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Freshmen: Examination Requirement

To satisfy the examination requirement, you are required to take the ACT Assessment plus Writing OR the SAT Reasoning Test, AND two SAT Subject Tests in two different areas. You must complete the exams no later than December of your senior year of high school.

  • ACT Assessment plus Writing : Only the composite ACT score is used. If you take both the SAT Reasoning Test and the ACT Assessment, we will convert your ACT score and SAT Reasoning score to equivalent UC scores and use the test that gives you the higher score. You can convert your scores using the online calculator.

  • SAT Reasoning Test: If you take the SAT Reasoning Test more than once, we use only your highest overall score (combined reading, math and writing scores) from the same test sitting.

  • SAT Subject Tests: You must submit scores for two SAT Subject Tests exams taken in two different subjects (e.g. science and literature); the scores do not have to be from the same sitting. The SAT Math Level IC examination is not accepted in fulfillment of one of the tests (see the University of California's examination information page for more information). You may repeat the SAT Subject Tests as many times as you wish, and we will use only your highest score for each individual SAT Subject Test.

  • Advanced Examination: Include scores for any Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams on your UC application, as well as any exams you plan to take during your senior year. We do not consider AP or IB exams in our Comprehensive Review of your application. However, if you score a 3, 4 or 5 on certain AP tests and are admitted, you may receive credit toward your undergraduate degree. If you earn the IB diploma with a score of 30 or higher, you will receive 30 quarter (20 semester) units of credit toward an undergraduate degree.

  • Reporting Your Scores: You may report your official test scores to UC Davis either at the time you take each test by requesting that your score report be automatically sent to us once it's available, or after you've received your scores by contacting the testing agency (ACT or College Board for the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests) to order an additional score report to be sent to UC Davis. We ask you to self-report your scores on your application, but we must receive official copies of your score reports confirming your self-report to complete processing of your application.

View the subject and scholarship requirements that must also be met in order to become UC Eligible in the Statewide Context.