The class of 2007 averaged the lowest math and reading SAT scores since 1999, the College Board reported Tuesday.
Last spring’s high school seniors scored on average 502, out of a possible 800 points, on the critical reading section of the country’s most popular college entrance exam, down from 503 for the class of 2006. Math scores fell three points, from 518 to 515.
The declines follow a seven- point drop last year for the first class to take a lengthened and redesigned SAT, which included higher-level math questions and eliminated analogies. The College Board, which owns the exam, insisted the new exam wasn’t harder and attributed last year’s drop to fewer students taking it a second time. Students typically fare about 30 points better when they take the exam again.
Average scores also slipped from 497 to 494 on the writing portion of the SAT, which debuted with the class of 2006.
Figures released earlier this month on the rival ACT exam showed a slight increase – from 21.1 last year to 21.2, on a scale of 1 to 36 – for the class of 2007.
The SAT has historically been more popular on the East and West coasts, while the ACT has been more popular in the Midwest and inland Western states. More students are taking both.
Students in Colorado did better in 2007 on the SAT than they did the year before. Critical reading scores were on average 560, compared with 558 in 2006.
Math scores were 565 this year in Colorado, compared with 564 in 2006. Writing scores in Colorado this year were 549, compared with 548 last year.
Colorado students must take the ACT test in order to graduate, but not the SAT. The fact that advanced students will choose to take the SAT is probably the primary reason Colorado’s scores are much higher than the national average, said Brandon Jones of Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.
Denver Post staff writer Jeremy Meyer contributed to this report.
