History taking is a deceptively hard skill. Some patients are indeed harder to take a history from than others. Some are very enthusiastic and want to tell you everything and it can be hard directing them without appearing rude. Others are not very informed about their illness and are not in the mood for talking. It is therefore a skill that must be practiced many times so that you can do it speedily without missing anything important during the stress of the exam.
If you find you are having trouble getting the right information, taking too much time, or structuring your histories we have a recommended strategy.
Common histories in exams and real life: