By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri students' scores on the SAT college exam continue to rise and exceed the national average. That's according to data released Tuesday.
The exam is more popular in some states than in others. In Missouri, only eight percent of high school seniors took the test this year, while the national average is about 48 percent.
Missouri students' composite score for 2004 was 1,172, up from 1,165 last year, while the national average was 1,026, the same as in 2003.
The SAT contains verbal and math sections. Missouri students' average score was up slightly in each section this year.
SAT scores for Illinois high school students in the class of 2004 remained about the same as a year ago.
Illinois students earned an average cumulative score of 1,026, out of a possible 1,600. That matches the national average.