ICND2 Pass

871/1000

A little...underwhelmed! I thought I could have got in the 90s like last time but no, twas not to be. It was actually easier than I thought it would be, which is weird. I was so nailed down to the fine details that when I got some kind of genericy, high level 'easy' questions I almost couldn't see the woods for the trees. Can't describe how frustrating that was! The simlets were the best part. I do remember at least two questions that I don't recall having any knowledge about (as in I hadn't seen it referenced anywhere during my studies, or if I did it was 'outwith the scope of the CCNA'). Perhaps these were the no-scorer questions...

Study Material:

Lammle's book
CBT Nuggets
Boson Practice Exams
Packet Tracer
GNS3
Cisco documentation and a hell of a lot of Googling (and here of course!)

Ok, I did pass, but I can not recommend Todd's book. I had notes from OCG 200-101 thankfully to fill some holes, and Google to fill the rest. Fine, of course you can't rely on one source for everything, but I just felt there were too many holes and the gaps were too big. When the exam topics specifically include configure and describe SNMPv3 to have only a tiny paragraph on it is unacceptable imo. That said, I thought the STP/routing section was excellent. Hmm!

The Boson tests were almost needlessly hard and were a source of much frustration. I only passed once with a score of 82%. I'd still highly recommend them though.

I did some bit part studying 2 months before, then didn't commit enough, then went bananas and ended up doing 2-4 hours a day and entire weekends for the last 4 weeks. That may sound funny coming from someone who is just recertifying but its amazing how much knowledge I lost just not doing certain things day in day out.

It was an interesting exam, and it felt this time that there was a much bigger spread of subject matter than last time...if that makes sense...!

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Comments

Mr.Robot255

very well done and thanks for write up

Ismaeljrp

Which version of the CCNA did you previously have?

I had the CCNA from 2 versions ago I believe, the one that was retired in 2013. Actually completed mine in September of 2013, then attempted to renew with CCNP Route and failed. I'm going for the current CCNA in about 2 - 3 weeks. I feel like this one isn't spreaded out as much as last time. Before their was wireless, frame-relay, more security stuff. Although now there is a tiny bit BGP, SNMP, TACACs and such. I guess I feel the material in this version is much better selected than the last time I certified.

[Deleted User]

Congrats! I'm assuming you took the 200-105. I took the 200-101 and will recertify with the updated exam. Did you find the new exam easier than the 200-101? What is the passing score?

mikeybinec

Congratulations.. Interested in knowing why you are panning Lammle's book. I would pan Odom, myself

Thanks

huntert

congrats

greg9891

Congrats!

Magic Johnson

Ismaeljrp wrote: »

Which version of the CCNA did you previously have?

I had the CCNA from 2 versions ago I believe, the one that was retired in 2013. Actually completed mine in September of 2013, then attempted to renew with CCNP Route and failed. I'm going for the current CCNA in about 2 - 3 weeks. I feel like this one isn't spreaded out as much as last time. Before their was wireless, frame-relay, more security stuff. Although now there is a tiny bit BGP, SNMP, TACACs and such. I guess I feel the material in this version is much better selected than the last time I certified.

200-101. Can't say if that one was more widespread, certainly there wasn't much security in the last one, if any at all. The SDN stuff, QoS, SNMP, AAA, BGP and they really seemed to go for the WAN stuff (obviously with FR being dropped). Personally I get the APIC-EM theory, but why ask questions on using it if hardly anybody will have even seen it before...

Magic Johnson

mikeybinec wrote: »

Congratulations.. Interested in knowing why you are panning Lammle's book. I would pan Odom, myself

Thanks

Thanks! Wouldn't say I'm 'panning' Lammle's book, as I said I used it and passed, but I put in a hell of a lot of extra work after I'd finished it, way more than last time trying to plug gaps than the OCG.

CryptoQue

Congrats!