Few Questions Regarding ICND1 and ICND2

Hey Guys,
I was just wondering how much more time did you guys spend to study for the ICND2 after passing the ICND1?

Also how much more did you study for the ICND1 if you had previously passed the Network+? I know the ICND1 is much tougher than the Network+ but I just started studying for the ICND1 and it seems that it's pretty similar. Atleast in the beginning. I am reading Odom's book and I am going to use CBT nuggets and Lab with packet tracer. I did just start which is probably why most of what I have read so far is the same as what was on the Network+.

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CCIE Wanna Be

This is a very subjective question, so I can only answer the question subjectively. While for me there was a great bit of time between my Network+ and CCNA studies, I feel the network plus covers the first 8- 10% of ICND1. Your learning curve will have to increase exponentially in order to 1) learn all the new networking concepts + all the Cisco specific networking concepts. 2) You want to make sure you understand the material (not just memorizing it for a test) before you actually take the exam (this will only benefit in the long run). People learn at different rates so one persons time-frame to certification isn't necessarily going to be the same for the next. Some only take a few week while other take a few months (it's ultimately up to you to know when you feel like you are ready to take the exam.

For me, I took exactly 6 weeks from start to finish for ICND1 and another 8 weeks for ICND2 (in hindsight I probably should have taken a little more time, but I still passed). This studying about 3 -5 hours a day, with a one day break each week, watching videos, reading book chapters, Boson Netsim labs (every one that came with the package) and their ExSim Max practice test. If you are diligent you probably could do it quicker, but if you want to pace yourself it will probably take you a little bit longer. As I said before, it's ultimately going to depend on you and what you are comfortable with.

I used:

OCG for both exams - (Be sure you go to the website for the book to get the errata and any updates)
Chris Bryant CCNA course videos - dry but to the point
Boson NetSim 10 for Labs
Boson ExSim Max for Practice
SubnettingQuestions.com
TechExams.net - useful to find out what peoples experience was with each exam

Either way welcome to the world of Cisco Certification and best of luck!

marcj04

CCIE Wanna Be wrote: »

This is a very subjective question, so I can only answer the question subjectively. While for me there was a great bit of time between my Network+ and CCNA studies, I feel the network plus covers the first 8- 10% of ICND1. Your learning curve will have to increase exponentially in order to 1) learn all the new networking concepts + all the Cisco specific networking concepts. 2) You want to make sure you understand the material (not just memorizing it for a test) before you actually take the exam (this will only benefit in the long run). People learn at different rates so one persons time-frame to certification isn't necessarily going to be the same for the next. Some only take a few week while other take a few months (it's ultimately up to you to know when you feel like you are ready to take the exam.

For me, I took exactly 6 weeks from start to finish for ICND1 and another 8 weeks for ICND2 (in hindsight I probably should have taken a little more time, but I still passed). This studying about 3 -5 hours a day, with a one day break each week, watching videos, reading book chapters, Boson Netsim labs (every one that came with the package) and their ExSim Max practice test. If you are diligent you probably could do it quicker, but if you want to pace yourself it will probably take you a little bit longer. As I said before, it's ultimately going to depend on you and what you are comfortable with.

I used:
OCG for both exams - (Be sure you go to the website for the book to get the errata and any updates)

Chris Bryant CCNA course videos - dry but to the point

Boson NetSim 10 for Labs

Boson ExSim Max for Practice

SubnettingQuestions.com

TechExams.net - useful to find out what peoples experience was with each exam

Either way welcome to the world of Cisco Certification and best of luck!

Thanks for the insight. I really wish I could do 3-5 hours a day but I just can't manage that with my 7 other classes that I am taking. One, I don't have time and Two, I think I'd be absorbing way too much info and I just wouldn't be efficient at learning this on top of studying for all my other classes.

I am trying to get at least 1 hour a day and maybe 2 if I don't have too many exams or projects to do. Then on the weekends I am trying to get 3-5 hours. My goal is to learn and understand the material before I graduate so that I can be CCNA certified once I start job hunting. It's 10 months from now so hopefully I can get it done.

Did you have any networking experience at all? The fact that you were able to get it done in 14 weeks total makes me hopeful. You did put in more hours but still 14 weeks was fairly quick.

theodoxa

I took about 5-6 months (ICND1 + ICND2) of on and off part-time studying. I studied the material for both tests and took them within a few weeks of each other. I attended the Cisco NetAcademy 11 years earlier [in college], so I was already familiar with a lot of the concepts (Subnetting, Collision Domains, Broadcast Domains, CSMA/CD, etc...)

CCIE Wanna Be

marcj04 wrote: »

Did you have any networking experience at all? The fact that you were able to get it done in 14 weeks total makes me hopeful. You did put in more hours but still 14 weeks was fairly quick.

You're welcome, I don't have any on the job networking experience per se, I do some network troubleshooting, on the current job, but it's helpdesk not networking oriented, so I don't get to touch any equipment. I have a technical degree and was fortunate enough to take a Cisco routing course which helped me with subnetting and understanding routing as a whole, but the rest was learned through self-study, just take your, even with your schedule I would say 10 months is sufficient even if you didn't study the material everyday like I did (I was on a mission, why I moved so quickly).