300-135 TSHOOT A Few Questions, Tips, Suggestions?

willieb

Passed ROUTE and SWITCH and starting on TSHOOT after the long weekend and I have a few questions (Be careful not to violate your Cisco NDA):

It's not the easiest thing to google and find the office Cisco released TSHOOT topology. I see a forum post release back in 2010 and statements saying that it is still valid, but I can't find anything on Cisco to back that up. There's a few other links I found as well, some dead, etc.

1.) Does anyone have a link to the official Cisco topology, or can confirm that within the last few months that the topology is the same for 300-135? I am guessing it won't potentially change again until all CCNP exams are updated, but the only typologies I've found are pre-300-135.

2.) Apparently there are also multiple choice questions. Would those be more related to 1.0 in the exam topics like network principles and methodologies, or could they be any ROUTE or SWITCH troubleshooting topic?

3.) How long did you study for TSHOOT before taking it after passing ROUTE & SWITCH?

4.) There aren't many posts here on TSHOOT, especially lately. Any other tips or suggestions?

I can't really thing of anything else at the moment. Thanks all.

clarson

i do believe the topology is still the same

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/thread/99712

HappyBearIT

Just pick up the Boson 300-135 pretest. Its as close to the real thing you'll get, and it'll prep you on the MCQs. I spent a couple of weeks between passing ROUTE and taking TSHOOT.

willieb

HappyBearIT wrote: »

Just pick up the Boson 300-135 pretest. Its as close to the real thing you'll get, and it'll prep you on the MCQs. I spent a couple of weeks between passing ROUTE and taking TSHOOT.

Sweet, I do already have the ExSim-Max for 300-135 TSHOOT that came with Global Knowledge course.

albinorhino187

I'll second the Boson T-shoot. It was really good prep for the kinds of questions they'll throw at you, and getting you to validate your troubleshooting methodology. The topology isn't exactly the same, but it's similar. It's also functionally similar, in that you can be looking at the topology, click on a device, and bring up the CLI. And you can also slide windows around to get multiple CLIs side by side, or CLI next to topology.

It's also very obvious by the stated problem whether you're dealing with an IPv6 or IPv4 ticket to help narrow done which topology to use.

10Linefigure

For $100 you can get the official 300-135 lab set directly from Cisco. I used them before T-Shoot and they were well worth the money. It's 20 scenarios, spread cross 4 companies (topologies) and each scenario has 3-4 errors you need to find and correct. The lab is open for 50 hours or 180 days, whichever you burn up first.

https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/cisco-learning-labs/for-ccnp-tshoot-v2-0-50-hour-180-day-cll-ccnpts-v2-0-50h180d-020163

willieb

Man I just spent $2500 (CLCs) on CCIE content. Hmmm...

Is it the same, or similar topology?

10Linefigure

I've never seen the CCIE content (can't look, too scared!) lol. Well for the 300-135 labs, there are 4 different topologies you will encounter (which I thought was really nice because it gave you exposure to a lot of design scenarios). But bro.. $2,500 to study for T-Shoot. Big baller. I think most anyone would need is the OCG $65, access to CBT for a month or so to watch all their T-shoot videos $84, the 300-135 labs $100. Mix that with reading white papers and on the job experience you will crush it. Total = $250

willieb

10Linefigure wrote: »

I've never seen the CCIE content (can't look, too scared!) lol. Well for the 300-135 labs, there are 4 different topologies you will encounter (which I thought was really nice because it gave you exposure to a lot of design scenarios). But bro.. $2,500 to study for T-Shoot. Big baller. I think most anyone would need is the OCG $65, access to CBT for a month or so to watch all their T-shoot videos $84, the 300-135 labs $100. Mix that with reading white papers and on the job experience you will crush it. Total = $250

Lol, yes I spent $2500 for 5 CCIE content/lab packages but using 25 Cisco Learning Credits not real money. The CLCs are worth $100 each. The TSHOOT lab pack is only $100, or 1 CLC.

We have CBT and access to books including the OCGs. Nothing out of my pocket thank goodness.

willieb

10Linefigure wrote: »

For $100 you can get the official 300-135 lab set directly from Cisco. I used them before T-Shoot and they were well worth the money. It's 20 scenarios, spread cross 4 companies (topologies) and each scenario has 3-4 errors you need to find and correct. The lab is open for 50 hours or 180 days, whichever you burn up first.

https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/cisco-learning-labs/for-ccnp-tshoot-v2-0-50-hour-180-day-cll-ccnpts-v2-0-50h180d-020163

I was able to swap the TSHOOT course out for one of the other ones. Great suggestion, thanks again.

Here's what I ended up with:

Cisco Learning Labs for CCNP TSHOOT v2.0 50-hour 180-day Labs

Routing and Switching Labs for CCNP to CCIE Progression

Cisco Expert-Level Training for CCIE Routing and Switching v5.0: Starter Mini-Bundle

Cisco Expert-Level Training for CCIE Routing and Switching v5.0: Advanced Mini-Bundle

Cisco Expert-Level Training for CCIE Routing and Switching v5.0: The Preassessment Lab

10Linefigure

Ah okay, using CLC's. I thought this was right off your debit card lol. Yea that's a perfect lineup for CCNP. Good luck!

Legacy User

If you passed the ROUTE recently and have experience with switching then the T-shoot should be a breeze for you.

willieb

10Linefigure wrote: »

Ah okay, using CLC's. I thought this was right off your debit card lol. Yea that's a perfect lineup for CCNP. Good luck!

Ha, I also am using:

Global Knowledge TSHOOT Course

CBT Nuggets Lectures and Labs

Udemy TSHOOT (Listening to it in car on commute to work)


@dmarcisco It's been 3 months since I took ROUTE so Imma brush up with these courses first. Plus I'm usually slow at tests, so the more I know the faster I will be.

10Linefigure

Bro when are you testing? Excited for the good news! Keep up the grind.

willieb

Sorry for the delay, Planning to test next month but I've had a couple weeks delay in studying. Starting back on it hard core on Monday.

willieb

So for those of you that have recently taken TSHOOT, is the published topology exactly the same as the exam topology? As in same IP subnets, OSPF areas, and everything else?

I'm just curious. I think I am going to build the topology in GNS3 from scratch. That should be some good experience as well.

Published topology:
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/thread/10965

I am back in the study groove and plan to take TSHOOT on November 15th (already scheduled) as long as I feel prepared by then.

10Linefigure

Yes, however I don't know if it was the same IP's or hostnames, connection ports, etc. But the general layout is there. Be sure you have a troubleshooting methodology and stick to it. Don't start jumping around or get confused or rushed. You will have plenty of time on the test. Start at A, end at B, work slow and smooth through the devices along your intended path until you find the problem device. Then troubleshoot.

Remember, its just a normal day at the office! Good luck!

bhuwanp

I passed last year.

Tshoot is quite simpler. Since you have already gone through the CCIE material it will be going to be easy for you.

I followed the trace and ping strategy in the exam as I do at my job.

Read the IPv6 stuff as well.

Good luck for your exam.

willieb

bhuwanp wrote: »

I passed last year.

Tshoot is quite simpler. Since you have already gone through the CCIE material it will be going to be easy for you.

I followed the trace and ping strategy in the exam as I do at my job.

Read the IPv6 stuff as well.

Good luck for your exam.

No I have not gone through the CCIE material yet. That's for me to start immediately when I pass TSHOOT. I had some expiring CLCs that I had to spend or I would lose them, so I planned ahead and purchased the CCIE material that I thought would help me the most transitioning from NP to IE.

Cat5

This may be a dumb comment, but it seems to me that TSHOOT is testing on what one already studied for in ROUTE and SWITCH. Wouldn't taking TSHOOT as soon as possible after passing them be the best course of action, since it's all still fresh on one's mind?

willieb

No it's not dumb, and what you say is true. But since there are months between ROUTE and SWITCH, ROUTE content becomes rusty, at least to me anyway. Plus there are some TSHOOT methodologies and concepts that is new material that's not included in ROUTE or SWITCH. I took ROUTE in June at Orlando Cisco Live so I am fairly rusty in what I remembered for the exam.

Not to mention it's important to become VERY familiar with the TSHOOT topology and how the exam differs with "tickets", etc.

I am on ticket 13 for the CBT TSHOOT ticket/lab series, and plan to look at Global Knowledge and the TSHOOT course I bought. Then I plan to build the public Cisco topology from scratch and play with that for a few days before exam day.

I try to over prepare for each exam to give me a better chance at passing. CCNP content comes easy to me but I'm slow on exams and moving knowledge from short to long term memory. The better I know the content and topology the faster I will be.

Cat5

Ah, I didn't know there was additional material. I haven't looked that far ahead yet. Well, that sux. I thought it was just more involved testing on what you'd already passed. I guess I'll find out soon. I'm up to my elbows in studying for SWITCH. If I'd only moved forward in studying for CCNP right when I passed the CCNA in '07, I'd be making six-figures today. Btw, I see that you used to have a CCNP? What made you decide to go after it again?

willieb

From what I understand on TSHOOT there are about 16 or so "tickets" and maybe 8 multiple choice questions? Maybe someone can confirm. But I do believe the majority of the exam is over what you already know from ROUTE & SWITCH.

It's a long story that I'll try to make short. Fresh out of tech school with an Electronics diploma I started at a cable company in '93 as a CATV Technician. In '99 we decided to offer cable Internet. Already interested in computers, networking really caught my attention. It came natural to me. So I went back to tech school and went into the Networking Degree program which had 4 quarters of Cisco classes to train for the CCNA cert. I got my CCNA, then went straight into the CCNP classes they were offering at the time. They asked me to teach CCNA and Net+ classes so I got my CCAI and started teaching 2 nights a week and was going the other 2 nights for CCNP classes. I then got my CCNP. It was 2 tests at the time and no R&S, just CCNP lol. There was ROUTE and SWITCH and troubleshooting was combined into the 2 exams.

Well you know how you get in and out of hobbies I guess. In the paragraph above my hobby was Cisco and networking, for years, which was also my job. I got burnt out for a while and at the 3 year mark I was happy with my salary and had other things going on, like having kids.

In 2010 I was asked by another ISP to come manage their Tech Support and Network Dept so I did. Being in management and working 50-60 hours a week I still didn't concentrate on studies. In 2016 I moved to another smaller ISP as a Network Admin/Engineer where I get off at 5:00pm almost everyday. So the change put a demand back on re-certifying and gave me the time to do so. I've certified in Calix and took my time with starting back on Cisco, but man those Cisco Live events will motivate the crap out of you lol. Now it's 120% game on.

So now here I am, going to the top. The plan is I'm not stopping this time until I'm at least 1x CCIE and have a Masters, probably from WGU. If the first CCIE goes good I may go down the DP/DE path or specialize in another area. Too soon to tell, one step at the time.

willieb

Finished CBT Nuggets TSHOOT course and Labs course last night, so on to Global Knowledge, then I'm going to try the purchased $100 Cisco labs. I plan to skip Boson and Udemy, too much study material. We'll see how fast I get through Global Knowledge...

albinorhino187

Boson was the only thing I used for TSHOOT, and I thought it was fantastic. Specifically the tickets. The multiple choice and drag/drop questions weren't that relevant, but the tickets were outstanding. The topology wasn't an exact replica, but it was very close, and the functionality of the test was almost spot on. Being able to click directly into device CLI, multiple windows, moving things around to see topology, terminal, answering the ticket itself, all very much like the real thing.

And the style of ticket and troubleshooting method that Boson reinforced was also perfect for the real thing. If you only used one TSHOOT resource, I'd make it Boson.

willieb

Interesting, in that case I may pause on GK and check out the Boson today. I'm about half way through the GK tickets so it's prob a good stopping point. Thanks for the tip.

willieb

Funny thing, I just logged into the course below and it's the exact same labs as the Global Knowledge TSHOOT online course lol. Oh well, waste of $100 (well, 10 CLCs)...

Cisco Learning Labs for CCNP TSHOOT v2.0 50-hour 180-day Labs

willieb

Here's the built-from-scratch TSHOOT topology I've been working on in GNS3. I'm trying to make is as close as possible to the Cisco published topology. It's coming along very well. I have all VLANs, HSRP, and IPv4 connectivity configured thus far.

10Linefigure

@willieb ;  the Cisco T-Shoot is the same as the GK simulators? Had no idea bro, wouldn't of sent you down that path otherwise! But, other than hands on exp at work, thats the only pre-test simulator I used, and you have done a LOT more. You should crush T-Shoot!