National average scores for the SAT college entrance exam declined for the second year in a row, a report shows. But this year’s drops were less dramatic than last year’s, the first time that national average scores were based primarily on a recently revised version of the test.
And, unlike last year’s dip in the number of recent high school graduates taking the test, the number of 2007 graduates taking the test was up slightly. Nearly 1.5 million students took the test, up 1.9% from last year, representing the largest and most diverse group of SAT test takers ever, says the report, released Tuesday by the College Board, the non-profit group that owns the SAT.