Utah students who take the Scholastic Aptitude Test as a preliminary to college enrollment significantly outscored their peers across the country in the 1994 testing. But they should.
The SAT is the entry test required by many colleges and universities in the eastern United States. Only a few Utah students, most of whom plan on attending one of those schools, take the test. They tend to be top-ranking scholars.Most Utah high school juniors and seniors (about 70 percent) take the American College Test, which is accepted by more schools in the western United States. Only about 4 percent take the SAT, according to a report by the State Office of Education.
The average Utah scores on the verbal portion of the SAT test for 1994 were 509, compared with the national average of 423. On the mathematics portion of the test, the average Utah score was 558, compared with the national average of 479.
Earlier last week, the state office released the 1994 ACT scores. Utah students made a good showing, scoring above national averages in every category except mathematics. In that category, they were right at the national figure.