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CCNA notes (or, more than you ever wanted to know...) |
| I took (and passed) the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification exam in November 2004. These are the notes I made the evening after I passed the test. |
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Thought I would share an after-action review on the 840-601 CCNA exam (my first) I completed today. As a matter of reference, I scored 876 within a 300-1000 point range -- only slightly over the required 849 point passing standard. In short, this certainly doesn't make me an expert on the CCNA exam, but I'm hoping my experience might be helpful to others. Each test pulls different questions from a large bank, so your mileage may vary. Apply large grains of salt as required -- remember, I am a product of the Texas public school system.
It's a tough test that requires you to pull together knowledge from many different areas of each Cisco Academy semester. In addition, there are many questions from topics that were not covered in detail during our class work (i.e. ISDN configuration). You can only pick this up through additional study outside of the classroom. I found that my biggest challenge with this test was time management more so that any academic problems. If memory serves, I had 90 minutes for 55 questions (including two simulations). The time goes by very fast -- I started my second simulation (second from last question) with only about ten minutes remaining. I used several different sources for my test prep, including the official Cisco two-volume Exam Certification Guide, the Exam Cram practice test software, the Sybex Fast Pass book, and the Test King sample questions document. The Cisco books seem to be aimed at those without formal Cisco training, such as the Cisco Academy. The Sybex Fast Pass and Exam Cram books are much more condensed, and seem aimed at those who have completed formal training and had at least some hands-on work with Cisco devices. If I had it all to do over with again, I would probably focus primarily on the Test King questions (or similar "brain-dump" document) and use one of the shorter books (either Sybex or Exam Cram) as a reference for additional information or, perhaps more important, to double-check any "less-than-correct" Test King answers that you are unsure of. Any of the test engines (I mostly used Exam Cram) are good to practice all types of questions, but the Test King document had the most nearly word-for-word samples that I saw on the test today. IMHO, it alone doesn't provide you with enough to pass the test, but it will provide you with a good 30%+ that you can answer quickly, saving you valuable time to spend on harder problems or the simulations. I saw many problem types today which I had not seen in any of my prep material. I would recommend that anyone spend as much time as possible with the latest Test King version -- no small feat, considering it has 300+ sample questions. Especially study the sample router/switch configuration simulations provided, as well as the drag-and-drop problems. You should memorize all of the drag-and-drops -- you are almost certain to see at least one on the test. I thought the Cisco two-volume Exam Certification Guide is a great reference, but in hindsight, it was really entirely too much material (both in print and software) for someone who has already completed the Cisco academy. I spent way too much time looking up information or sidetracked on "nice-to-know" topics, when I should have been drilling myself with Test King or similar quizzes and quickly referencing an abridged book for supporting information or concepts. Here's what I remember from the test as being "problem areas" that I either hadn't studied well for, or didn't remember from our classroom instruction: 1. ISDN configuration (esp. DDR commands and related) 2. Discontiguous networks, and which routing protocols support, and how 3. Interpreting sample results and RAM/NVRAM/flash memory requirements from "show version" command (two questions) 4. Configuring advanced protocols (EIGRP, OSPF, etc) using multiple variables (different ASNs, areas, PIDs, discontiguous networks) within connected networks I recall multiple VLAN and switch trunking questions, as well as several ACL problems. Most of the subnetting questions were simple problems disguised within complicated text descriptions and diagrams -- see the Test King questions for examples. I had two simulations -- both were troubleshooting routing problems, one on a RIP network and another on an OSPF network (with different PIDs). Both involved incorrect network statements. A friend reported that he had a switch simulation, to include VTP configuration. Don't be afraid to use the same tools you used in class (mainly, show run, ping, show IP route, and the proverbial "?") in the simulations. Don't rush, but on the other hand, don't spend more than about 10 minutes per simulation. At the beginning of the test, I made a "brain dump" of the following information on my scratch sheet: 1. Mask/CIDR/Range subnetting table (CIDR /24 - /30) 2. Public/private IP class ranges 3. ISDN equipment standards (TE1/2, NT1/2, R/S/T/U, etc) 4. Common ports + protocols + whether TCP/UDP Watch the clock, especially if you have not done two simulations yet. Don't rush, but try to make up time on the "easy" questions (i.e. ones you remember from Test King prep). Note the time when you start each simulation -- it's easy to lose track. If you still don't have subnetting down cold (able to answer within a few seconds), I would recommend John Royston-Ford's Quia subnetting test which presents subnetting problems in the many different ways you might see on the exam. Also, I recommend his CCNA exam prep questions as a good drill (in addition to Test King material mentioned above). See the bottom of this page In closing, I think the Test King questions supported by a condensed text and good software test engine is the way to go. Finally, if you don't pass the test the first time, don't sweat it or beat yourself up too bad -- just think of it as another practice opportunity. Again, I spent a lot of time preparing, and still thought it was a tough test. I also think most who pass the CCNA immediately after our "compressed" Cisco Academy are only one or two miscalculated CIDR bits away from not passing -- I know I was. I have a CD with all of my prep material, to include my "cheat sheet" on which I used to model my test reference brain dump. Note this sheet reflects my own problem areas, and might not be appropriate for everyone. Anyone who wants to borrow this disc is free to do so -- just ask. Hope these notes help, and good luck. |
| CCNA Study Sheet | |
| The cheatsheet I used succesfully to study for the CCNA. This condensed version addressed my specific trouble areas. | |
