How to plan out my ccna sturdy

Jacinto1023

Guys I need some help understanding how to study for the ccna.

My materials are the Todd and Wendell books, cbtnuggets video and I will be using packet tracer for the first half until I get my hardware kit. I also have two 100+ labs.

I'm confused on the actual path or plan I need to use to study. My test will be in 6 months since that is when I'm eligible to transfer and can get the junior network admin job in my company.

So do i read the whole book first while supplementing with the videos and then after i have the knowledge I do the labs with packet tracer or the actual Cisco lab I plan on getting.

Like I said i have 6 months till test and I just got my A+ and N+

Thanks!

Neil86

Are you doing the composite exam or ICND1 & 2 separately?

Google the exam topics for the either of the above and make sure you cover them all.

Read the books front to back like they are designed to be read and perform any tests or labs provided after the associating chapter. Likewise for the videos. Practice the labs repeatedly.

Boson exams are highly recommended on this forum and from what I've read they are a huge advantage.

Welly_59

Composite exam in 6 months is going to be difficult. You can do it especially as you won't be starting from zero knowledge due to your net+.

I started from zero, and did sperate exams. Took me 7 months of flat out study - 2 hours a day during the week and all day Sunday.

My aim was a chapter a week and then the weekend for labbing

OctalDump

I'll add my 2c and recommend the Cisco Network Academy books. There are textbooks and lab manuals for CCNA R+S, covering 4 "modules". For CCENT, you need half - Introduction to Networks and Routing and Switching Essentials. The current version is v6, but they haven't released the books for 200-105 exam yet (I think they will still be called Scaling Networks and Connecting Networks). Probably they will be released in time for you.

I like these books because they are easy to read (much easier than the OCG) and the labs integrate with the textbooks well, and form a real course of study - read a chapter, and do the labs, answer the end of chapter questions. The labs can be completed with Packet Tracer, but I think that hands on with real equipment is still very valuable.

Once you've read the books, I'd recommend doing practice exams.

dontstop

There is a chapter in the OCG Odom's Book which guides you through how to use the material to prepare. I'd take a read of that first. The OCG is a very well contained book for guiding you on how to study/read the material.

Jacinto1023

Thanks for all the tips and recommendations. I really appreciate it.

Sorry I should have mentioned that I just need a Cisco cert so I can go from Tech support to junior network admin. I don't need ccna, ccent will do but i was thinking of doing the composite exam but that might be too much to handle along with working. So I will go the two exam route.

So I will be taking part 1 of ccna exam within 6 months

Jacinto1023

any one else want to share how you studied for your CCNA?

NetworkNewb

Get a book or video (which you prefer to do the most) on the cert you want to take and go through it. Practice any concept you can in a lab or simulator. No need to overthink the process Packet Tracer and going the CBT videos would probably get you through just fine. Good luck

Params7

For me it was just Wendell's ICND1 and 2 books, CBT Nugget's video course with Jeremy and labbing on GNS3 (Packet Tracer can also be used) and practiced a lot on Boson's practice exams. Enough to pass.