UC Berkeley requires you to take the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section. They'll use this as another factor in their admissions consideration.

Does UC Berkeley require SAT essay 2020?

And finally, UC schools now no longer require SAT Essay and ACT Writing portions. These scores will not be used as a part of the admissions process in any way beginning in Fall 2020. So, even if you take the essay, those scores won't be part of your admissions decision.

Does UC Berkeley require SAT essay for 2022?

UC Berkeley “Test-Free” for the Fall 2022 Admissions Cycle

Current juniors considering applying to Berkeley should be aware that we will not require or use SAT/ACT exam scores in our admissions process.