JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A report shows the SAT college-entrance exam scores of Missouri high school graduates fell this year.

The College Board’s 2012 SAT report released Monday puts the state’s average score in critical reading at 584, in math at 587 and in writing at 564. All three declined from the state’s 2011 scores but remained above the national average.

One thing that helped Missouri exceed the average is that just 3 percent of its graduates took the test.

The ACT historically is more popular in the central states, with the SAT more popular on the East and West coasts. The Missouri students taking the SAT tend to be more prepared, with many of them considering admission to out-of-state schools.

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