CCNA plus MSCE2003

just started studying for both CCNA and MCSE 2003 ... i hav to give the exam on 20th aug ...need to know wot r the books i shud study n wot shud be my study plan...hav got almost a month and a half

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lordy

I can highly recommend the Sybex CCNA Guide by Todd Lammle (check Amazon). Additionaly you can buy the Cisco Press ICND Guide.

You should try to get your hands on a real Cisco (eBay) or get some good simulation software like Boson NetSim.

If you have these materials and six weeks time, you should be able to make it.

sprkymrk

lordy wrote:

I can highly recommend the Sybex CCNA Guide by Todd Lammle (check Amazon). Additionaly you can buy the Cisco Press ICND Guide.

You should try to get your hands on a real Cisco (eBay) or get some good simulation software like Boson NetSim.

If you have these materials and six weeks time, you should be able to make it.

I also highly recommend the Sybex/Lammle book. However, the MCSE consists of 7 seperate exams. I don't think you can do that AND the CCNA in 6 weeks. As a matter of fact, unless you already have some decent experience with Cisco/Networking, I don't think 6 weeks is enough time for just the CCNA alone. There are a couple of the MS exams that are do-able in that time (XP and Server 2003) if you have some experience with them, but otherwise you will need a LOT more time. I wish you the best of luck. Let us know how it all turns out.

randy35

thanx a lot guys ...m off to study now n will let u know how i do on ma examz

Danman32

8 exams in 6 weeks? That would be hard. It is a shame that MS isn't allowing CCNA as an elective. Their reasoning is that it isn't a cert showing an understanding of networking software.

You can use A+ and Network+ as an elective for MCSA, though not for MCSE.

It took me 3 weeks to get a CCNA. Though I never worked with Cisco, I did have networking experience. Came close to passing the test the first time, which would have let me say I got my CCNA in 4 days (taking test on 5th), but I was dedicated to 4 days of long classes.

My MCSE tests I averaged 2 weeks study per test, with the last one, 294 I managed in one weekm since I have plenty of work experience in this area. My route to MCSE though was through MCSA 2000.

Already had 210 and 215 prior to my going gung ho on certs.
Add 218 and I had MCSA 2000 (had Exchange [224] and A+ and Network+ for the electives). Add 292 and was MCSA 2003. Add 293, 294, 298 and I then obtained MCSE 2003. An MCSA/E on 2000 qualifies as an elective.

kevozz

Danman32 wrote:

You can use A+ and Network+ as an elective for MCSA, though not for MCSE.

I was wondering about that. Started to post that question in the forums today.

forbesl

randy35 wrote:

thanx a lot guys ...m off to study now n will let u know how i do on ma examz

Maybe it's just my age showing, but the way these kids write nowadays drives me crazy....

Danman32

kevozz wrote:

Danman32 wrote:

You can use A+ and Network+ as an elective for MCSA, though not for MCSE.

I was wondering about that. Started to post that question in the forums today.

You can use sec+ though as an MCSE elective. If you add 299 with Sec+, you'll have the security specialization.

TeKniques

I don't know guys, there are some people on this forum that got their MCSE's in < 6 weeks time.

However, to do the CCNA + MCSE in that time is ridiculous IMO.

forbesl wrote:

randy35 wrote:

thanx a lot guys ...m off to study now n will let u know how i do on ma examz

Maybe it's just my age showing, but the way these kids write nowadays drives me crazy....

It's because nowadays in High School the teachers are more concerned that kids know how to have sex rather than write properly.

sprkymrk

forbesl wrote:

randy35 wrote:

thanx a lot guys ...m off to study now n will let u know how i do on ma examz

Maybe it's just my age showing, but the way these kids write nowadays drives me crazy....

Phew, so it wasn't just me! I rly got 2 concentrate 2 be abl 2 rd sum o ths stuf!

wizarddeath

I see no way to get a CCNA AND all the exams for MCSE done in 6 weeks! Just got done with CCNA/A+/Network+ took me 6 weeks for all of those...Starting MSCA now, and I could barely see getting through 2 MS exams in that amount of time.

Unless youve had super hands on experience, I dont even think braindumps would net you those 9 exams in 6 weeks >< I could be wrong though!!

PS, why do A+/network+ count as electives for MCSA but not MCSE?? ><

mikej412

randy35 wrote:

just started studying for both CCNA and MCSE 2003 ... i hav to give the exam on 20th aug

Thats just the CCNA exam in 6 weeks, right? With some MCSE studying to break up the boredom of just studying one thing, right?

6 weeks for the CCNA is a reasonable target depending on your experience and motivation and dedication. And that would valid even if you're working fulltime and just studying at night and on weekends.

randy35

nope m not working or nething ...m taking up tutoring from this institute "Network Nuts"...so i gas 6wks of full tym study wud land me ma CCNA and MCSE ... m thinking of givin' ma 1st MCSE paper on monday ...this way i can split up da tym n concentrate on one paper at atym ...but i will me giving only 1 paper 4 CCNA ...i dnt wanna split dat up ...hope to get it all ova wid b4 aug 20th...keep on sending ur suggestions ...i really uprishiate it...

wizarddeath

randy35 wrote:

nope m not working or nething ...m taking up tutoring from this institute "Network Nuts"...so i gas 6wks of full tym study wud land me ma CCNA and MCSE ... m thinking of givin' ma 1st MCSE paper on monday ...this way i can split up da tym n concentrate on one paper at atym ...but i will me giving only 1 paper 4 CCNA ...i dnt wanna split dat up ...hope to get it all ova wid b4 aug 20th...keep on sending ur suggestions ...i really uprishiate it...

Not to sound horrible or be rude or anything. Where are you from? where is this network Nuts located? Is it an internet type of thing or a physical class? Sounds like a super boot camp.

TeKniques

I just did a Google search on "Network Nuts" and it seems to be some training center in India. I won't link the site because I don't know if it's legit or not.

Just go do the search yourself.

mikej412

wizarddeath wrote:

Sounds like a super boot camp.

yep -- I googled it too, like TeKniques did.

For a tech company that has had their domain registed since 2004, you think that their web links on their site would work

Only their locations page and testimonials page worked... and I think a link to their MCSE page where they claimed they don't limit their classes for the MCSE to just one vendor (Microsoft?) -- they use Linux also (which I took to mean they taught Samba setup on a Linux System).

Hopefully they have the equipment and do hands on work.... and hopefully they don't teach from ****.

Without some experience or preparation before these bootcamps... they are usually a watse, and even if you do get certified, you may not actually be able to do the job. But if these guys can place you in a job with one of their customers.... then maybe you'll get a chance to learn on the job.

randy35 wrote:

so i gas 6wks of full tym study wud land me ma CCNA and MCSE

If they are just a crazy training place (and they don't ****) -- then Good Luck!

EdTheLad

8 exams in six weeks is it possible? Maybe, but it could take a couple of extra weeks.I think most people here on the forum could handle this to an extent.If you study just to answer the questions in the test its possible,if you actually want to understand and make the experience worth while its absolutely not possible.I prefer to be what my cert states i am, i couldnt study just to pass an exam because i think its a waste of time.To do this amount of exams in such a short time im sure you'll retain less than 1 %.I wish your potential employer luck...

Danman32

The Microsoft and Cisco exams have sims, so you have to know how to do stuff, not just answer questions. The CCNA can be passed without doing the sim (I nearly did) but it would be really hard.

PawNtheSandman

Wow, it has taken me 3 years to get A+, Net+ and 5 tests into MCSE.

I hear people say they complete their MCSE in 6 months to a year and all of a sudden I feel stupid. I usually study an hour a day for about 2 months for a test after a 2 week class.

Then again, I don't want to be a paper cert.

randy35

yup ...i am in india ...n the reason y i wanna get over with these exams is because my student visa expires on 1st sept so i dont hav much tym ...but gathering from ur experiences i gas i shud hold on to giving the exam n spend more tym in the lab or mayb extend my visa ...currenly iam spending 4hrs in classroom coaching n about 3hrs afta class lab work and an extra 7-8 hrs in the library...i have done B.Tech (electronics and communication engineering ) graduating with a 1st class degree...so i do hav a bit of networking knowledge ...

had a unit (compuer communication network) in 6th sem and another one (Transport and access technologies) in 8th sem...scored A+ in both of them ...

but from the feedback i got from all of u it seems that i shud 1st get some hands on experience and know verywell how to trobleshoot than having bookish knowledge...

so i gas passing these papers shud be my secondary goal now ...

hope to get more feedback ...

eara

Dude, if you gona take 6 weeks for ccna thats fine but you've gat to do intensive studies if you are doing it from the scratch. I used cisco press books(both intro and icnd), todd lammle sybex book and Netsim. All was perfect and i passed my exam.

Msce is gat too much material you need to study(thats my opinion dude

) but you can study it once you hammer the ccna. Am also studying my msce right now

skaeight

I agree with the poster above that feels puzzled when I see people say they got MCSE in 6 months. I really don't see how that is possible and still atually learn the material.

It took me around 2 and half years to finish my MCSE. Granted there were some periods where I took a break in there (I started a new job with 3 tests remaining and didn't take a test for around 8 months). However, even if I had gone full-on it would have taken me around a year at minimum. At that pace I feel like I would have gotten burned out. (Microsoft tests start blending together after a while).

I'm currently studying for CCNA. I've been working on it for about a month now, and don't plan to take the test for around another month. I'm also not starting for square one, I have a lot of networking experience and also had a decent ammount of Cisco experience before I started stuyding. I've seen far to many 'failed first time' posts here to take this exam lightly. That's why I would say 6 weeks is a stretch to even take CCNA if you are starting from scratch.

So to the OP, I would suggest to just focus on CCNA for now. If you can get a test or two under your belt towards MCSE, great. Maybe, just maybe, if you really really hustle you could get MCSA, but that's doubful (it's 4 tests, MCSE is 7)

sprkymrk

I'm with you, skaeight. I spent several months of study, hands-on, and experience to get my 2 W2K certs, but when I did take the tests I passed with flying colors and really knew the material, not just the answers to the test questions.

With the CCNA, I went through the Cisco Academy (9 months), took a 1 week refresher boot camp, had a few years of networking under my belt (unfortunately no Cisco experience) and met with 3 class mates from the Cisco classes 1/week for several weeks before sitting the exam. I too missed it the 1st attempt due to stupid mistakes on the sims (I over analysed the scenario), but passed it the next week.

Security+ I pretty much relied on my experience. I studied half-heartily for about 3 months (like a couple hours a week) and then crammed the week before the exam at about 3 hours per day. I passed by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin (775 - needed 764).

I am amazed at those that are able to pass 1 test every 3-4 weeks by reading. Jealous too!

Danman32

You can pass the MS tests by reading a good study book (like Sybex) in 2 weeks if you happen to have some experience with MS networking.

I was able to pick off MS exams with an average of 2-3 weeks each, the last in 1 week since I worked with AD extensively. I worked hard. Since the phones at work were light, I spent much of my time reading, playing with my lab, and practice exams.

But if you are not familiar with MS networking, it is going to take you much longer.

I hadn't worked with Cisco much, but the class was dedicated and intensive for 4 days. The books that come with the course are straight forward, and cover everything factual you need to know. After failing the first time right after finishing class, I spent 2 weeks studying, memorizing commands, getting better and faster at picking apart subnets, and running sim labs I could find to get a methodology in solving sim problems. Even if you are familiar with networking and even Cisco, you have to be fast. You really have no time to waste on the test, and the cutoff score is quite high. If it was MS standards, I would have passed the first CCNA test attempt.
But then, I studied after class too for a few hours, mostly memorizing commands.