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Finally passed the ANTH exam after two attempts — here's what actually helped

by Carlos B. 507 views3 replies
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Carlos B.OP
May 27, 2026

So I just got my results back and I finally passed on my second try. Honestly wasn't sure I was going to make it after bombing it the first time — I scored a 68 and needed a 75, which was a gut punch. The first time around I basically just read through my notes and figured that would be enough. It wasn't.

What changed the second time was being way more systematic about it. I spent about 6 weeks using an ANTH practice test every few days to identify my weak spots, which for me were the cultural theory sections and applied anthropology methods. I also found a solid ANTH study guide that actually broke down the domain weighting so I wasn't over-studying stuff that barely shows up on the exam.

My biggest exam tip: don't ignore the ethics and professional standards questions. I underestimated that section both times and it cost me on attempt one. Anyone else currently prepping for this? Happy to share more specifics about what resources I used.

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David K.
May 27, 2026
Congrats! I'm sitting for mine in about 8 weeks and the ethics section is exactly what's been tripping me up on practice questions. Can I ask which specific topics in cultural theory gave you the most trouble? I feel like I have a decent handle on the methods stuff but the theoretical frameworks section feels really broad and I'm not sure what depth of knowledge they're actually testing.
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Carlos B.
May 28, 2026
This is so encouraging to read. Failed my first attempt by 4 points last year and took a long break before getting back into it. The practice test approach you mentioned is what my study group swears by too — doing timed sets really does expose gaps that just re-reading notes never would. What score were you consistently hitting on practice exams before you felt ready to reschedule?
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Preethi N.
May 28, 2026
Ethics and professional standards tripped me up too. I'd recommend going through the actual professional code of ethics document line by line — tedious but it's where a surprising number of questions seem to pull directly from. Made a real difference for me.

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