[Advice Needed] Is CCENT worth it?

Simrid

Hi everyone,

I appreciate your time for helping me / reading this thread. My question is a CCENT worth it, or is it worth going straight for a CCNA?

I have studied the first module of CCNA R&S at college, I found it fairly tricky but still managed to come to terms with it.

Just after some advice.

Many thanks,
Simon

bharvey92

I think the CCENT is 'worth it'. As it's half-way to your CCNA. I can't speak from experience as I right out went and got my CCNA, but from my exp I'd recommend the CCNA straight away instead of splitting it.

I'm sure others around here can recommend the CCENT who have done this.

Simrid

bharvey92 wrote: »

I think the CCENT is 'worth it'. As it's half-way to your CCNA. I can't speak from experience as I right out went and got my CCNA, but from my exp I'd recommend the CCNA straight away instead of splitting it.

I'm sure others around here can recommend the CCENT who have done this.

I guess using the terminology "worth it" wasn't the best. It's each to there own. I'm just not sure if I should work from the ground up or go all out.

gorebrush

That all depends on you. Cisco themselves do recommend the two-exam route for taking the CCNA - but you are also perfectly entitled to just go and do the CCNA all in one. They recommend that exam for recertifiers.

I did the 640-802 all-in-one myself though - so it's all down to you

theodoxa

I took the 2 exam route (took the 2 exams with a few weeks of each other). I could probably have done the single exam, but given that the single exam cost almost as much as the 2 exams put together, it made sense to take separate exams. That way, if for some reason I had failed one exam, I would have only been out half as much money.

anuragaks10

I'd definitely recommend splitting it. You get less risk of losing money if you fail and you can actually spend more time on studying on each exam. Well, it's still subjective but naturally seeing the result of your hard work sooner will only motivate you to go further. Nothing succeeds like success, right ?

I recommend splitting it. I wouldn't rush learning something especially when I am new.

Jon_Cisco

Some people have to travel to take exams. If that is the case then you might find it easier to study a little harder and do it all in one day.

Other then that I would say take the two exams. Since I waited so long to test for CCENT I think I probably could have done the single exam by the end but I don't regret splitting it up.

Good Luck!

Codeman6669

Well i don't have the Ccna. I have the ccent and am starting into the Ccna. Everything I hear people say do the two exam route. My teacher at school said do the Ccna only saying the two exam route isn't recommended. This was also the worst teacher I've ever had and this is through a community college known for having good I.t. teachers. So honestly whatever you want. For me I'm already a network tech. So getting the ccent got me some more respect at work and hearing congrats from people helps the mind stay motivated to go do the rest. It also let me focus on the harder material like subnetting before havin to Lear even more. I say u gotta know ccent material for the Ccna anyhow. so why not just get a cert 50% the way through and give your self a mid way pat on the back. Just imo though

tecnodog7

I'm doing the two route exam. After studying my A$$ for two months now I feel as if i could have just sucked it up and studies more and taken the one exam but none the less. I got my CCENT on Sunday so i'll know

Params7

Might not be enough to secure a core networking position at least from my experience. But its a stepping stone towards CCNA if doing the whole certification in one go seems daunting.

Pupil

The composite CCNA exam is for those with experience in Cisco networking or those who just want to renew their CCNA. For everybody else, the two exams are highly recommended.

ssnyderu2

I start studying for the CCENT on March 1st and plan on taking the 2 exam rout. No price advantage going the 1 exam rout verses the 2 exam. Since I am paying for the exams myself i don't have to come up with 300$, I can break it up into two 150$ chunks.

tpasmall

It also depends on what path you are taking. If you are doing switching and routing, the one test makes sense. If you are going for CCNA Security, you'd save $150 taking this instead for the pre-requisite

mikeybinec

I am doing the two exam route. I passed ICND1 last May. I have been lagging and studying at my leisure. I want to be absolutely sure that ICND2 tests ONLY on the topics that is listed on the Cisco site. But I have the Boson practice exams and they tossed in some stupid stuff like distributed lists. That Pis*es me off because I have'nt the slightest idea what a distributed list is. So I study for a distributed list and most folks say it's a waste of time 'cuz it aint tested. I want someone to tell me without breaking NDA what is the big point makers on the exam. And tonight is Friday night and I want to go political about Cisco NDAs.. If you read Lammle, Browning, and a couple of others, they will say, this topic or that topic IS NOT in the CCNA/CCENT exam. I think they just violated NDA by saying that.

Why do book authors get to decide what is or not is in the exams.. They ain't supposed to know.

<sarcasm off>

Have a good weekend all

;{D mikey

theodoxa

mikeybinec wrote: »

I am doing the two exam route. I passed ICND1 last May. I have been lagging and studying at my leisure. I want to be absolutely sure that ICND2 tests ONLY on the topics that is listed on the Cisco site. But I have the Boson practice exams and they tossed in some stupid stuff like distributed lists. That Pis*es me off because I have'nt the slightest idea what a distributed list is. So I study for a distributed list and most folks say it's a waste of time 'cuz it aint tested. I want someone to tell me without breaking NDA what is the big point makers on the exam. And tonight is Friday night and I want to go political about Cisco NDAs.. If you read Lammle, Browning, and a couple of others, they will say, this topic or that topic IS NOT in the CCNA/CCENT exam. I think they just violated NDA by saying that.

Why do book authors get to decide what is or not is in the exams.. They ain't supposed to know.

<sarcasm off>

Have a good weekend all

;{D mikey

They aren't always right either. The 640/642 series exam topics were quite vague. I ran into stuff on exams that I read or was told were "beyond the scope of" that exam. That said, Cisco can include test questions which don't count to see how people do.

mikeybinec

theodoxa wrote: »

That said, Cisco can include test questions which don't count to see how people do.

!!! Can you expound on that a bit? That's a stunning revelation!

thanks

theodoxa

mikeybinec wrote: »

!!! Can you expound on that a bit? That's a stunning revelation!

thanks

In their agreement, it says that they may include non-graded questions. That is questions which don't count towards your score. While it doesn't give a reason, I would guess that they are probably testing out questions for future versions of the exam.

[EDIT] I just looked over the NDA and don't see that part. It might have been in the information at the beginning of the exam. I know I saw it on some official document and it has also been mentioned online previously.

theodoxa

But I have the Boson practice exams and they tossed in some stupid stuff like distributed lists. That Pis*es me off because I have'nt the slightest idea what a distributed list is. So I study for a distributed list and most folks say it's a waste of time 'cuz it aint tested.

To add to what I previously mentioned, some sources may also include material that is not on the exam. For example, Odom's OCG for the 640 Series ICND2 covered Routing Protocol Authentication, which as far as I know was NOT on the 640 Series ICND2. As for the Boson tests, they appear to get more difficult A to B to C, with Exam C including some material that is probably beyond what is on the real thing. I remember getting a few ICND2 questions on the ICND1 Exam C. For ICND2, I found the Boson test substantially more difficult than the real thing.

BTW, Distribute Lists are simply an ACL or Prefix List used to filter routes. At the CCNP Level, you could use them to limit what routes are advertised or what routes can be learned.

(config)# access-list 10 deny 192.168.0.0 0.0.255.255
(config)# access-list 10 permit any
(config)# router eigrp 1
(config-router)# distribute-list 10 in Serial 0/0/0

This example would cause EIGRP to filter out any route starting with 192.168 that was received on Interface Serial 0/0/0. Such routes would not be added to the routing table.