Hawai'i's college-bound students performed at or above the national average in English, reading, mathematics and science on the ACT college entrance exam, according to test results released this morning.

While Hawai'i's ACT scores for the graduating class of 2009 showed small decreases from last year, overall the state's results show that Hawai'i's college-bound students are more prepared for post-secondary degree work than many of their national counterparts.

Hawai'i's composite ACT score was 21.5 points, while the national average was 21.1. The state's students performed best in math, with an average score of 22.1, higher than the national score of 21.

In English and science, Hawai'i is slightly better than the national average, at about 21 points. And Hawai'i is on par with the national reading score of 21.4.

The ACT is the second most-taken college entrance exam among Hawai'i students, behind the College Board SAT.

This year, 3,115 public and private school students took the ACT. The results of the College Board's SAT will be released next week, but last year more than 8,000 students took that exam.

While nationally some colleges are relying less on college entrance exams, University of Hawai'i officials say the test is still one indicator for admissions.

Alan Yang, associate vice chancellor for students at UH-Manoa, said Hawai'i students tend to do better on the ACT than on the SAT.

"Both of the tests are equally useful in gauging how successful a student may be at college course work. Some students tend to do better on one than the other," he said.

UH-Manoa, the state's flagship university campus, requires prospective students to submit scores from either the SAT or ACT. Generally, UH requires students score a minimum of 22 points in all the ACT subject areas and as a composite score.

"If you achieve those scores, you're automatically accepted" as having met that particular criterion, Yang said, adding that the test scores are only one way that the university judges applicants for admission to the school. Applicants are generally expected to have a 2.8 grade-point average, be in the top 40 percent of their graduating class and complete college preparatory coursework, as well.

Carol Shikada, director of the state Department of Education's Student Support Branch, said the ACT has had a smaller presence in Hawai'i mainly because it is a test traditionally recommended by Midwestern universities and colleges. Most Hawai'i students look toward the East and West coasts for school, she said.