For a second year in a row, Maryland ranked first nationwide in the percentage of public school students scoring 3 or higher on at least one AP (Advanced Placement) exam. A score of 3 or higher on the 5-point scale is considered mastery of college-level work. Maryland also continues to show strong gains in the number of students taking an AP exam, and is one of the first states in AP history to have 40 percent of its students take at least one AP test. Additionally, Maryland has dramatically increased AP participation among minority students. Maryland has eliminated the "equity and excellence" gap among Hispanic students as 7.5 percent of students earned a score of 3 or higher, actually exceeding their overall school enrollment of 6.8 percent. While no state has overcome the gap for African-American students, 9.6 percent of Maryland test-takers scoring a 3 or higher were African-American.