The average SAT reading score dipped to 497 this year, according to the College Board—down three points from last year and 33 points since 1972. The College Board spun the decline as the result of a growing pool of test takers: “Anytime you expand the number of students taking the SAT and expand it the way that we have—into communities that have not necessarily been part of the college-going culture—it’s not surprising to see a decline of a few points.” The average math score was 514, down one point from last year but up five points since 1972.
