Fishers High School sophomore Zaid Abuhassan has accomplished something very few students across the country ever achieve — earning a perfect score of 36 on the ACT.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools announced the achievement this week, noting that Zaid’s accomplishment is even more unusual because he earned the score as a sophomore. The district also pointed out this marks the second consecutive year an HSE Schools student has achieved a perfect ACT score.

The ACT measures student performance in English, mathematics, reading and science. Scores in each section range from 1 to 36 and are averaged into a composite score. Only a small percentage of students nationwide earn a perfect composite score each year.

Zaid said preparation and learning from previous testing helped him reach the milestone.

“I tried to be strategic in my studying and focus on the topics I was weakest in,” Zaid said in the district release. “When I missed questions, I would go back, read the explanations, and figure out how to solve them correctly the next time.”

According to HSE Schools, Zaid first took the ACT during the summer and scored a 35, missing a perfect score by one question. When he took the exam again in February, he was determined to improve.

“I was pretty excited when I got the results,” he said. “I had been practicing for quite a long time, so seeing it pay off was really nice.”

Fishers High School Principal Kyle Goodwin praised Zaid’s work ethic and commitment.

“Zaid’s accomplishment reflects the kind of curiosity and determination we see in many of our students,” Goodwin said. “He has set a great example of what is possible through preparation and perseverance.”

Beyond academics, Zaid is heavily involved in extracurricular activities at Fishers High School. He participates in cross country and track, competes on the math team and Academic Super Bowl, and is active in both DECA and HOSA. Earlier this year, he qualified for international competitions through DECA.

Zaid said physics is currently his favorite class and that he is considering future careers in either engineering or biology. He also credited the support system available at Fishers High School for helping him succeed.

“There’s so much support and so many resources,” he said. “Meeting with my counselor early on really helped me understand how everything works and set goals.”

Zaid also encouraged other students preparing for standardized testing to start early rather than waiting until the last minute.