Cisco Exams

Static M.e. · 02-05-2008 11:05am #1

Summary of Cisco Certification & Resources

Cisco Certification and Career Paths

Cisco offer's three Levels of general IT certification: Associate, Professional, and Expert (CCIE representing the highest level of achievement).

They also offer six different paths—such as Routing and Switching, Network Security, and Service Provider—are available, so that you can match your certification path to your job role or industry.

Associate
The first step in general Cisco Career Certifications begins either with CCENT as an interim step to Associate level, or directly with CCNA for network operations or CCDA for network design. Think of the Associate level as the apprentice or foundation level of networking certification.

CCDA
CCNA
CCENT

To achieve the CCDA you need to take and pass the following exam;

Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN)
Exam Number: 640-863
Associated Certifications: CCDA
Duration: 90 minutes (65 questions)

To achieve CCNA status, you have two choices;

The first choice is to start with the CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician) Course\Exam. This should be the starting point for anyone new to Cisco networking. It covers all the basics and allows you to break up the more difficult CCNA into two stages, you also get the CCENT qualification at the end in addition to your CCNA.

To achieve the CCENT you need to take and pass the following exam

Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1)
Exam Number: 640-822 ICND1
Associated Certifications: CCENT and CCNA
Duration: 90 Minutes (50-60 questions)

Once you complete your CCENT you are half way to achieving your CCNA, to finish you have to pass the following exam

Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 (ICND2)
Exam Number: 640-816 ICND2
Associated Certifications: CCNA
Duration: 75 minutes (45-55 questions)

The second choice is go straight for the main CCNA exam which covers both ICND 1 and ICND 2 in one sitting.

Cisco Certified Network Associate Exam
Exam Number: 640-802 CCNA
Associated Certifications: CCNA
Duration: 90 Minutes (50-60 questions)

While on paper it seems like a no brainer to just go for the 802 Exam, its only 60 questions compared to a possible 115 questions with the two exam approach, however be warned the CCNA is a very tough entry level exam and has a high fail rate. You need 85% to pass!!

To book a Cisco exam you need to register with the following site

http://www.vue.com/cisco/

From here you can schedule your exam, locate a test center and should you need to, check the status of your exam.

Self Study Books

CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide: Exam 640-802, Deluxe, 5th Edition
Todd Lammle
ISBN: 978-0-470-11009-6
Hardcover
1008 pages
September 2007

Cisco Press CCNA Preparation Library, 7th Edition
Covers the CCNA Exam 640-802, ICND1 Exam 640-822 and ICND2 Exam 640-816
ISBN-10: 1-58705-464-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-58705-464-8
Published: Mar 18, 2008

Other resources;

Videos
CBT Nuggets
Train Signal

A decent forum (Thanks to Accension!)
http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=7

I will post more resouces as I find them, feel free to add any of your favourite links

Feelgood · 02-05-2008 11:11am

Might be worth adding that Sybex Todd Lammle series books on CCNA are renowned for coverage of all aspects of the CCNA. Basically if you understand everything in that book you will pass easily. Its the only book that has received that reputation..

A good source for CBT nuggets and CBT's in general is.

http://www.cbtworld.biz/index.htm

Have bought stuff from them in the past and recently and they are top notch with extremely fast delivery.

Mantel · 02-05-2008 1:55pm

Just a question about the Cisco books, I was looking at the INCA1 books and I see there are two of them. A self study and a exam certification guide. The price difference is double for the self study one.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/search.php?key=icnd1&by=title&Button1.x=0&Button1.y=0&Button1=Go

Is there a major difference in them, i.e. would the self study one be more suited to people that don't have much access or experience to/with Cisco equipment?

accensi0n · 02-05-2008 9:33pm

http://www.thebryantadvantage.com/

Supposed to be excellant for practice labs.

Will be getting it myself at a later stage.

FruitLover · 03-05-2008 2:27am

I haven't used the Bryant practice labs, but the video instruction is probably the best I've seen.

_CreeD_ · 03-05-2008 5:44pm

I'd add http://www.gns3.net/ as a free lab resource. It makes setting up a virtual Cisco network via Dynagen/Dynamips (which it includes in the full package) a doddle. They run real IOS images and are not just expensive/buggy emulators. You just need to get hold of the images yourself (you only need one as you can run multiple Routers from one image file).
Also you don't need expensive switches to cover the CCNA material. Old 2924XLs can be found very cheaply on Ebay and while they aren't fast enough for production networks they are capable of everything you need for CCNA level work.
With 2x2924XLs and GNS3/Dynagen/Dynamips you have everything you need for the CCNA lab work and can likely do it for under $100, cheaper than a Sim.

Static M.e. · 06-05-2008 9:43am

Another Point to note.

When you register with VUE it can take up to 24 hours before they email you a Username + Password (Took me 18+ Hours).

The email comes in from "pvamericascustomerservice@pearson.com" incase your worried about it getting caught from a Spam filter. In the email you get a Username + Password, when you log into the VUE site, you can then change your Password and select your exam.

Exam Costs Ex VAT; (VAT @ 21%)
640-822 Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 EUR 92.00
640-816 Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 EUR 92.00
or
640-802 Cisco Certified Network Associate EUR 130.00

VAT is EUR 19.32 / 27.3

When you book your exam and choose your exam centre, you have the option of viewing a Map which DOES NOT reflect actually where your exam centre is, for instance I booked for New Horizons this time and showed them as located in Howth, when they are actually in Dublin1. Just be aware of it.

Another thing to note is, and this goes for all exams, it can take 2 or 3 weeks before you can get a place to sit your exam. In Dublin with 5 exam centres I still have to wait 21 days before I can get a place.

adonis · 15-05-2008 11:32am

anyone know a good place fro practice Exams Questions?

I used (shhhhhhhhhhhh) testking before for an mcp...Does anyone know of a test practice download/purchase? for CCNA?

im doing my exam soon

Static M.e. · 15-05-2008 1:38pm

Have you checked out the CCNA Prep Center @ Cisco (Its free)

MeasureUp

Self Test Software

Transcender

adonis · 15-05-2008 5:31pm

thanks for these..

how accurate do you think those links are? i gave a couple a quick dmeo test, they seemed pretty easy !

plus i cant find the link on the cisco page - if you had that it would be great!

Static M.e. · 15-05-2008 9:23pm

Added link above.

You should aim to get 90\100% on the above, the exam requires 85% to pass. Its a very tough exam, be prepared.. be very prepared.... (Sorry couldn't resist):p

shamrock2004 · 15-05-2008 11:16pm

Lads,
I have sat the old CCNA exam before it changed last November.
I found it very very tricky with regards to timing.
A topology diagram is thrown up on front of you and you have to assimilate as much as you can about it in a very tight time frame.
Do as much practical (troubleshooting, configuration etc) as you can, until you are blue in the face.
Best of luck.

adonis · 16-05-2008 10:40am

this is going to sound funny

85%?
I thought it was lower than that...70 or something

Static M.e. · 16-05-2008 11:00am

Microsoft exams are 700/1000 of 70%

Cisco exams are 85%

One other thing to point out, is book your exam early. It can take up to three weeks to get an appointment to sit an exam.

adonis · 16-05-2008 11:05am

I have it booked already...
85% sheeeesh

although once u know the stuff you know it...so thats the challenge..

LoLth · 16-05-2008 4:03pm

I found the challenge to be the timing. I sat the 801 exam and failed

. I got every question I answered right I just compeltely messed up teh timing and got stuck on a 5 part question, 1st 4 parts were right and I didnt want to lose the marks for those.

its not just a case of knowing the material, its a matter of knowing how to apply it and where to find the relevant resources necessary to troubleshoot properly. its also importnat to be able to spot irrelevant information tha tthey provide in the diagrams.

I'm studying to resit now and have changed tactic from practise exams and pure book learning (I have worked with a lot of networking over the years but not cisco IOS per se) to practise , practise practise using simulators, test exams, and real world examples as well as todd lamles book, the cisco self study guides and an exam cram book. Not makign the same mistake again!

shamrock2004 · 16-05-2008 6:19pm

I think you got it in one loLth.
Timing is crucial. But you can only do so much.
Those topology diagrams have an abundance of information and it's so difficult to try and absorb exactly what is going on in such a short time frame. I failed my ccna by a single point. Yes a single point. I was required to get 849 minimum and I got 848 after travelling down to wexford to do the exam as I couldnt get a date in Dublin. I was to set off on my round the world trip on the Thursday and sat it on the Tuesday. I found the questions in the Todd Lammle book good for the materials that pertain exactly to what he has covered in the chapter, but I didnt find them too relevant to the 801 questions. They were much much harder. I ordered CCNA practice questions for the 801 exam by exam cram. I found it good in so far as it had theoretical questions of a similar difficulty to the real thing, but it had feck all topology questions.
Secondly, the actual CCNA questions covered a hell of a lot more practicality. I was pretty browned off that I spent way too much time on theory (which I could nearly recite in my sleep), albeit this wasn't not enough to cut the mustard. Like loLth said, cover as much practicality as you can.
Anybody that actually works with cisco equipment on a daily basis should do well.
I do have the new Lammle book and I will take the CCNA exam in the future, again, but im giving the SCJP 5 exam my undivided attention at the moment, well, when im not on boards.ie that is...

Best of luck to all & kind regards,
Shamrock

axer · 31-05-2008 12:01am

I sat and passed my CCENT this morning. I went into the exam expecting to have to get 85% to pass but I believe it showed something like 806/1000 on screen to pass the exam before the exam started (got 961 though

)

Static M.e. · 03-06-2008 2:49pm

Congrats Axer!

A very nice score!

RadarControl · 16-06-2008 1:44pm

Are New Horizons now an authorized VUE Test Centre? I was under the assumption that you could only do the Cisco Exams in VUE Centres. Last time I went to book my CCNA New Horizons was not listed and had to do it in the IACT. Just booked my repeat exam for end of August in New Horizons.

cance · 16-06-2008 1:52pm

RadarControl wrote: »

Are New Horizons now an authorized VUE Test Centre? I was under the assumption that you could only do the Cisco Exams in VUE Centres. Last time I went to book my CCNA New Horizons was not listed and had to do it in the IACT. Just booked my repeat exam for end of August in New Horizons.

yes, i did my ccna with them.

Static M.e. · 21-06-2008 8:01pm

Found this nice Blog from a guy starting to study for his CCENT and then ICND 2

julesdarcy · 30-06-2008 4:09pm

Just wondering does anyone know how many questions Cisco have in their pool for the 50 questions in the CCNA? I heard it was 350 but that sounds small.

adonis · 30-06-2008 4:26pm

i cant imagine it to be that much more...
i passed mine recently 940 or something ,,, needed 825 to pass..wasnt as bad as i expected tbh..

accensi0n · 30-06-2008 6:23pm

adonis wrote: »

i cant imagine it to be that much more...
i passed mine recently 940 or something ,,, needed 825 to pass..wasnt as bad as i expected tbh..

Well done adonis.

Are you going to move onto any other Cisco exams now?

cance · 01-07-2008 7:23am

julesdarcy wrote: »

Just wondering does anyone know how many questions Cisco have in their pool for the 50 questions in the CCNA? I heard it was 350 but that sounds small.

there are roughly 250 questions in the pool

NullZer0 · 01-07-2008 1:46pm

cance wrote: »

there are roughly 250 questions in the pool

Where did you get that info?

cance · 01-07-2008 2:00pm

iRock wrote: »

Where did you get that info?

that is irrelevant

NullZer0 · 01-07-2008 2:06pm

adonis · 01-07-2008 3:19pm

im not sure tbh - i wonder how much harder the ccnp is...
i studied it mainly via the cisco books but id say Lammle is better far more concise.
the cisco books seemed to be very indepth..maybe they'll set me up nicely for the ccnp!

NullZer0 · 01-07-2008 3:27pm

I would imagine so.

I dont think the CCNP would be much harder.
It just requires that you know the stuff and know it well.

The way I see it is that the CCNA is your foundation and its important to know it well. Once you have the foundation in place its alot easier to build on.

I have not sat my CCNA yet to be honest but I have read 8 of the books from the CCIE reading list on the cisco site, I've read the CCNP books and I've read the ICND1 and 2 study guides (seperately) ---> (All cisco press). I've also watched most of the CCIE security videos by IPexpert.

I'm only going to sit and get the CCNA as a biproduct of my learning.... but I dont think I could say I have been studying specifically for CCNA.... or CCNP for that matter either.

Now... back to the lab.

Cisco Exams

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