Hillsborough Student Earns Perfect 36 On ACT

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Aarav Patel, a high school senior at Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, earned the highest possible ACT Composite score of 36 on the ACT test.

According to the ACT, about one-quarter of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score.

In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2025, only 2,958 out of more than 1.38 million students who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36.

The ACT consists of section tests in English, math and reading, each scored on a scale of 1 to 36, along with optional science and writing tests.

The ACT Composite score is the average of the English, math and reading test scores. The optional science and writing scores are reported separately and are not included in the ACT Composite score.

"Earning a top score of 36 on the ACT is a significant accomplishment that signals a student’s readiness for the challenges ahead," said ACT CEO Steve Tapp. "It opens doors to their future and is an achievement we’re proud to celebrate."

ACT describes the test as a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students should have had the opportunity to learn in school.

According to the ACT, students who earn a top Composite score have demonstrated mastery of the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in first-year college courses in the core subject areas.

Students who earn a 36 Composite score have met all four of the ACT College Ready Benchmarks. According to the source material, that means they have a 50 percent chance of earning a B or higher in related first-year, credit-bearing college courses and a 75 percent chance of earning a C or better in those courses.

ACT data show students in college who have met at least three ACT benchmarks are more than twice as likely to graduate on time as students who have met none.

ACT scores are accepted by major four-year colleges and universities across the U.S., and are one of many criteria used in admissions, scholarship awards and course placement decisions.

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