Dawson High School senior Rishabh Dave recently achieved perfection on the American College Test (ACT) with a score of 36. Fewer than half of 1% of students who take the ACT earn a top score.
Dave took the test three times and achieved a 35 on the first two. He was excited when he received the results for the third one.
“It was really exciting to know I got this thing that I wanted in the past, and that now I have achieved it. I probably could not have gotten (the perfect score) if I didn’t have the opportunity to take it multiple times, and to study for it or for the SAT,” he said. “It was a happy occasion and it should be celebrated, but it should also be noted that I achieved it because I had privileges that other people don’t have.”
Among U.S. high school graduates in the class of 2021, just 4,055 out of more than 1.29 million students who took the ACT earned a composite score of 36.
Dave believes in setting goals and practicing regularly.
“I would tell any student who is not looking to achieve a perfect score on an ACT to try achieving that. Because if you don’t seek to accomplish something, you are never going to be able to aim and you are never going to be able to reach a higher level,” he said. “If a student is trying to achieve (a perfect score), keep going until you feel satisfied and practice regularly.”
The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1–36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. The score for ACT’s optional writing test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score. The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students have learned in school. Students who earn a 36 composite score have likely mastered all of the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in first-year college courses in the core subject areas.
