COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Average reading and math SAT scores for South Carolina high school students fell 1 point this year, compared to a 4-point decline nationally, according to results released Tuesday.

The state's class of 2007 scored 488 out of a possible 800 points on the critical reading portion of the college entrance exam, up 1 point from 2006. Math scores fell 2 points to 496.

South Carolina's combined average score of 984 ranked 49th nationally, ahead of Maine's 931 and the District of Columbia's 940. Nationally, the combined score fell to 1,017.

Average scores on the writing portion also slipped, down 5 points in South Carolina, to 480 points, and 3 points nationally, to 497. Many colleges are waiting to see results from the first few years on the writing exam before determining how to use it.

The declines follow a seven-point drop last year for the first class to take the longer and redesigned SAT, which added the writing portion, included higher-level math questions and eliminated analogies. The College Board, which owns the exam, insisted the new exam wasn't harder and attributed last year's drop to fewer students taking the exam a second time.

Students typically fare about 30 points better when they take the exam again.

The College Board's score report did not offer an explanation why this year's scores were lower, but it did note that a record number of students -- just short of 1.5 million -- took the test.

Iowa posted the highest scores, with a combined math and reading average of 1,221 and an overall 1,807 with the writing test. But only 4 percent of Iowa's graduating seniors took the test.

In South Carolina, 62 percent of graduating seniors took the SAT, the same as last year. Just 16 other states and the District of Columbia had higher percentages taking the test. Maine had the highest participation, at 100 percent, followed by New York, with 89 percent.

The SAT has historically been more popular on the East and West coasts, while the ACT has been more popular in the Midwest and inland western states. More students are taking both exams to try to improve their college resumes.