Failed ICND1. Devastated.

Hi guys, long time lurker of the forum here - this is my first post. I just took the ICND1 exam and didn't even come close to passing. Scored 564/1000. To be honest, I am not even considering retaking it because it was that difficult. Thinking of trying Network + instead. Props to some of you who scored over 900. That's incredible. You guys are geniuses.

For those who haven't taken this test yet - let me tell you this: this test will require you to MASTER the topics. Just having general knowledge on a particular subject isn't enough. This test requires critical thinking and analytical skills - you really have to know your stuff inside out. As a lot of you advised, I had emphasized heavily on OSPF and subnetting. Subnetting was indeed greatly emphasized in this exam. OSPF not so much other than a huge troubleshooting question with the simulator.
Also, the frustrating thing is, I didn't even see a word of some of the topics I had studied let alone a question. Topics like ACL, IpV6, weren't even mentioned

Months of studying, countless hours of YouTube videos, countless hours of practice on GNS3, & $150 down the drain for nothing. I don't know where to go from here. The result has demoralized me.

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cyberguypr

I have a lot of questions. Was this your first IT exam? What exact resources did you use to prepare for this test? Did you take any practice exams? Did you check the objectives? Do you have any experience with Cisco? Networking in general?

I'm not gonna lie, that is a pretty awful score and makes me wonder if either you either did not understand the material or got nervous or something else happened that didn't allow you to perform well.

[Deleted User]

I'm sorry to hear that. I took the exam and got an 801 and failed by 3 points and I was pissed beyond all belief. Here is a great book that I recommend using. I have been using this book and things just seem to stick with this book. Consider Chris Bryant's CCNA bootcamp videos as well as his videos are recommended on this forum. Also, consider buying some practice exams from Boson or Transcender or MeasureUP. Boson I find has the most accurate practice exams to the real thing or maybe even invest in some simulator software. http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-CCNA-Days-William-Browning/dp/0956989292 Follow Paul Browning's CCNA in 60 days study guide and I think you will pass the next time you take it. Just imagine taking a 3 or 4 exam certification test for your job. There are some certification exams that you have to take 3 or 4 exams to pass and get the cert such as MCSA or CCNP. I am working on day 7 tomorrow IPv6 and I think things are working out better then before and I have noticed a big score increase on my practice exams. Also big note for Paul Browning's guide, his guide will go and focus on a short scale how to setup of these different things as listed on the exam objectives and important commands. I bet what you realized with the Cisco exam is that you are now combining all of these different topics into a giant scenario based question and seeing what is right and wrong. I still don't know what exactly messed me up by my 3 points but whatever. Also, keep in mind your questions are random. You may get some questions you studied and others that you didn't. It is all luck the questions you receive. I have found that Paul's book was great for knowing the Cisco tricks. Look at your exam breakdown and focus on your weak areas. If you are passing your practice exams, you should pass the real thing (give or take some points). You also need to leave yourself some buffer room on your practice tests so when you go in the real test you have some space in case you happen to mess up on a question. Here is the link to Boson CCENT practice exams: 100-101 ICND1 CCENT Practice Exam | Boson Best of luck on your studies and don't give up. I wanted to blow up the testing center I got so pissed. But Cisco sets their standards for a reason so not just anyone can go and walk in and pass the exam. Keep in mind also that they are a big name in the IT industry. Passing a Cisco exam in my eyes makes you an IT professional. In regards to your idea of taking Network+, that is a good idea. However, most of those topics won't line up with the CCENT. Some topics will such as knowing what SSH is and port numbers etc and knowing what certain technologies are and how they work is great. But the actual Cisco configurations are key to the CCENT. Also, (long rant and maybe unorganized) time management is crucial on the exam. How much time did you finish with at the end? Key to it all Keep Calm and Carry on!

NotHackingYou

It's hard to stay motivated after a defeat like that, but think about it this way - now you know what you are up against. What study material did you use? Perhaps we can help with some guidance for your next attempt. Don't quit yet, it's just an exam and you can pass.

Agreed on the subnetting thing - in Cisco exams, every question is a subnetting question.

MTciscoguy

Hey you made the first step in coming back and catching that certification, you admitted you did quite poorly that is not a good score, but it does give you something to build on and you will probably be better than most of us by time you get that cert taken care of. Take a few days off, read through the many topics on here and elsewhere on the net, read through all of your weak points and plan out your next move. Don't give up just yet I pulled off my CCNA studies for a while to get some other certs and will head back into the battle after the first of the year. I know a lot of the materials, but have never really sat in the test environment. I have used a lot of the knowledge over the last 25 years and still have more to learn. My biggest brick wall is opening my mind back up. Happens to us old guys. But stick with it, you will get it.

diplomats101

cyberguypr wrote: »

I have a lot of questions. Was this your first IT exam? What exact resources did you use to prepare for this test? Did you take any practice exams? Did you check the objectives? Do you have any experience with Cisco? Networking in general?

I'm not gonna lie, that is a pretty awful score and makes me wonder if either you either did not understand the material or got nervous or something else happened that didn't allow you to perform well.

- I had taken the MTA (Microsoft) Networking exam but that was 2 years ago when I was back in college.
- I used Lammle's book (second edition). I know, outdated but has great content on foundations of Cisco networking & he explains subnetting understandably.
- Odom's ICND1 book - kind of dry but is extremely informative. Really liked this one.
- GNS3 for router simulations.
- I have no real-world experience in networking. All of my networking knowledge comes from IT classes in college & self studying through books and YouTube videos.
- The practice exams I took were strictly the review questions after every chapter in Lammle & Odom's books. I did not purchase any practice exams.

The questions I struggled with the most were router simulator questions. The unfriendly simulator & the fact that certain commands weren't allowed to use threw me off.

N2IT

Pick your head up and move on! It was for something it was to learn, regardless if a piece of paper says you passed or not the important thing is you deep dove into the technology and learned.

That's the most important thing. My God don't let a piece of paper bring you down.

I bombed several SQL exams and I script almost all day long. Who cares I am getting experience and that is more important. Not to mention I have more time to work on real projects that actually deliver value

I hope you take the same attitude to be honest.

diplomats101

kMastaFlash, thank you for the lengthy reply and sorry about your CCENT score, can't imagine how frustrating it must have been.

My biggest mistake it seems like was not investing in a practice exam. Only practice questions I worked on were the review questions after each chapter. I felt like mastering the review questions would be good enough. Little did I know about the tough simulator and scenario questions that would be asked in the exam. The difficulty of those questions totally threw me off. In regards to the degree of difficulty, I was expecting something like setting hostname, passwords, banners, etc, but no no no, the exam asks you to analyze and answer questions by looking at bunch of configuration that is already set.
Thanks so much for the links, I will definitely look into investing in a Boson practice exam, as I have heard good reviews from others as well.
To answer your question - the simulator questions took the biggest chunk of my time & I had to rush through some questions at the end. I will manage time more carefully next time.

I see that you are Net+ certified. In terms of degree of difficulty, how tough is the Net+ exam compared to the CCENT?

diplomats101

One silver lining is that I now know the level of knowledge required to pass this exam. It's definitely not easy. I now also have a sense of idea about the type of questions that will be asked.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, guys. Seriously means a lot. It will take me few more days to recover from the result but your words have uplifted my spirit!

thatguy67

I took my first exam a year ago, 70-646 (MS Server 2008 Admin). Failed it pretty hard. I felt really bad/stupid/what have you for a day or two. I recovered somewhat quickly, and I think that's not too bad considering I battle with low self-esteem in my personal life. Now failure doesn't phase me...I've failed another 2 exams since then and I've recovered within the hour. The only thing that sticks with me is getting pissed off about money down the drain (probably because it's a tangible loss in a way)...if anything, being broke makes me take the exams that much more seriously. I wouldn't get the same results if someone kept handing me vouchers.

tuleeoh

It's not an easy test. Don't give man. Purchase some practice tests and see the areas you need to improve on.

_Gonzalo_

diplomats101 wrote: »

Hi guys, long time lurker of the forum here - this is my first post. I just took the ICND1 exam and didn't even come close to passing. Scored 564/1000. To be honest, I am not even considering retaking it because it was that difficult.

Tough news. I have to say that I am here only for CCIE forum, but I saw your post and felt I needed to say something.

First thing you need to consider is if you just want a Cisco piece of paper or you love and want to know about networks. If the answer is the second, then persevere! Eventually you´ll get pieces of paper, if you still want them

But do not let the knowledge you acquired go to waste. Knowledge is all!

It is hard to stand up when you fell hard. That is true. But if you invested so much time and effort, do not let it go to waste! Think of this as a second round. Take some rest, clear your head, stand up and punch it again!! Hard!

If you need help, ask. Don´t be afraid of doing so, even if (almost for sure) someone comes up and tells you how stupid you are for asking this or that question. The goal is understanding, and that cannot be achieved without asking yourself all kinds of stuff (stupid things not only included, but high on the list)

That being said, most people I know do not agree with Cisco exam´s format. It does not measure your real knowledge, and questions seem to be made confusing in purpose. You may have the knowledge to answer a certain question correctly, but do not do it because you don´t understand what is being asked!

Summarizing: Do not give up! Get back to your feet and go for it!

One more piece of advice: It´s good that you started with GNS3, as Packet Tracert has its limitations and if you progress in your networking path you´ll end up using it. BUT for CCNA, Packet Tracert is what you need. It´s free, it´s complete, and it runs smoothly for any topology you need at CCNA level.

I´m sure that you understand if I don´t hang out on this forum on a regular basis

But just send me a message if you need additional help. And go for it!

Edificer

On the back of Odom's book there is a Pearson CD, install it, create an account, and you will have dozens of practice questions. Study 'em thoroughly and even use your study book to find the answers. Second round treat it like an exam. CCENT is like a bicycle once you learn it you'll hardly forget it, it's the foundation of further exams. This is the front door of the Networking world! Don't give up!

Jon_Cisco

I used the Pearson questions from Odems book also. If you bought the book new it should have a code.

I think this is hard to accept today but with the right focus you can come at it next week understanding what the test format is like. I'm not sure how long you studied but I took about a year to pass the CCENT / CCNA. I didn't test for CCENT until 9 months into it mostly because I was following a college schedule. I also struggled with the simulator because the commands were not all available. I completely forgot to use the ? and find out what I could use. In the end I finished the CCENT with 7 minutes left having rushed the last 5 questions.

My personal take is that you have seen the test and already have the best resource in Odems current book. You now understand the basics a little and know what the test is like. Start over with Odem's book and this time nail down the topics with practice.

Good Luck!

JoJoCal19

Sorry to hear about your attempt at the CCENT. It sounds like more than anything that you were just caught completely off guard with how the exam is set up, and the difficulty of the exam itself. The good thing is you now know what to expect and if Cisco gives you a print off of how you did in each area, you know what you are weak on and can spend more time on those areas. Also, I see that you are new here, I myself have just started studying for the CCENT and I can tell you that reading all of the threads here with others experiences has been a tremendous help. I would definitely go back and read through the CCENT threads and pick up tips from other posters.

crazboy84

Dont let it get you down. There is a reason cisco exams have like a 20% pass rate. I failed mine by 10 points... now that was devastating... 1 or 2 questions right and id of been done... You need to master the subject of ANY cert exam before taking the test. If you cant score a 90 on a practice test, dont waste your money.

Im curious, why did u spend time studying OSPF for ICND1? Its not on ICND1 its on ICND2.

You need to review the test objectives and study only what is on the test objectives for ICND1

MSP-IT

To date, the INDC1 was genuinely the hardest exam I've taken. I definitely found it more challenging than the CISSP.

Keep on studying, you can do it.

markulous

I failed my first time too. After knowing what was on the exam, that helped me quite a bit. I ended up coming back and scoring a 910 (I think that's what it was) and nailing it. Go over any commands you struggled with as well as any topics they asked you about. Go over that printout they gave you and compare that to the exam objectives and focus on those areas.

I didn't have much networking experience either. I had the N+ which helped though. Also Packet Tracer helped quite a bit too.

Good luck on the next try.

Super99

Don't let it discourage you.
Don't think it as a fail. Think of it a knowledge gauge. You'll do better next time.

[Deleted User]

diplomats101 in regards to the Network+ certification exam, it was not to bad of an exam overall. I took it quite some time ago almost 2 years ago. From what I remember, you will have some simulation/performance based questions (nothing like Cisco just some basic sims like cabling or wireless AP placement type questions). I scored an 804 when I took it. The questions are more straight forward then Cisco in my opinion. Pickup a decent book or pick up Trainsignal's Network+ video course. I used Mike Myers Network+ passport, Trainsignal Network+ video course, and Todd Lammle Network+ N10-005 guide. Also, keep in mind that CompTIA will soon make an announcement for the N10-006 exam. I was on Amazon and found that Sybex is publishing the N10-006 certification exam book. Take the N10-005 asap before the exam change. Best of luck.

crazboy84

Yea i agree with Kmasta that N+ is much more easier than cisco. The test design alone is easier because if u dont understand a question or sim u can mark it to come back when your done. With cisco once u mark a question thats it no review. Once you close a sim its done.

den1966

Hard luck kid, it's only an exam at the end of the day, personally I'd do the network+ first, I'm gonna do the icnd1 early next yr after passing the network+ about 5 mths ago, despite what some say, network + is a great foundation for the basic Cisco exams..
you'll find more about the person you are after a setback like this rather than using exam collection or some other horrible cheating website...chin UP!!

gorebrush

I totally bummed the Microsoft Network Infrastructure (70-291), that was my third MCP exam and I scored less than you did on this exam.

Now I'm 7 weeks out from CCIE lab (though a long time has passed between then and now)

You'll need to take some time to regroup, think about what went wrong and spend some more time practicing, practicing, practicing.

I appreciate how difficult it is though if you are not working with it 100% day to day. I wasn't when I got my CCNA, but I didn't let that put me off

Itrimble

Like many of the other posts on this site, we've taken and failed exams. Does it suck ? HELL YES. But then you move on and try again. It took me 3 attempts to pass the 70-410 exam. It's not the end of the world and remember the knowledge that you have gained. I would also invest in a practice test this next go around.

Deathmage

If it's any consolation, back in 2005 I failed the CCNA exam 4 times before I finally passed it, however moved forward 9 years to the present I never used it once I got it and now I need to re-do it at some point to reacquire it...however the skills I learned so many years ago come back to me quickly now and I agree with many other once you pass CCNA you really are a IT professional.

Just stick with it, persistance is key, look at me yesterday I failed the VCP5-DCV exam by 5 points, how pissed do you think I was?

...I would have done this a few times it this camera wasn't 3 feet from me peering into my skull....

...but like many others have said, it's a test, however it doesn't define you, you learning the material defines you, passing the exam just lets others know you know your sh*t! ... keep your chin up and get back into your studies, that's what I've done today, spent 6 hours so far back into the books for round 2....

--chris--

@ OP

I could have just as easily been in your shoes (thought I was until I seen the score!), passing score for my exam was 840 and I had 843. Thats how it goes.

Like you mentioned though, now that you have that testing experience and know what to expect you just need to dig in and hammer on all the topics. Also I didnt see it mentioned, you should be able to subnet in your sleep. A subnetting question should take all of 10-30 seconds to figure out. That will leave a lot of time for other stuff like labs and difficult questions.