The Arkansas Department of Education says more students are taking Advanced Placement tests - and scores on those exams are going up, too. The department says more than 25,000 students took the tests last school year, which is a nearly 5 percent increase over the previous year. Students who score a 3 or higher on a scale of 1 to 5 can receive college credit hours. More than 14,000 tests received scores of 3 or higher, marking a 6.4 percent increase from a year earlier. The most popular AP exams in Arkansas last year were English language, English literature, U.S. history and world history. State law requires every Arkansas high school to teach at least four Advanced Placement classes in the subject areas of math, science, English and social studies.
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