Students may study for months before taking the ACT. Some may take the test three or four times before getting a score they are comfortable with. Generally, scores in the high 20s are seen as excellent scores by colleges. Only six percent of students receive scores in the 30s. Sophomore Noah Hale achieved a perfect score of a thirty-six after taking the ACT for the first time.

Hale took the test for the first time in the spring of 2019, months before he would take it for free as a junior. Hale prepared for the test by buying an ACT prep book and reading the tips and tricks for each separate section of the test.

Hale said he thought he did well on the test, but he never expected to get the result that he did. When he found out that he received a perfect score on the ACT, Hale said he thought that there was some sort of mistake.

“At first I didn’t think it was real,” he said. “I thought it was an example score, but once I found out that it was really mine I was very excited.”

Although he got a perfect score, Hale said he plans on taking it again his junior year to try to achieve a higher score on the written portion of the test. Hale also plans on taking the SAT because some colleges require both an ACT and SAT score.

Hale said he hopes to attend West Point, which is in the military academy. 

“I feel more confident about getting into West Point,” he said. “I feel like a big weight has been taken off of my shoulders.”