I need your guy's advice on CCNP help please...

itdaddy

Okay. I passed my switch exam for CCNP. I only have like 3.5 months until TSHOOT and ROUTE current/old expire. My thoughts are I am not sure I am ready to pass both TSHOOT and ROUTE same time with maybe 1 week of each other. So my plan is this:

I will hammer study my ROUTE exam and push to pass ROUTE. And I will just study the new stuff that is different than the current ROUTE/SWITCH so I can pass the new TSHOOT.

is this a good idea or should I cram and pass both maybe 2 weeks apart but study both?

what do you guys think?

I think my gut says pass ROUTE and then study difference and then take TSHOOT. Cisco allow mixing of certs right?
ROUTE SWITCH expired with new TSHOOT=CCNP?
is this right?

thanks men.


oh yeah I still love my job;hahaahhaha

OfWolfAndMan

Being a lot more knowledgeable on the switching side, route was much more difficult for me to study for, mainly for the immense amount of theory and new technologies. I'd say take your time with ROUTE, and who knows: maybe you'll get to TSHOOT before the end of January!

You can mix and match though. Good luck man!

itdaddy

thanks wolf. I am trying but I figure heck I can pass TSHOOT with extra study in other added things that they added and I see the topics are still almost the same. Was going to take TSHOOT say in April 2015 the new one and take the old ROUTE in Jan 1st? but I am trying .....

Hondabuff

Why not just study Route and take Tshoot after the old one expires so you get the new CCNP R&S cert?

theodoxa

If you want to study any of the new material, the new ROUTE OCG is available through Safari Books Online and looks like it is complete. I'm reading the new SWITCH OCG right now (only about half the book has been written so far). The physical books won't be out until November unfortunately.

ninjaturtle

I'm in the same boat as you itdaddy. With my daughter coming early, it totally threw me off course. I thought I could get a lot of studying on leave, but man was I sorely mistaken. I didn't even have time to open up the book!! So now I'm playing catch up and determined to beat the deadline.

I was actually wondering the same thing, and whether I could mix and match the exams to obtain the CCNP. Thanks for clarifying that OfWolfAndMan.

Study hard mates!!

Cheers,

itdaddy

ninja, I will try to study both but you know I have some time and I saw some of the topics on TSHOOT new one and it is like 90 % same from its major topics. So I am going to prioritize on ROUTE only and if Time allows will push for TSHOOT but what is good is I have done this before when I was studying CCNA. I was studying old CCNA and took exam and the test froze on me ( of course I was passing the lady said) but Cisco wont allow me to take again that day the test even thought the PC was dead and it was last day t take the ccna. well I sucked it up and studied the new CCNA with new material being like what 15 % different and past the CCNA 802 composite exam. So to me my wife too is due any day now and so hard to get study in with my new network engineer job. I am studying new concepts at work as well love it thought but so much work. I am going to hammer my ROUTE and pass that baby and if time permits study for TSHOOT but if I don't take TSHOOT by Jan 25th 2015 I can just brush up on new stuff along witih my current knowledge and say pass TSHOOT maybe March April 2015 and I will live hahahahha LOL! cause I plan on studying CCIE v5 after that for like 2 years ish along with lab stuff so when I take my CCIE written I will have studied lots of lab as well so when the clock starts ticking after I pass my CCIE written ( what 12 or 18 months to pass lab within that time) I can hammer more study for lab and beat that beast. Yeah I m going for CCIE R/S - Cause GO BIG or GO HOME mentality has hit me! hahahaha Good luck ninja and don't forget your family time just teach your daughter about Cisco while you feed and care for her ahahhah that is my plan with my daughter she will be a network engineer by osmosis ! ahaha

itdaddy

A. Yes, it is possible to mix version 1 and version 2 exams, but if you completed version 1 exams for ROUTE or SWITCH, then you will need to prepare version 2 ROUTE & SWITCH as well in order to pass the TSHOOT v2 exam because the TSHOOT v2 exam assumes knowledge of ROUTE v2 and SWITCH v2 topics.


got this from a site and yeah I am going to do this. lots of new stuff. but if I have time to bang out TSHOOT I will.

OfWolfAndMan

I would look through the exam objectives and pick out what you see additional there. From what I've read and heard, the new topics are as follows:

-Stackwise
-NTP (You'll know this if you took NA Security)
-VRF (Covered in the CCNP ROUTE Simplified book)
-SNMP setup (Not sure why this wasn't in there before. They had log messages, but that was about it.)
-IPv6 addon (From what I was told. ROUTE covers v6 in detail though)
-EVN (No clue)
-DMVPN (Finally)
-Netflow

theodoxa

OfWolfAndMan wrote: »

-EVN (No clue)

Never heard of it either, but...

Easy Virtual Network (EVN) - Cisco
Easy Virtual Network?Simplifying Layer 3 Network Virtualization - Cisco

itdaddy

thanks wolfandman yeah, this way I am up to date with the technology and 1 exam away from CCNP..and I believe ccnp v2 new one is on the way to CCIE v5 so that is my goal ultimately is ccie v5 in about 3 years haahaha but atleast it is on the way there..I want to get it and then be a SR Network Engineer and die after aaahhaha lol!

OfWolfAndMan

Thanks theodoxa!

itdaddy, I know what you mean! CCIE may be a goal of mine in the next few years as well (Probably want to hit the written in the next year or two).

Apparently the Cisco DocCD seems to be a big recommendation for IE candidates to know about.

Select Your Product or Technology - Product/Technology Support - Cisco Systems

I'm working on enriching my multicast knowledge now. So cool!

GreenLantern

I am having the same issue, I think that Route is too valuable to rush. It took me a about two months to get ready for the switch exam. It took me about five months to get ready for the Route. I Still have to take the Tshoot exam who knows if I will make it by the end of the year. At least they allow you to mix and match the tests.

I have been using the Simplified series books, cbt nuggets, and the cisco lab manuals to prepare. That's it.

Good luck with your CCNP.

itdaddy

Guys this is my tentative plan:

1. Pass Route by Jan 2015
2. Pass TSHOOT new by maybe next May-June 2015...
3. Since CCNPv2 is on target with CCIEv5 I a good not wasting time.
4. Take 2 years studying written and LAB practice and test written end of 2nd year.
5. Then study LAB for 10 months attempt 1
6. I have 8 months to try attempt 2 lab.
7. GO BIG OR GO HOME!