The best advice is don't rely on your ability, or that of anyone else, to anticipate exam content. When it comes to inclass assessments however, the following strategies may help.
- Pay particular attention to any study guides that the lecturer hands out in class before the exam, or even at the beginning of the course! For example: key points, particular chapters or parts of chapters, handouts, etc.
- Ask the lecturer what to anticipate on the test if he/she does not volunteer the information.
- Pay particular attention, just prior to the assessment, to points the lecturer brings up during class lectures.
- Generate a list of possible questions you would ask if you were making the assessment, then see if you can answer the questions.
- Review previous assessments graded by the lecturer.
- Confer with other students to predict what will be on the assessment
- Pay particular attention to clues that indicate a lecturer might test for a particular idea, as when a lecturer:
- says something more than once
- writes material on the board
- pauses to review notes
- asks questions of the class
- says, "This will be on the test!"
It is worth repeating the point that all students try to anticipate the content of exams, but no one gets it completely right. Its always how you deal with the unexpected exam question, that decides wether you get the grade you want, and that's down to revision.