Topeka ? Kansas students are outpacing the national average on the SAT college-entrance exam.

The state’s Department of Education said Monday that scores increased in all content areas in 2012. The biggest increase was in reading, where students scored 595 out of 800, up five points from 2011.

About 5 percent of the state’s graduates took the exam — a low number that contributes to Kansas’ higher-than-average scores.

The reason few Kansas students take the test is because the ACT historically is more popular in the central states, with the SAT more popular on the East and West coasts. The Kansas students taking the SAT tend to be more prepared, with many of them considering admission to out-of-state schools.