640-554 exam next week. Any warnings?

OctalDump

I've booked in my CCNA Security exam, despite not being ready, since the November 30 deadline is rushing at me. I am hoping to have enough time to prepare. I am using the FLG and the Bulldog videos on Udemy.
I have done the CCNA R+S previously, and have Security+ (and a bit more besides).

I have heard that the 640-554 was revised recently (October?) and some have said that the change has made the exam too difficult.

Is there anything I should pay particular attention to? Any recommended extra resources?

hannism

I'll be retaking it before the November 30th cutoff.

The only thing I can say is know your CCP. Lab it, practice it.

It's a hard test with that cutoff 895/1000.

Dakinggamer87

Another vote for knowing CCP in and out. It's highly tested on the exam.

Good luck

OctalDump

Any particular version of CCP? The videos I am watching deal with 2.8, but I see there is also CCP "express" 3.0.

eddie174

I just passed the 640-554 today. I would say know how to navigate CCP. The rest of the questions are given and you can find them online if you search hard enough. If you cannot navigate and don't feel comfortable working with CCP you will not pass. I received a 912/1000 and after looking at the area's I was weak in, it was CCP that got me through. Heck I only got a 44% in the VPN section.

OctalDump

Congratulations! But which version of CCP? Does it matter?

eddie174

Just CCP, not CCP express

Hondabuff

The OCG Press book has the CD that comes with it. There are pdf's included on it that are CCNP Security material and they are tested on.

eddie174

I may be wrong but I felt everything was covered in the OCG but SPAN. I didn't like the CBT nugget, so I used Chris Bryant in Udemy. He went over SPAN and all topics needed to pass. I then bought the Boson practice labs for 640-554 to get CCP exposure on real equipment.

Hondabuff

Its covered in the CCNP Security IPS 642-627 on the pdf's on the cd along with Smart tunnels default timeouts for TACACS, promiscuous IPS and some CSM topics. I'm surprised you passed without knowing those topics. The out of blue print topics were discussed heavily at the boot camp I attended because of the high failure rate of the recent exam.

eddie174

Those items were discussed by Chris Bryant..I had just taken SECURITY + and the generic versions(non-Cisco ) of those topics were covered in LABSIM, so what I didn't know after reviewing and going over the newest Cisco test guide right before the test, I looked up. I really didn't think the test was super challenging but obviously with only a 44% in the VPN section something didn't sink in.

Hondabuff

I would have to agree with you that the exam was not that difficult. The difficult part was what sources to use for study. Cisco needs to at the very least let every potential teat taker know where the material is being sourced from. When I took the 210-260, All the material came from the Cisco boot camp books and slides presented from the Cisco Instructor. Self study would be very challenging with just the Cisco press books and cbt's. Congrats on the pass though!