ACT scores hold steady as test-taking pool expands

Average scores on the ACT college entrance exam held steady for the high school class of 2009, a sign of modest progress considering the pool of students taking the test continues to expand.

Nationally, more students earned scores indicating they’re prepared to succeed in college in all four areas tested by the ACT: English, math, reading and science. However, the increases were slight, and more than three-quarters of graduates still fail to meet that benchmark, suggesting those who went on to college need remedial work in at least one subject.