Any Tips For Dantes Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union exam?

I am about to begin studying for the Dantes Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union exam and was wondering if those who have already taken this exam could share some insights.

 

These may help....

Didn't get the chance to take that exam. Thank God ) I knew of one person who did in my squadron. He went in cold and passed barely.

I am in the process of creating a master list for the DSST. Right now, I only have the CLEP available:

http://www.123collegedegree.com/booklist.html

But I'll go ahead and post some of the recommended reading material for your enjoyment:

0415122902 The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union: 1917-1991 (Sources in History), by Richard Sakwa

0333948076 The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire: Second Edition, by Raymond Pearson

0140139729 Economic History of the USSR, by Alec Nove

I see you took the Civil War DSST, so you can see that the history-related exams are no joke.

If you need to satisfy a foreign history requirement, the intro to the modern middle east may be a better alternative. There is an instantcert guide for that one currently so you may have a much better shot at focusing on what will actually be on the test.

 

lcgreen-
Congratulations on passing the Civil War and Reconstruction test and good luck on the Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union. How was the Civil War and Reconstruction test? I'm taking that test at the education center this Monday. I've been studying, but any advice would be much appreciated.

S/F,
Ryan IV

 

Ryan,

Thanks...that's what you call a buzzer beater!

I read "The Everything Civil War Book" and it wasn't enough. The exam asked a lot of abstract questions. They weren't straight forward like..."What state was the first to seceed from the Union?" The questions were more like..."Which of the following was NOT a similarity between the Confederate and American Consitutions?" Those that do well must either be a Civil War buff or plain lucky. I studied everyday for two months.

I guessed my way to a passing grade. It's not hard to guess on multiple choice exams, especially those with only 4 choices.

Know the following:

-Battles (20)
-Which generals were on what side, Union or Confederate (20)
-The Confederate Constituion
-Reconstruction (20)
-Various Acts (10)

That's all I remember.


Hope this helps

 

tough test...

Use the DSST civ war and recon content outline. Know all the important battles and people (the jist of what happened, who won, the major leaders/warriors that stood out, etc) and be able to identify them in chronological order.

A tough test, I crammed with instantcert and barely passed. Do NOT cram for this one or any history-specific exam. Make sure you know the material on the content outline cold.

BTW, lcgreen posted his last reply just as I hit the send button for this one. After reviewing his most recent advice, he hit the nail right on the head. I used process of elimination (POE) for at least 1/2 of those questions. And what areas to concentrate on was also fairly accurate.

The questions were not what I expected. They were tricky. But POE is helpful, especially after reviewing the instantcert material.

- Josh

 

it focuses alot on the later soviet years and fall of the soviet union. It also focuses on the rise of the russians. It has some on the early time, just know the key points