Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, September 4, 2008

Evan Shirley, a senior in the pre-engineering program at Lafayette High School, earned a 36 on the ACT college entrance exam – the highest possible composite score – based on results from testing in June.

His advice for other students? “Generally, ‘Relax while you’re taking the test.’”

Shirley, who said he completed a few practice tests beforehand, likely will choose a liberal arts college. “I’m interested in the sciences, like physics and chemistry,” he said.

Only three students in Kentucky made the top score, including Kevin Overall, a senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School who wants to major in architecture.

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36. The composite score is the average of the four test scores. ACT scores are accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and universities.