340
18 320
17 300
16 280
15 270
14 260
13 240
12 230
11 220
10 200

 

SAT test score translation

SAT Score

UC Score

SAT Score

UC Score

800 100 490 48
790 98 480 47
780 97 470 45
770 95 460 43
760 93 450 42
750 92 440 40
740 90 430 38
730 88 420 37
720 87 410 35
710 85 400 33
700 83 390 32
690 82 380 30
680 80 370 28
670 78 360 27
660 77 350 25
650 75 340 23
640 73 330 22
630 72 320 20
620 70 310 18
610 68 300 17
600 67 290 15
590 65 280 13
580 63 270 12
570 62 260 10
560 60 250 8
550 58 240 7
540 57 230 5
530 55 220 3
520 53 210 2
510 52 200 0
500 50

If you took the ACT Plus Writing:

  • Convert the highest math, reading, science and combined English/writing or ELA score from a single sitting to equivalent UC Scores (see the translation table below).
  • Multiply the sum of the converted math, reading and science scores by two-thirds, then add the converted English/writing or ELA score.
  • Add this subtotal to your two highest SAT Subject Test scores from two different subject areas, which are also converted to equivalent UC Scores. For example: (math + reading + science) x 0.667 + English/writing + Subject Test 1 + Subject Test 2) = UC Score total.
ACT test score translation

ACT Score

UC Score

ACT Score

UC Score

36 100 20 47
35 97 19 43
34 93 18 40
33 90 17 37
32 87 16 33
31 83 15 30
30 80 14 27
29 77 13 23
28 73 12 20
27 70 11 17
26 67 10 13
25 63 9 10
24 60 8 7
23 57 7 3
22 53 1-6 0
21 50