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04-17-2006, 11:59 AM
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DANTES Rise & Fall USSR exam thoughts
I have just returned from taking the DANTES Rise & Fall of the USSR exam and have the following thoughts and observations.
First, I only elected to take this exam as it would fulfill my final 3 UPPER level credits and my depth requirement in history. Those are the ONLY reasons that prompted me to sit the exam otherwise I would not have considered it. Secondly, as for the exam itself, I can sum it up this way - "Be prepared!" Thus far I have taken/passed nearly 2 dozen CLEP exams and one other DANTES (Civil War) and feel that this was the toughest of the bunch. Here too with DANTES, the questions and answer choices are oddly written and YOU MUST know what the question is looking for even if it is written somewhat vaguely and the answers just don't seem to fit. I devoted the same amount of time to this exam as I have with every other that I have taken/passed thus far and that is 3 weeks of regular study. I walked into the exam feeling comfortable and confident about the material and walked out feeling less certain about what my results might be. I felt that way about the Civil War exam too hoping for the bare minimum score of 47 and received a 62. With this one the bare minimum score is 45 and I "feel" that I will make the grade but not by much. Only time will tell and I suspect that I will have my results "hopefully" back around May 5th. As for the material itself this is what I found: There were 95 questions of which ...... approximately 15% were based on the Tsarist era (pre-1917) and went back to Alexander I. Lenin and Stalin era's combined to around 50% of the exam....... with another 20% on the Kruschev era...... and the balance of 15% on the Gorbachev era. The topic itself runs around 100 years events and is thus a lot to digest and spread out over 95 questions, yet if you can grasp the meat of each particular era and of the persons and main events in each you should be OK. Some have asked in other threads if using InstantCert "alone" will allow you to pass this one. For me, I would have to say no, but add that InstantCert addressed roughly 75% of the questions I saw. I also used 3-4 other books and a video on the topic which filled in the gaps yet I saw 3-5 questions on the exam with words, topics and events that were completely foreign allowing me to use my mighty power of "the best guess" option. CRAP!! Anyway, I now know why there is a need for a spring break and the need to let loose. This exam was (to me) the toughest exam I have faced yet I believe that I did OK. Only one more to go and that is CLEP - College Mathematics - DOUBLE CRAP!! Best of luck to all with this and all other exams!!! Last edited by ShotoJuku : 08-09-2006 at 08:04 AM.     
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04-17-2006, 12:47 PM
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 Uh oh! Don't know if I should be worried or not - I'm testing tonight at 6. I, like you, feel pretty confident now, but I ALWAYS feel like I either totally bombed or totally aced it when I take DSSTs. I'm trying to squeeze in some last minute studying this afternoon at work. I guess I can make a final call by 5 pm to decide if I'm ready. I have a lot riding on this one. I've spent a lot of time building the timeline and series of events around the Russian Revolution (1917), Stalin's regime, and WWII, especially post WWII - how Yalta, Warswa, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Potsdam all fit together. Do you think that's been time that could have been better spent on other stuff? Did you have to know names/positions of others around Stalin? I'm struggling to keep everyone straight. I think I can name the triumvate players but that's about it...
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Best of luck, Joanne 31 hours traditional schooling 11 Microsoft exams, 1 Linux+, 2 ICCP's, 6 CLEP's, 12 DSSTs, and 6 ECE's Degree Completed! BS in Liberal Studies
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04-17-2006, 12:52 PM
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It sounds like you have it down, it didn't mention exact specifics in my post but everything that you mentioned IS on the exam so you sound as though you are on target. Once again, to me it really isn't the complexity of the material as much as it is the format of the DANTES questions and answers. I can't tell you to take the exam, but should you forge ahead - GOOD LUCK!!!
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04-17-2006, 08:09 PM
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Just wondering what your decision was - take it or postpone?
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04-17-2006, 08:39 PM
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I went for it
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I went ahead and took it. It was tough. I know I had a least a half a dozen questions that I just threw a dart to decide my answer. You're feedback was right on the mark. The early Russia stuff I was not as solid on, it seems like I studied different aspects of it than was tested. Stalin, WWII and everything up to Gorbechev I was OK with. All in all, I don't feel very good about it but nothing I can do now except wait! Well see...  Oh, I will say that Wikipedia is an excellent free source to supplement InstaCert for this one. It has all the major players as well as events.
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Best of luck, Joanne 31 hours traditional schooling 11 Microsoft exams, 1 Linux+, 2 ICCP's, 6 CLEP's, 12 DSSTs, and 6 ECE's Degree Completed! BS in Liberal Studies Last edited by libartsmgr : 04-17-2006 at 08:42 PM.
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04-17-2006, 11:06 PM
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Sounds as if you and I are in the same boat, I just hope we can both stay afloat when our grades finally come to the surface. I too found wikipedia to be a great study resource. I figure that I should receive my grade around May 5th - I'll keep you posted. Good Luck on whatever's next for you!! Last edited by ShotoJuku : 04-17-2006 at 11:13 PM.
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04-18-2006, 05:09 AM
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Thanks! Good luck to you too.
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Best of luck, Joanne 31 hours traditional schooling 11 Microsoft exams, 1 Linux+, 2 ICCP's, 6 CLEP's, 12 DSSTs, and 6 ECE's Degree Completed! BS in Liberal Studies
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04-18-2006, 10:31 AM
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What study materials did you use?
Hi Shotojuku,
I plan on taking this exam in 3 weeks. Currently I have the red rudman book for it, but thats it. What books and resources did you use and were they sufficient for the exam?
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04-18-2006, 02:40 PM
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For starters - download the history of the USSR and related topics from www.wikipedia.org . I printed out nearly 30 (or so) pages and assembled them like a book that I could read and high-light whenever and wherever I was. Also you can buy over the counter, ONLY at Barnes & Noble, the SPARKNOTES on the Russian Revolution -or- download and print them out ($4.95) from www.SparkNotes.com . Last edited by ShotoJuku : 05-07-2006 at 11:05 AM.
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