Knowing enough to pass/actually knowing what you're talking about..

Waka Flocka Flame

When you revise for certs do you actively test theories etc or do you just read the info, store it in your mind and get through the exams, regardless of not having a clue what you're talking about? personally I like to actually learn and know what I'm talking about.. if I'm going to get certs in the hope to find a job, I may get the job based on the certs I have but walk in on the first day not having a clue what a motherboard is.

Jon_Cisco

I think that most active members on this site attempt to learn the information as best they can. This is a specific target group and might not represent the certification pool very well.

I think for me the main goal is to gain exposure to all of the content and learn it well enough so that in a real situation I will know where to look for the answers even if I don't recall them exactly.

Surge

I see it this way.. if you don't know the material getting your foot in the door with a piece of paper doesn't do much for you in the long run.
There are alot of candidates that will cram and pass tests and then forget all the info and dont know where to even begin sadly. They are a poor representation of the certification and in some ways devalue it for those of us that do know the material.

10Linefigure

It seems a lot of people here to include myself use certs to either validate experience ( I can say I worked helpdesk all day, but without 3rd party verification it can be hard to prove it ), and its nice to use lower level cert's to explore new ground before delving too deep in time and energy. But no, you probably shouldnt exam cram to skim through a test, then not be proficient in it.

fredrikjj

Waka Flocka Flame wrote: »

When you revise for certs do you actively test theories etc or do you just read the info, store it in your mind and get through the exams, regardless of not having a clue what you're talking about? personally I like to actually learn and know what I'm talking about.. if I'm going to get certs in the hope to find a job, I may get the job based on the certs I have but walk in on the first day not having a clue what a motherboard is.

When I studied for the CCNP I followed the advice of Ivan Pepelnjak and did not do practice tests. I studied and then went took the exam "blind". This is what he says on the matter:

Fragments » Blog Archive » How much knowledge will I gain by studying for a certification?

Let me conclude with a highly biased personal opinion: if you really want to gain knowledge (and you can afford it), don’t use the “exam preparations,” even if they come from reputable sources. If you go to a certification center and pass the exam without ever seeing a sample test question (which you should be able to do if you’ve invested enough time in your studies), you’ll dramatically increase your confidence and self-esteem. If you fail, you can still fall back to the “proven” methodology and prepare for the next try with hundreds of practice questions.

That said, doing things in real life at a high level is the only way you'll really know what you are talking about. I know first hand what happens when you just read books and lab; every question you answer will just lead to new ones in an endless cycle. You'll get better, but it still doesn't mean you'll make the correct decision if you have two different ways of doing something in real life.

Shdwmage

Fredrikjj, thanks for that. I was debating on doing that for my 70-410 and I didn't. I may try it in the future. Sadly school requires me to do pre-assessment before they will authorize the final exam.