Failed, yet again.

Cataclysm

Well thats number three for me. 727, 708, and now 739. Last two tests, I haven't received not even one router simulation question.

I've studied my ass off for Frame Relay, VTP, OSPF, and EIGRP.. but for some reason, I just can't get this exam. My wife is sooo disappointed in me and it sucks.

Every time I come home holding that little piece of paper that says fail, it kills her and me inside.

Planning and Design: 80%
Implementation and Operation: 58%
Troubleshooting: 62%
Technology: 53%

The first time I took it, I got 100% on Planning and design and 90% on Troubleshooting.. I just don't understand it.

mikej412

Cataclysm wrote:

My wife is sooo disappointed in me

Hum.... so she got the CCNA on her first try?

You haven't mentioned what you used to study. You didn't mention your experience before you attempted the CCNA. Are you doing self-study or did you take classes or a bootcamp?

How much hands-on router and switch experience do you have? What do you use for a practice lab -- real routers/switches or a simulator?

How are you at subnetting? Did you use the subnetting practice links that have been posted in the CCNA forum? Did you see ModemHumpers links to the flash tutorials on the Cisco site? Have you been to the Cisco Prep Center web site?

Have you compared your score report results to the exam blueprint categories and tried to figure out what you're getting wrong?

Did you use any practice tests to gauge your exam readiness?

You've got to give us more info to work with if you want some suggestions from peanut gallery.

So.... what's your plan try for your next attempt?

Cataclysm

mikej412 wrote:

Hum.... so she got the CCNA on her first try?

No, she isn't in IT but she feels that I must not be studying hard enough if I can't pass it.

mikej412 wrote:

You haven't mentioned what you used to study. You didn't mention your experience before you attempted the CCNA. Are you doing self-study or did you take classes or a bootcamp?

I took all four classes provided by the Cisco Network Academy for CCNA, and I have read through the ICND Book that you can buy at Borders. I'm thinking about trying the How2 thing.

mikej412 wrote:

How much hands-on router and switch experience do you have? What do you use for a practice lab -- real routers/switches or a simulator?

The labs in the classes I took were all the real experience that I received. Doing simulation and hands on is easy.. the last two tests I haven't received any hands on simulation questions and I always do soooo well on those.

mikej412 wrote:

How are you at subnetting? Did you use the subnetting practice links that have been posted in the CCNA forum? Did you see ModemHumpers links to the flash tutorials on the Cisco site? Have you been to the Cisco Prep Center web site?

I'm a wiz at math and can do subnetting in my head. Also, if needed for CIDR related questions, I can write it down and figure them out quickly. Subnetting is not a weak point for me.

mikej412 wrote:

Have you compared your score report results to the exam blueprint categories and tried to figure out what you're getting wrong?

I wouldn't even know where to begin for this.

mikej412 wrote:

Did you use any practice tests to gauge your exam readiness?

Only the ones on the CD in the ICND book.

mikej412 wrote:

So.... what's your plan try for your next attempt?

How2, I think.

mikej412

Cataclysm wrote:

No, she isn't in IT but she feels that I must not be studying hard enough if I can't pass it.

Well, if she thinks it's so easy.....

Cataclysm wrote:

I took all four classes provided by the Cisco Network Academy for CCNA, and I have read through the ICND Book that you can buy at Borders.

I did the Academy courses! That's all I used for my CCNA.

You have to do more than just "read through" -- you must live it, you must feel it, you must eat, sleep, and breath it! Maybe you're wife is right and you are slacking off.

Cataclysm wrote:

I'm thinking about trying the How2 thing.

Then we'd have to break your fingers.

Cataclysm wrote:

the last two tests I haven't received any hands on simulation questions and I always do soooo well on those.

Now that's just too weird... Have you been getting the Simlet(s) still?

Cataclysm wrote:

mikej412 wrote:

Have you compared your score report results to the exam blueprint categories and tried to figure out what you're getting wrong?

I wouldn't even know where to begin for this.

Compare your score report to the bullet points in the exam blueprint
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/current_exams/640-801.html

You've got to figure out where you are losing all those points. If you can subnet and do the sims, the rest of the stuff should be reasonably easy.

Cataclysm wrote:

mikej412 wrote:

Did you use any practice tests to gauge your exam readiness?

Only the ones on the CD in the ICND book.

You're missing something somewhere.....

You could try getting the Cisco Press CCNA Flash Cards and practice exams. There should be a "reference sheet" PDF file on the CD. You could read that -- slowly and carefully. They are only about 100 pages I think -- and some overlap between the INTRO and ICND portions. And then go through the flash cards -- a BUNCH of times. They try the practice exams.... and report back here.

Or you could get the Sybex book, and have your wife supervise your reading to make sure you're not daydreaming.

Or both.

Cataclysm wrote:

mikej412 wrote:

So.... what's your plan try for your next attempt?

How2, I think.

As I already said -- then we'd have to break your fingers.

How many hours are you putting in a night? How many of those does your wife supervise? How many while studying?

GREENPUS

Cataclysm wrote:

I took all four classes provided by the Cisco Network Academy for CCNA, and I have read through the ICND Book that you can buy at Borders.

i did that plus i bought a book from sybex and cramexam and failed it on june 21, 2006 with a 762. I had the test with 56 questions and on the 21 question my mouse locked up. I tried to get it to work and gave up. I walked out of the testing room to get help and there was no one. I yelled and screamed at the top of my lungs for help and no one replied. By now you all probably think i'm kidding....

I'm not going to go into details on what else happen but it was a nitemare i soon won't forget. I did report this to Prometric security people on how this guy left me by myself and the actual testing facility offered to let me take the test again for free. That test was my Voucher test that cisco gave me. My experience with this test sucked.... at this point i'm not even sure if i want to get my ccna

nuglobe

Planning & Designing

* Design a simple LAN using Cisco Technology
* Design an IP addressing scheme to meet design requirements
* Select an appropriate routing protocol based on user requirements
* Design a simple internetwork using Cisco technology
* Develop an access list to meet user specifications
* Choose WAN services to meet customer requirements


Implementation & Operation

* Configure routing protocols given user requirements
* Configure IP addresses, subnet masks, and gateway addresses on routers and hosts
* Configure a router for additional administrative functionality
* Configure a switch with VLANS and inter-switch communication
* Implement a LAN
* Customize a switch configuration to meet specified network requirements
* Manage system image and device configuration files
* Perform an initial configuration on a router
* Perform an initial configuration on a switch
* Implement access lists
* Implement simple WAN protocols


Troubleshooting

* Utilize the OSI model as a guide for systematic network troubleshooting
* Perform LAN and VLAN troubleshooting
* Troubleshoot routing protocols
* Troubleshoot IP addressing and host configuration
* Troubleshoot a device as part of a working network
* Troubleshoot an access list
* Perform simple WAN troubleshooting


Technology

* Describe network communications using layered models
* Describe the Spanning Tree process
* Compare and contrast key characteristics of LAN environments
* Evaluate the characteristics of routing protocols
* Evaluate TCP/IP communication process and its associated protocols
* Describe the components of network devices
* Evaluate rules for packet control

forbesl

never mind....

Webmaster

I think Mike addressed it all very well, just want to add two things:

1. if you abbreviated that product's name to avoid it being xxx-ed out, don't, there's a good reason the xxx's appear.

2. In case you are not realizing it yourself: I assume your wife will be more proud of you if you pass this exam by studying your ass off, instead of resulting to illegal **** products. Will you feel good about yourself if you tell your wife you passed, while in the back of your head you know you wouldn't have passed if you wouldn't have known the questions and answers up front?

I rather see people pass their exams than fail. But, and I mean no offense personally, this is a good example of how **** ruin the value of this certification. You obviously do not have the skills and knowledge yet to deserve to be 'certified'. The product you mentioned won't give you those, going that extra mile, following Mike's advice, and asking questions in these forums whenever you need help, will. It takes time and hard work, but you can do it.

You have to do more than just "read through" -- you must live it, you must feel it, you must eat, sleep, and breath it!

I think this is very well said. For me it's a the difference between a 'school' exam and a professional certification exam. In traditional education you just need to pass, and pass over and over again, to get a diploma. Most people only know a small percentage of the stuff they learned at school/college etc, which is ok because they will learn most of the actual through work experience, when they have the job. Certification is different, and is not a matter of reading a book and answering a bunch of questions. You should have the same level of knowledge and skills you would have if you'd done the job for some time already. And ones you know what you are doing, you can get certified for those skills and the knowledge you gained. And you cannot just forget 80% of it like you could get away with in traditional education. The exam is only a means of testing, it's not a goal by itself. Nowadays people get certified before they even had a job. I'm not saying that is wrong, IT certs became guidelines to learn new things, but it's not how certifications were intented nor how it works in most other industries. Obviously Cisco dynamically changed their perspective on this as well, by offering the Cisco Network Academy programs to students rather than professionals.

This is also why there are generally no certification books that cover it all, and why the complaints from people about Cisco or Microsoft exams containing questions about topics that were not in their official study guide are unjust. The book is just one of the many tools you can use to become certified. In the end you become certified for what you can and know (know as in 'understand'), not for what you read. So when you read something, make sure you understand it completely, and apply it.

Again, don't hesitate to ask if you need any help.

skaeight

mikej412 wrote:

You have to do more than just "read through" -- you must live it, you must feel it, you must eat, sleep, and breath it!

This is slightly off topic, but I may be taking the sleep it part too literally. The last few nights I've had dreams about the material I was studying the day before. Wierd stuff, it kind of takes nerdiness to whole new level.

Back on topic though, I completely agree with the statement. That's how I study for cert exams. I can't just sit there and memorize a sheet of terms. I get to know the material well, inside and out. I always need to know why something works the way it does. Given that this is the OP's first certification attempt, he may just need to work on his study skills. How long has it been since you've taken a test (e.g. high school or college)?

chinaman

Don't lose hope, my advice to you is to take a rest maybe you need some more time to enjoy don't preasure yourself. I remember when I failed twice on my Intro exam and after that I decided to take the one exam.

I bought the 5th edition Sybex, CBT nuggets this video rocks it helps me to review and visualize until now I am still watching the videos after purchasing the CCNP package. Ofcourse Boson Simulator although I used it once.

If you can imagine like what I did I bought a white board and a pen and draw the topology, switching connection, wtrite down the diff. between 2950 sw and 1900 configuration, write down the configuration.

I know it sounds crazy but it helps really try it.

homerj742

So those CBT nuggets videos are good huh?

nuglobe

Yeah CBT Nuggets can really help you through areas you arent really getting. It is no replacement for a book though.

optimus

I also made the mistake once of telling everyone ( including my wife ), I was going to take an exam. Luckily I passed, but I realized that I should not have said anything. All it does is add pressure (at least for me it did). Next time, just don't tell anyone, and take the exam with only you knowing. Then you don't have to worry about anyone saying, "better luck next time".

- Optimus

chinaman

I remember I asked my fiance not to say good luck before taking the exam, Maybe that's the secret nevers say GOOD LUCK and try to relax on the exam never loose hope and AS the muslim said INSHALA.

qsub

I think the best thing you should do is one week before the exam, write down main topics on the CCNA exam and off the top of your head, write or say what you know about it.

Only you, yourself can judge if you think you know enough or you need more. Best thing to remember is don't just "remember" stuff, "understand" it. I think the method I said is a good way, I know when I explain stuff to other people, I don't give them one word sentences, but paragraph explanations on how things work.