I spent all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday preparing for this exam and walked out of the testing center with a score of 62.
Ancient Greece to the European Renaissance is a huge period of time so this test covers a lot of information! Don’t be intimidated though. If you dedicate many hours of study time to the following resources you will surely pass. If you enjoy history then studying for this one won’t be agonizing. If you don’t enjoy history, then I’m sorry, but following this Western Civilization study guide should get you your 3 credits.
Study resources
There’s a good video series called “The Western Tradition“. The videos are old and not as interesting as watching the History Channel, but they’re very informative and do a good job of covering what’s on the exam.
The Ancient Greeks: Crucible of Civilization. An entertaining video series you can find on Netflix or YouTube.
I read through the Instant Cert cards 3 times.
To test my knowledge I took one of the Peterson’s practice tests and scored a 56. Then reviewed the explanations to the answers.
I went to Barnes & Noble, grabbed the REA book off the shelf, and sat down in the corner of the store to take the practice test in the back of the book. I got over half of the questions right, which has proven to be an indication that I’m ready for the real exam.
Things and People to Know
- John Calvin
- Martin Luther
- Mercantilism
- Machiavelli
- Hammurabi
- Feudalism
- Constantine
- Rule of Saint Benedict
- Flying Buttress
- Henry VIII
- Joan of Ark
- Francis of Assisi
- Punic Wars
- Greek Wars
- Catherine Medici
- Cardinal Richelieu
- The Great Schism
- Marcus Aurelius
- Ostracism
- Magna Carta
- 30 Years War
- 100 Years War
Final Thoughts
Remember to move quickly through the test and mark any questions you don’t know or are unsure of. Count up all the questions you marked at the end of the test, if they are half of the total questions or less, then I’m sure you passed!
It’s very beneficial to skim through or read your written resources multiple times. The information will soak in to your brain and you will be able to identify the correct answer out of the multiple choices. This is not an essay or fill in the blank test, you only have to identify the right answers!
Pay close attention to the dates of events.
Do not rely on just one study source for this one.
Check out some pictures of Byzantine art and architecture on Google images.
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