Try adding <INPUT>; after both of these lines

read (INPUT, $test4, 3);
[download]

That will read/skip the linefeed which would otherwise remain on each line.

(And also fix $name --> $studentname, of course.)

Or just drop the read calls altogether and do something like:

$line=<INPUT>;
$studentname = substr($line,0,20);
$test1 = substr($line,21,3);
...
[download]

(Though I'm sure a few monks can come up with an unpack solution or a module that handles fixed-width fields)

Though I'm sure a few monks can come up with an unpack solution

Here you are =)

use warnings;
use strict;
use List::Util qw(sum);

my $studnum = 0;
my $totavg  = 0;

while (<DATA>)
{
    my ($name, @tests) = unpack ("A20A3A3A3A3", $_);
    last if $name eq "END";
    
    my $avg = sum(@tests)/4;
    $totavg += $avg;
    $studnum++;
    
    printf("%-24.20s %6.2f\n", $name, $avg);
}

$totavg /= $studnum;

printf ("\n\n%-24.22s %6.2f\n", $studnum, $totavg);
print "Program completed Successfully.";
exit 0;
__DATA__
Tom Thumb           100096093098
Mickey Mouse        088068095086
Minnie Mouse        078056088098
Donald Duck         098096078100
Tad Pole            100100100100
Mack Aroni          095067089098
Cassie Role         082045088079
Mary Martin         085096093088
Mickey Mantle       088063095086
Darryl Strawberry   078056098098
Donald Trump        098086078100
Steve Young         100078097093
Mack Truck          095067099098
Mel Gibson          082075088079
END                 000000000000
[download]



holli, /regexed monk/

unpack is better with fixed-width records

my ( $name, @tests ) = unpack( 'A20 A3 A3 A3 A3', $line );
[download]

With 5.8.0+, you can even do

my ( $name, @tests ) = unpack( 'A20 (A3)4', $line );
[download]

or

my ( $name, @tests ) = unpack( 'A20 (A3)*', $line );
[download]

Update: Heh, I hadn't noticed the bit about unpack at the bottom before posting.

Well, I've tried everything so far...Still no luck. :|

Confucious says "you must did not try everything then" :)