Passed 640-801 - CCNA!

skaeight

I just got back from the 640-801, and I passed with a 936. I am excited! I have been studying for around 2.5 months now. However about 3 weeks ago, I hit a stretch where I kind of lost my focus and didn't study for around a week. However, I snapped back into study mode, scheduled the test, and now here I am a CCNA.

This test was intense. Partially because they only give you 90 minutes, and mainly because you can't go back to review your answers. The simulations were very nervewracking because in the back of my mind I knew I couldn't spend more than ~ 10 minutes on each one, so that kind of made me a little frantic. In the first one I made a really stupid mistake, but discovered it a little later. I'm still not 100% I got that one correct.

This test is most definitely not one to take lightly. It really tests all of your knowledge on the material.

Now on to my preparation:

I began with Todd Lammle's excellent Sybex CCNA book. This book is just fantastic, and I echo other's sentiments about the subnetting chapter. He made it so easy. I breezed through this book in around 2 weeks and at that point I was very confident in my abilities. (I had experience working with Cisco products, so I wasn't starting from scratch.)

However, I thought am I a little too confident, are there things Lammle didn't cover? I had read that you really need to use both Lammle and Odom, so I found a decent deal on the new edition of the Cisco Press Odom books, and bought them. I got through the first couple sections quickly and still had some great momentum going. However after a couple of weeks of reading Odom I lost steam. Thus the foremention period where I stopped studying.

I'm just going to say this. I really wish I hadn't wasted the money on Odom. Lammle gives you all the info you need for 640-801 as long as you read it closely ( I read cover to cover once taking notes, and scanned through it probably 3 times).

Odom is just boring and gives you way too much information. I completely understand why he does. It's really intended for the 2 test Intro / ICND approach. I just got wrapped in trying to learn all of the minutia he presented and it got overwealming.

When I picked the studying back up, I didn't even look at Odom, just Lammle. I did use Odom's included NetSim practice questions though, which were only the redeming quality of those books. Oh and by the way. The evaluation Boson simulator that comes with it, yeah that's completely worthless. I sat down to try the 1st scenario, and one of the features required to complete the scenario(I believe assigning an IP to a switch) wasn't availble without upgrading to the full version. Just ridiculous.

I was however fortunate enough to have a home lab consiteing of a couple 2500's and 1924s. I didn't do a whole lot on the switches, but the work I did on the routers was very valuable.

So my recommendation is get Lammle and some routers. It's definitely the best, most concise way to study for 640-801. I'm just extemely happy I passed, because this was a very tough exam.

FijianTribe

Congrats and thanks for the info.

binarysoul

Go party and thanks for the insight. I agree with you 1,000,000,000% about Odom's books not being worthy. Go party

skaeight

I'll be partying with the Red Sox all weekend. Hopefully me passing the test today brings the sox some good karma.

Silver Bullet

Congratulations

DirtySouth

skaeight wrote:

I began with Todd Lammle's excellent Sybex CCNA book. This book is just fantastic, and I echo other's sentiments about the subnetting chapter. He made it so easy. I breezed through this book in around 2 weeks and at that point I was very confident in my abilities. (I had experience working with Cisco products, so I wasn't starting from scratch.)

Congrats on passing the test!! I can't wait for that day to come. Could you tell me specifically which Todd Lammle book you're referring to. If its not too much trouble the ISBN would be sweet. Thanks!

skaeight

DirtySouth wrote:

skaeight wrote:

I began with Todd Lammle's excellent Sybex CCNA book. This book is just fantastic, and I echo other's sentiments about the subnetting chapter. He made it so easy. I breezed through this book in around 2 weeks and at that point I was very confident in my abilities. (I had experience working with Cisco products, so I wasn't starting from scratch.)

Congrats on passing the test!! I can't wait for that day to come. Could you tell me specifically which Todd Lammle book you're referring to. If its not too much trouble the ISBN would be sweet. Thanks!

It's CCNA Study Guide, Fifth Edition. ISBN is 0-7821-4391-1

mikej412

skaeight wrote:

The simulations were very nervewracking because in the back of my mind I knew I couldn't spend more than ~ 10 minutes on each one, so that kind of made me a little frantic.

WhooHoo! Time Management Rules!!! You made the tough call, and still kicked a**!

Oh, and congratulations on the pass! Nice score!

What's the plan? and ... and then?

brAun

congrats, i really like to see people pass their CCNA especially those who can focus on their goal and self study by themselves..

i will have my exam on monday.... i have been studying for 1 year, i have become lazy lately... losing my focus.... and i decided to book for an exam and set a deadline for myself so i have no time to lose anymore.

wish me luck guys.....

unwritt3n

WELL DONE skaeight!!!!!

Go out now and party!!!!! I've been doing nothing since Thursday 10th Aug when i passed mine!!! Just out most nights celebrating!! So good to see sunlight again, and to be free (not long for me tho, MCSA and BCSI study comin up for me soon).

I'll have a drink for u tonnite!!

skaeight

Thanks everyone. Anyone who is taking this exam soon, I wish you luck. I will get to relax and celebrate passing this exam a little tonight. I still keep thinking that I can't believe that I passed CCNA.

!30

like me man , Grat's !

porengo

Congrats Skaeight! And since I'm a Yankee fan I won't mention Friday nights games.

skaeight

porengo wrote:

Congrats Skaeight! And since I'm a Yankee fan I won't mention Friday nights games.

UGHHH @#$%@!!!!

I dont know, it's not looking good for us this season. Beckett is looking bad again.

Thanks though.

danielsheets

Congratulations! I also passed the 640-801 today with a score of 898! I too got frustrated on the first sim and wasted 15 minutes on it (even though I believe I finally got it right). I too was hoping for a turn around by the Red Sox this weekend. I guess I'll look forward to football season now!

Humper

Wendell is an excellent book. Todd Lammle's gives you just enough info to pass the exam...only what you NEED to know to pass. Unfortunately, as I have learned this is not necessarily good....For me I want to learn more then what is required, because this is what I want to do as a life long career. I have found myself reading more RFC's and vendor neutral books. Some excellent books to read are Radia Perlman's Interconnections and TCP/IP Illustrated (or there is a new Fourzhan book TCP/IP). For anyone wanting to go to CCNP/CCIE level I would highly recommend Routing TCP/IP Volume 1 & 2!

moss12

congratulations




have fun

skaeight

ModemHumper wrote:

Wendell is an excellent book. Todd Lammle's gives you just enough info to pass the exam...only what you NEED to know to pass. Unfortunately, as I have learned this is not necessarily good....For me I want to learn more then what is required, because this is what I want to do as a life long career. I have found myself reading more RFC's and vendor neutral books. Some excellent books to read are Radia Perlman's Interconnections and TCP/IP Illustrated (or there is a new Fourzhan book TCP/IP). For anyone wanting to go to CCNP/CCIE level I would highly recommend Routing TCP/IP Volume 1 & 2!

I undertand what you're saying, but for me at least I don't agree with the approach. CCNA is such a broad exam to begin with, so there's no need to study stuff you don't need for the exam. I passed with a 936, so it's not like I just barely passed.

I will learn greater detail when I move on to the CCNP exams, which as far as I can tell is Cisco's intent with how their exams are set up. (I also did read the entire Odom books, so i'm sure I absorbed some of the extra unrequired details). The main problem I had with the Odom books is there wasn't a very clear distinction in what was for Intro/ICND and what was for 640-801.

I do agree with you on the TCP/IP Illustrated books. They are excellent resources, which we use extensively at work. However, I don't know how relevant they actually are for CCNA. I just didn't see any where near that level of detail on the CCNA exam. I do see value in learning more than Lammle presented for your career, I was by no means saying that Lammle is all I have read in regards to networking, etc. However when preparing for a test, it's only smart to focus in on what is actually going to be on the test.