[quote name='dallascowboys']I'm not going to list all of the songs, but some examples are Beethoven's Allegro con brio: Symphony no. 5 in C minor, Tchaikovsky's Finale: 1812 Overture, Chopin's Waltz no. 6 in D minor "Minute," etc. Most of the songs sound familiar to me, but my problem is memorizing all of the names and being able to associate the song with a 20 or 30 second clip.[/QUOTE]
I had to do things like these for my undergrad and grad music classes. The most harrowing would be in Romantic Music History at IU, where we had to memorize 120 different pieces across 50 or so composers with full titles in foreign languages, movements, with perfect spelling [read: OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD]. Also, dates, random starting points, and only one listen per example!
(1) Grab a set of index cards and write down the full name of every example along with year and composer. Set each index card in chronological order to start.
(2) Make a playlist/setlist/CD that plays all of the selections in chronological order.
(3) Listen to each example without any other outside distractions. Turn off the TV, unplug the ethernet cable/phone line, close your books. It's just you and your index cards. Just relax, listen to each piece, and consult each card and try and memorize a name, composer, or date on each pass.
(4) CRITICAL STEP: Write down something UNIQUE about each song on the index cards as you listen. This is the greatest thing you can do. For example, say you have Movement 5 of Berlioz's symphonie fantastique. Say it is the only piece you have on the test that involve the high-ranged Eb clarinets (and, moreso, in a solo).
By doing Step 4 you will be able to more readily identify specific songs, god forbid, if you freak out during the test. Feel free to write down where you have heard familiar songs before, since the more ways you can place the song the easier the recognition will be during the test.
(5) Once you get everything under control chronologically, try doing the examples randomly and see how you hold up. Do it akin to the test format. If you can only hear the example once for 30 seconds, do it just like that. If you have to do 15 out of 25 examples, do exactly that. Keep practicing until you get better. Don't be afraid to go back and re-listen to songs you just aren't getting. There has to be something unique about them that you can use in order to facilitate your memorizing skills.
(6) Repeat EVERY DAY UNTIL THE TEST. I CANNOT stress that enough. You can't cram for music or the arts as well as you can other subjects since these aren't standard tests. Listening tests take patience, time, and effort in order to do well. There aren't any shortcuts here. Even if you can study for only 60 minutes per day on this until the test it's a far better approach than trying to cram at the last minute for several hours. Unless you have been doing this for years it's rare that that method will work for you.
Also, do what's best for you. I work best by pacing around my room, speaking the titles, composers, dates, and other things aloud. It's just my thing. If this method is not working for you, feel free to vary it to whatever floats your boat. It's not ~guaranteed~ to work, but this approach pretty much assured that around 60 students in my class got at least a B+ on this type of crushing exam, which isn't bad out of 70 or so people.