Catholic Central is proud to recognize John Kiousis ’26 for earning a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, the highest possible composite score on the ACT test. 

“I used Mally A.C.T. to practice, but that mostly reinforced what I had learned in school. The perfect score meant liberation from a primary stressor of college application. This fall, I will attend the University of Michigan College of Engineering in Ann Arbor,” stated Kiousis. 

About one-quarter of 1% of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2024, only 3,041 out of 1.37 million students who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36. 

The ACT test consists of section 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 section test scores. The score for ACT’s optional writing test is reported separately and is not included in the ACT Composite score. 

“When a student earns a top score of 36 on the ACT test, it opens doors to a promising future, demonstrating for colleges and universities that they are ready for the challenges ahead,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said. “This remarkable achievement is something we celebrate along with the student and their family.” 

The ACT test is a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students should have had the opportunity to learn in school. Students who earn a top Composite score have likely mastered all the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in first-year college courses in the core subject areas. 

ACT test scores are accepted by major four-year colleges and universities across the U.S., and they are one of the many criteria that inform admissions, scholarship award, and course placement decisions. 

Catholic Central congratulates John and his family on this outstanding achievement and wishes him continued success as he prepares for the next chapter of his academic journey.

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About ACT

ACT is transforming college and career readiness pathways so that everyone can discover and fulfill their potential. Grounded in more than 65 years of research, ACT’s learning resources, assessments, research, and work-ready credentials are trusted by students, job seekers, educators, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world to help people achieve their education and career goals at every stage of life.