Both Virginia and West Virginia's graduating high school seniors scored above the nationwide average on the critical reading and writing sections of the SAT college-entrance exam but slightly lower than their national peers in mathematics.

The College Board, which owns the test, said the 59,573 seniors who took the test in Virginia through March 2008 had an average score of 511 in reading, 512 in math and 499 in writing. The national averages are 502 in reading, 515 in math and 494 in writing.

The board said the 3,427 seniors who took the test in West Virginia through March 2008 had an average score of 512 in reading, 501 in math and 498 in writing. The national averages are 502 in reading, 515 in math and 494 in
writing.

For Virginia seniors, scores were largely unchanged from 2007, when 58,921 of them averaged 511 points on reading, 511 in math and 498 points in writing. However, scores for West Virginia seniors were down somewhat from 2007, when 3,455 of them averaged 516 points on reading, 507 in math and 505 points in writing.