CCNA's LOOK HERE!

[stuman19]

I would like to get your imput on what is the best way to study (in your opinion) for the CCNA exam. What books did you use? What practice tests did you use? Any imput is nice. I have a degree in computer networking and now I am looking to get my certifications they are important in the job search. Thanks fellas/ladies.

Stu

 

[Genx87]

Yes they are. I got a 4 year MIS degree 2 years ago and well certs or post graduation education is pretty much required now. College degrees are what highschool degrees were to our parents.

Right now I am taking full classes at the local tech college. I took them because I would rather know wtf I am doing when somebody hires me for a networking position than know all the buzzwords. The class is part of the cisco academy and thus the books are straight from Cisco. Everything is pretty laid out and explained. They have lab books, you get a log on on thier website, and you can download simulators to do the lab.

One of the plus's is you get to buy an 860 or something DSL\cable router with a full IOS for 200 bucks

 

[Fatt]

I used the sybex books.

Two things:

Either buy a simulator or use your lab at school. A LOT.

Practice tests and flash cards. Use them repeatedly, long after you memorized all the questions.

The CCNA is no joke, with a passing score of 85%, simulator questions and stuff that USED to be on the CCNP advanced routing test. Brain dumping just isn't enough. You will NOT pass unless you can recite basic router configs in your sleep.
And they have trouble shooting questions as well:
"Here's a network, these are the configurations. It doesn't work. What's wrong?"

 

[azev]

The best practice is to get a few 2500 series router (very affordable on ebay) and a switch. Dont forget to get the simulation software, and practice them on the actual router. Another good reading material is cisco press book. I studied CCNA in 3 months (while unemployed), did all the lab from 2 different routersim software and nailed it the first time.

Good Luck

 

[GigaCluster]

I passed the CCNA exam after a two-year high school course. We went very slow, though, for others. The book that helped me was by Wendell Odom.
As Genx87 mentioned, you can buy an 806 router for $250, but mine broke a year after purchase.
While we had a good practice network at school, with 5 routers, I hardly ever used them and still passed. The passing percentage is not 85%, as Fatt said; instead, you have to get 849 points from a range of 300 to 1000.
My MOST helpful tool was a CD from a friend's CCNA book with 300 sample test questions -- he and I got together the evening before the test, went through all of them, took notes to look over for questions that we missed, and I feel that this step pushed me over the edge -- I was prepared much more after this.

 

[Fatt]

Originally posted by: GigaCluster
The passing percentage is not 85%, as Fatt said; instead, you have to get 849 points from a range of 300 to 1000.

While you are mathematically correct, to say that a score of 849 out of a maximum of 1000 is not 85% is being excessively ånal.

Furthermore, to suggest that practicing your router configurations until you have it down cold is NOT important is doing him a disservice.

I don't know when you took your CCNA exam, but the current exams have several heavily weighted simulator questions as well as additional troubleshooting questions, also weighted. Furthermore, Cisco has begun to move CCNP material onto the CCNA exam.

You are absolutely correct that practice questions are a key component of studying, but you are absolutely wrong if you think simulator (or actual router) practice isn't important.

 

[GigaCluster]

No, no, Fatt, I am not being anal... the emphasis was the 300 low. So, there's not 1000 points to choose from, but only 700.

 

[Fatt]

Originally posted by: GigaCluster
No, no, Fatt, I am not being anal... the emphasis was the 300 low. So, there's not 1000 points to choose from, but only 700.

Actually, it's not a 700 point range. It's a thousand point test.

There are two ways to score a test:

1) Start from zero and add points, or;
2) Start from 100%, in this case 1,000 points, and deduct.

The CCNA is scored the second way. the reason it has a floor of 300 is because by the time you have lost 700 points you run out of questions.

But that's not why I replied to your post. Anyone even reading this board in the first place is most likely bright enough to realize that "my" 85% and "your" 849 are essentially the same thing.


No, the reason I responded to your post was because your post implies that a brain dump is sufficient to pass the CCNA, which MAY have been true at one time, but is NOT true anymore.

Cisco, who is trying to "raise the bar" on the CCNA by adding a performance section, has simulator and troubleshooting questions on the test now, and they are more heavily weighted that the other questions on the test.

You can know NOTHING about networking and basically memorize the entire question pool. But you can't pass the simulator and troubleshooting portions like that and if you don't pass those sections you can't pass the CCNA anymore.

THAT'S the crucial issue, not whether or not it is correct to express the passing score by saying "85%"

 

[GigaCluster]

OK, I agree with you on everything you said except "but is NOT true anymore." I passed the CCNA a month ago, having taken the very latest version of it. Also, I don't consider it a brain dump -- I knew most the questions from those sample tests. I guess taking them just a day before the actual exam boosted my self-confidence because I missed only a small fraction of those questions. I am certainly not implying that cramming those questions is going to do you a world of good.

 

[fargus]

Hands-on experience is crucial, especially for troubleshooting. I got together once a week with a few folks who were also working on their certs, it was very helpful to have someone else to bounce ideas off and to have them sabotage your setup and then have you fix it... also had a helpful local Cisco SE who was able to get us access to some additional equipment, etc.