About the show

Chad Cargill took the ACT test 18 times in high school raising his score 13 points and scoring in the 99.5 percentile. He is the nation's leading ACT test prep workshop presenter having taught nearly 250,000 students over the last 32 years. He travels the Midwest each school day teaching students, faculty, and parents how to beat the ACT. His full workshop schedule can be found at calendar.chadcargill.com. His website is chadcargill.com.

Chad Cargill's ACT Test Prep on social media

Episodes

  • 60: From DRC Congo to America: Creed's Graduation Speech

    June 2nd, 2022  |  Season 3  |  6 mins 59 secs
    congo, drc, graduation

    From a kid growing up in extreme poverty to now living in the United States, my son Creed gives his 6th-grade elementary graduation speech.

  • 59: ACT's Great Inflation - A Rant

    November 12th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  18 mins 28 secs
    act, cost, inflation, rant, scholarship

    You are paying more for everything in 2021. While inflation in the United States runs rampant, ACT is fully on-board participating in the great rate hike of 2021. Hold on to your wallets! ACT is about to make bank off of you, and colleges are doing the same.

  • 58: My Graduation Speech and Challenge to the Class of 2021

    April 29th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  16 mins 57 secs
    act, class of 2021, college, graduation, high school

    To the graduates of the Class of 2021, congratulations on your high school accomplishments. Now, I challenge you to live a life that matters.

  • 57: Live Q&A at the End of an Online Workshop

    April 15th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  17 mins 29 secs
    act, classes, high school, prep, q&a, qualify, scholarships, test

    Listen in as students post questions at the end of one of my online workshops. I answer as they are posted, and you can listen to all my answers in this episode.

  • 56: Why You Should Never Take the 5th Experimental Section of the ACT

    April 8th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  18 mins 11 secs
    5th experimental, high school, prep, qualify, scholarships, test

    Most ACT tests now have a 5th experimental section. Most stay and try on this section. In this episode, I explain what this section is and why you should never take it.

  • 55: Trouble Finishing the Reading Test? This Trick Can Immediately Raise Your Score

    April 1st, 2021  |  Season 2  |  16 mins 41 secs
    act, high school, prep, reading, speed, test

    If you find yourself running out of time in reading, many students give up on the last passage. Using this simple tip, students who struggle finishing reading can immediately raise their scores.

  • 54: Master the Dash and Raise Your English Score Now

    March 25th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  19 mins 41 secs
    act, dash, english, grammar, test prep

    Most students pick a dash if it looks good. Many test-takers have no idea the rules for using the dash. A dash is on almost every ACT test you take. In this episode, we'll review the rule for a dash and look at examples how it is used.

  • 53: 7 Keys to Writing a Winning Scholarship Essay

    March 18th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  17 mins 54 secs
    essay, scholarships

    Follow these seven tips, and write a scholarship essay that wins.

  • 52: 9 Ways to Stay Focused During the ACT Test

    March 4th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  24 mins 28 secs
    act, distractions, focus, high school, prep

    Recently, I was asked during a workshop, "How do I stay focused during the ACT test?" In today's episode, I give 9 ways you can stay focused during the test. Let me know which ones of these distractions apply to you and how you handled them.

  • 51: 2 Important Rule Changes and How You Should Adjust

    February 25th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  17 mins 24 secs
    act, high school, rule change, time, watch

    In this episode, we discuss two important rule changes that may affect when you take the ACT and how you keep time during the test.

  • Episode 50: Math - What is Tested? A Detailed Look at the July 2020 National ACT Math Test

    February 18th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  15 mins 46 secs
    high school, math, prep, qualify, scholarships, test

    Have you ever wondered what percent of the math test is geometry? Or maybe you wonder if certain math topics are tested. In this episode, we go question by question from the July 2020 national ACT test. We look at the concepts tested and break down what percentage of questions are each category.

  • Episode 49: Is the ACT Science Test Changing?

    February 11th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  23 mins 38 secs
    high school, prep, qualify, scholarships, science, test

    Although the ACT has been virtually the same for the last few decades, there are subtle changes that are important to know. In this episode, we'll discuss some of the changes you'll see in the science section of the test.

  • 48: What are Zero Level Classes and How to Avoid Them

    February 4th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  22 mins 17 secs
    act, athlete, qualify, remedial, scholarship, zero level

    Over $1 billion dollars are spent annually on remedial college classes that don't even count toward a major. In this episode, we take a look at zero level classes. We answer what they are, why you would have to take them, and how to avoid them.

  • 47: Why GPAs are a Joke!

    January 28th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  24 mins 59 secs
    act, class rank, gpa, unweighted, weighted

    GPAs are used for many things like qualifications, scholarships, and even academic championships. Unless analyzed thoroughly and taken into context, they are almost meaningless numbers. Yet, many continue to use GPAs as a comparative measurement. In this episode, I'll tell you why they shouldn't.

  • 46: QBQ! My #1 Recommended Book with John Miller

    January 21st, 2021  |  Season 2  |  48 mins 59 secs
    book, curriculum, i own it, kristin lindeen, parenting, personal accountability, qbq!, reading

    What makes a question an IQ or a QBQ? In today's episode, you'll meet John Miller who is the author of the most impactful book I've read other than the Bible itself. But be warned, this episode may change your life. QBQ! changed mine.

  • 45: A Look Ahead to 2021

    January 14th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  30 mins 3 secs
    high school, math, ms, prep, qualify, scholarships, test

    As we start the new year, we reflect on the challenges of 2020 and turn our focus to a new beginning in 2021.