To Memorize or Not--That is the Question

Last week, I spoke with a colleague who had taken the APR exam in June. Of course, she did not provide me with specific questions that were on the computerized test, but she did give me some valuable input. Her experience was that the multiple choice questions focused on public relations scenarios and practitioners would do well to leverage their expertise in selecting the answers.

This leads me to wonder about all the advice to memorize facts and diagrams I've seen from PRSA blog posts and Tactics articles. How much time should I spend on memorizing every communications theory listed in my textbook? Is it really important to know George Creel's contributions to the profession? (FYI, Creel headed the Committee on Public Information during President Wilson's era, using Four-Minute Men to deliver speeches across the country to sell war bonds, promote food conservation, and build up the Red Cross.) Or can I rely on my years in the trenches of the public relations industry to illuminate the correct answers?

In the two weeks I have left before the exam, I'll continue to review the communications models in my textbook and try to memorize a few more public relations historical facts. My hope is that my years of experience will truly be a boon and give me the confidence to pass this last hurdle on my way to obtaining my APR.