Montgomery County students showed improvement on the ACT this year, topping last year’s mark and besting the scores of their peers nationwide, according to statistics released by MCPS in August.

The ACT is a national college placement test that helps determine the proficiency of a student’s understanding of concepts learned in high school. It concentrates on four subjects: English, mathematics, reading and science, and is scored out of 36.

MCPS students who took the test during the last school year averaged a composite score of 23.5, which was a small but noticeable increase over 2011-2012 scores. Scores topped the Maryland average of 22.3, and easily exceeded the national average of 20.9.

“Our 2013 graduates demonstrated strong readiness for college on the ACT and are better prepared for success after graduation,” MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr said in a press release.

The test has grown increasingly popular the past decade, with a 21 percent increase in registration in the past five years, according to the ACT website.

Nowadays, many students elect to take the ACT instead of the SAT in the college application process, partially due to the fact that the test is more curriculum-based than the SAT, Landau said.

“Our kids are preparing more and challenging themselves with a harder curriculum,” resource counselor Frances Landau said. “Kids are taking more and more honors and AP classes, which helps better prepare them for these tests.”