JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi educators say the state's college-bound students need to start taking challenging courses in 7th or 8th grade if they want to perform well on entrance exams.

"There's no quick fix to success on the ACT," said Pam Truehett, manager of college planning for the nonprofit Education Services Foundation in Jackson.

In 2002, Mississippi ranked 50th on the ACT scores among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Only the District of Columbia ranked lower.

The highest possible score on the college entrance exam is 36. Mississippi's average score was 18.6.

In 1992, Mississippi's average score was 18.8.

At a news conference Tuesday, officials from the state Department of Education, the state Board of Community and Junior Colleges and the state Board of Institutions of Higher Learning said students and parents need to have long-term plans for college preparation.

IHL Commissioner David Potter said 23,395 students took the ACT in 2002, compared to 18,694 a decade earlier. That's an increase of 4,701.

"If we have a broader base of students interested in pursuing higher education, then we have a broader responsibility of making sure those students are ready," Potter said.

Many of the new test-takers are not enrolled in advanced math, science and English courses that prepare students for college, he said. Of the 86 percent of Mississippi high school students who take the ACT, officials said, only half follow a college prep curriculum.

Officials said another disadvantage for Mississippi is that 78 percent of students taking the ACT were seniors. The national average is 63 percent who are seniors.

State College Board member Ricki Garrett said more students should take the test their junior year so they'll have time to retake it if they're unhappy with their scores.

"The knowledge base is optimal in the 11th grade to take the ACT," Garrett said.

Meagan Wright of Raymond said she scored 17 the first time she took the ACT. After working with Education Services Foundation, she took the exam two more times. Her second score was 21 and her third was 23.

The home-schooled student completed 11th and 12th grades in one year and said she plans to attend Hinds Community College this fall.

In college admissions, the ACT is designed for use with high school grades to predict academic readiness for college. Scored on a 1-36 point scale, the ACT is actually four exams: English, reading, mathematics and science.