ccna - 2 exams or 1?

donaghs

Hi, After completing some MCPs I'm looking to move onto the CCNA. Been studying CCNA materials and working with Routers and Switches for a month now. I'm a system admin but don't really get to work with Cisco equipment that regularly, occasionally fix an issue with our Switches. Basically want to know more, and bump up my salary:cool:

I'm looking to sit an exam early in the new year, but am not sure whether to go with the all-in-one exam (640-801), or do the INTRO (640-821) and then the other exam (640-811). Any thoughts?

Also, can people who've done these exams give some feedback on them?

Like how many questions in each? What sort of questions (e.g. short multiple choice, diagrams, simulators, etc). Any study materials that were particularly helpful?

I understand that unlike the Microsoft exams, Cisco exams are strictly sequential, you must answer the questions one at a time as they are presented to you, and cannot "mark" questions for review. Any more helpful tips on these sort of areas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!:)

Endurance Man

I'm busy doing the cicso course at the moment have me first exam in January :S. My lecturer reckons there are around 50-60 questions, all multiple choice and some have diagrams. He reckons they can be tricky, the wording and answers can put you off.
I am just about finished all my semester one chapters and it was not easy. You have to get 70% in each module which is tough. I doubt i will pass the exam first time around, luckily i am not marked by the college on that score, we do separate practicals.
Unless you are really clued up on all the hardware, OSI model and how everything relates to it, and then a whole lot more i wouldn't advise jumping right into the exam.

Static M.e.

It depends really on your view of the exam, cash flow etc.

The exam is tough make sure you know your stuff.

If you break the exam in two parts you can focus your study more on one half of the exam, pass that and move on to the next. So it an easier approach and one I recommend. The only problem is it costs twice as much as you have to pay for two exams instead of one.

The other approach is of course to take the full exam in one go, lots of people do it, you just need to study hard and know your stuff.

Personnally I found the Cisco press books very good also get your hands on a router or lab for practice. Its also important to know you have 3 lab questions and you NEED to get all three or your kinda screwed.

check out this site w.celticrover.com

Static M.e.

Just one other thing we are trying to get an IT Cert forum started, it would be great if you could support the idea if your interested.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055018648

donaghs

Hey, thanks for the feedback. Is there anyone out there who's done the 2 exams, and would have some feedback on the format of them and so on?

donaghs

C'mon!! Someone must have done the exam....

Static M.e.

I sat the 640-801 all in one exam rather than the ICND 811 and INTRO 821 exams.

Have you looked throught the Cisco site itself, they have alot of usefull information on it.

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le0/le9/learning_certification_type_home.html

Have a look at the above and I'll try and answer any particular questions you have.

olearydc

donaghs wrote:

Hey, thanks for the feedback. Is there anyone out there who's done the 2 exams, and would have some feedback on the format of them and so on?

Hi

Did the CCNA exam approx 1 1/2 years ago
I did 1 exam which had approx 65 questions and 3 simulations which were quiet hard...Failed on the first attempt and applied again straight away again for another test day, which I then passed (Just)…Out of all the exams the CCNA was the hardest, with the highest score required…BUT its worth it
Study your stuff..go over ALL the questions…and be ready for the sims….Good luck

layke

Just sat my Semester two exams which was quite hard.
Up until last year the CCNA was considered passable however apperently they have made it much harder now.

I'll let you know when I do it myself in 6 months.

Quite simplty, working with Cisco gear is not enough you will need the books, know subnetting insude and out, ACL's, The cisco IOS etc.. and learn a whole load of crap that you will never use in real life. But it's all on the exam and you need to get 85.6% to pass.

accensi0n

84.9%......

drkool

Hi I'm planning to do CCNA this Sep 07 the best place to get info about CCNA will be go to there site knowledge base follow this link http://www.cisco.com/univercd/home/home.htm
good luck

hobochris

im doing my cisco course at college as part of my degree...(throught the netacad program)

ive passed my ccna 3 and still have to do 4 then i sit my ccda...

the ccna teaches me all i need to also sit a ccnp,ccdp,ccsp,ccip,and ccvp...

i could in theory sit a ccie but ill probably wait until i get some industry expereince under my belt...as its an expensive exam to fail...

Cake Fiend

layke wrote:

and learn a whole load of crap that you will never use in real life

This is one of the various things that pisses me off about the CCNA. It's more like a leaving cert exam designed to test your memory and ability to spot trick questions than a professional networking exam designed to measure your understanding of the subject. The only reason the exam is known as difficult is because of the combination of lazy design and the high failing score. On a real cisco device, you can use the in-built help system to find out the most obscure command; it's your understanding of how the commands work that are important. Show me a CCNA who can still pass the exam two years later without reviewing and I'll be shocked.