Wis. Students Outperform SAT Average

Wisconsin students exceeded national averages on the SAT college admissions exam. The Department of Public Instruction reported the 2012 test results Monday.

Wisconsin’s mean score for critical reading was 594 on a scale of 200 to 800, compared to the national reading score of 496. Wisconsin students averaged 605 in math, compared to the national mean score of 514. In writing, Wisconsin’s score was 577, compared to 488 nationally.

Fewer high school students are taking the SAT exam. Only about four percent of Wisconsin public and private graduates took the SAT in 2012, compared with 71 percent of graduates who took the more popular ACT college entrance exam.

DPI also reported Monday that Wisconsin students also outperformed the nation on Advanced Placement exams. Sixty-eight percent of Wisconsin students passed the exams, which was nine percentage points higher than the national average.