<p>So I'm looking through the taxonomy section of a review book and I see a lot of detail. Do I really have to know about things like "Phaeophyta" "Lycophyta" "Ciliophora" and "Rotifera"?</p>
<p>You won't need to go into that much detail.</p>
<p>Phew. Do I need to know animal phyla?</p>
<p>Yes. Well, the phyla of the Animal Kingdom at least. Know the characteristics of your sponges, cnidaria, mollusks, flatworms, roundworms, segmented worms, arthropods, echinoderms, and chordates. I think those are all the phyla (I still remember some of what I studied :D). Then, know the classes of the phylum chordata.</p>