Scores on the critical reading portion of the SAT college entrance exam haven fallen three points to their lowest level on record, and combined reading and math scores are the lowest since 1995.

The College Board released results Wednesday for the 1.65 million members of the high school class of 2011 who took the test. It says the results reflect the expanding pool of the test-takers. As more students aim for college and take the exam, it tends to drag down average scores.

Still, it was just the second time in two decades that reading scores have fallen so much in a single year.

Average math scores fell one point to 514 on the 800-point test, while scores on the writing section dropped two points to 489.