More Clark County students, including those in various ethnic subgroups, are passing Advanced Placement exams, according to preliminary data from the 2017-2018 school year.

The nation’s fifth-largest district notched a 49.5 percent pass rate on the AP exams — a 2.3 percent increase compared with the prior school year. A total of 14,064 students took more than 24,600 AP exams this past academic year. They needed to score a 3, 4 or 5 to pass the exam and potentially earn college credit for the course.

Students whose ethnicity is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander posted the biggest gain among subgroups, with a 6.6 percent increase in their AP exam pass rate. The pass rates also increased for African American students by 2.8 percent, Hispanic students by 1.6 percent, American Indian or Alaska Native students by 2.4 percent and non-Hispanic students who identify as two or more races by 3 percent.

The pass rates for students who come from low-income households also increased by 2.7 percent.

The district has been making a concerted effort to increase the number of students taking AP courses and passing the final exam. The courses are supposed to mimic college classes and, therefore, are considered more challenging.

Superintendent Jesus Jara said the upward trajectory of the pass rate bodes well for students’ futures.

“We are especially encouraged to see the gains in the pass rate by our underrepresented students,” he said. “Our students are accelerating in college-level material, and this means more students are graduating college and career ready.”

This post has been updated to clarify that more students are passing the AP exams, but that doesn't mean more students are taking the exam.