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The above mnemonic is how you keep the functions of the cranial nerves straight (S for sensory, M for motor, and B for both. Substitute the "B" word of your choice for "brains"). I didn't find it until after I'd taken both the lab and lecture exams. Maybe it will do you some good, at least. Make sure you know about the branches of the trigeminal, nuclei, etc., as you need to, It wouldn't hurt to know a cranial nerve exam too.

Shark nerves are more complicated. They don't have CN XI and XII, but they do have a terminal nerve (it's arguable that we do too). In addition we had to learn about the vomeronasal, posterior and anterior lateral line, and so on, which mammals don't have. Interesting aside: after a fair bit of debate, it looks like humans don't have a functioning vomeronasal organ. If it exists at all, it's not innervated.

Still, once you get the cranial nerves down, it's pretty simple. And there aren't that many peripheral nerves to pin in a cat. On the other hand you might get "what nerve innvervates muscle A?". Remember when I said to learn the nerves for each muscle group back when you learned muscles?

Mostly though, I don't have any clever advice here, because I really was out of commission during this part of the class. Ironically enough, the nervous system is my actual interest, and I'll be working with invertebrates anyway. I'm about half convinced my advisor recommended I take CVA solely to demonstrate his credentials as a sadist. OK Scott, you've proved your point. Can I go back to lobsters now?!?