If you have been looking for ways to sharpen your record search skills, the new Record Search Practice Exercises in The Family History Guide may be just what you’ve been looking for.

The Format

The Practice Exercises use the following format:

• Record Search Practice Objective – a statement of the problem to solve, including several questions to answer.
• Hints – a list of ideas to try in case you need help with the solution.
• Answers – each question is answered in a list.

They are included in three hide/show links, side-by-side:

Most of the Practice Exercises use QUIKLinks to FamilySearch record collections, as they are freely available. Some exercises use other free-access database, such as GENUKI, the National Archives, etc.

Here’s an example from Florida, Goal 3: Vital Records, Choice B (Explore Florida marriage and divorce records), with the links open …

Notice that there is a green circle next to this Record Search Practice link. Green means beginning level. A blue circle means that the exercise is at an intermediate level. Below is an example from Ireland Goal 2: Archives and Libraries, Choice B (Learn about Irish directories). The hide/show links are open to show the details.

Where to Find the Exercises

We have just begun to add these exercises, so many more will be coming in the future. Here’s a list of where to find the Practice Exercises in The Family History Guide:

• Isle of Man page (British Isles)
• Channel Islands page (British Isles)
• Northern Ireland page
• Ireland: Goal 2 – Archives and Libraries
• Ireland: Goal 3 – Civil Registration
• Ireland: Goal 6 – Emigration and Immigration
• U.S. States: Goal 3 for states from Alabama to Rhode Island, alphabetically

There are nearly 50 Record Search Practice Exercises in The Family History Guide, with many more to come. Enjoy!