HELENA — More Montana high school graduates are taking and passing advanced placement exams, but the state still falls short of the national average.
The number of Montana students taking an AP test rose over the last decade even as the total number of graduates has gotten smaller.
A report released Tuesday by The College Board says 1,873 of 9,083 graduates took an AP test in 2013.
By comparison, there were 10,657 graduates in 2003 but only 1,357 took an AP test.
Last year, 13.1 percent of Montana students had a score that is considered passing on at least one AP exam.
That is compared to 8.6 percent of Montana students with a passing score in 2003.
The national average of passing students in 2013 was 20.1 percent.