New CCNA exam?

walid97

Hey guys,

I just want to ask if there is a plan for a new CCNA exam other than 640-801?

Is it planed?

Thanks

optimus

I have not heard about anything coming down the pipeline soon. Just go to the www.cisco.com site for details.

Optimus

Kaminsky

I know they are changing the ccnp but not the ccna for now. ccnp is about to go through a bit of an overhaul apparantly.

Paul Boz

The CCNA was recently over hauled and is much more challenging than the previous exam.

optimus

Where did you here about the overhaul Paul? I didn't hear about this.

- Optimus

makethio13

yeah i have heard that too but i couldn't find about it from cisco site
if anyone heard plz let us know

Paul Boz

The CCNA was redesigned a while ago (when they implemented the two test option) because far too many people were cramming for a few weeks then getting the cert and trying to get a job with almost zero skill. They made the test far more challenging, in that you actually have to understand the "big picture" of routing and switching. Instead of asking you direct questions like "What kind of cable do you need to use between a DTE and DCE device?" It gives you a hypothetical situation like "You have two routers hooked up via serial interfaces - their subnet is x.x.x.x and they're hooked up using serial cables. Here is the printout from the "sh interfaces" command: Why can't router B communicate with router A?" Anything can be the answer, from the clock rate not being set on the DCE router to the interface being shut, but you just have to know what to look for to fix it and get it right - and the kicker is that you have to be very quick at doing it.

You have to be able to apply what you know about routing and switching to solve troubleshooting problems. The test used to not be that way.

I got a 1000/1000 on the INTRO exam by setting up labs then having a co worker missconfigure them when I wasn't looking, then timing myself to fix the problem. As I got quicker the problems got more difficult. It got to the point where one co worker actually made a crossover cable but broke one of the pairs, and I had to use a cable tester to find the problem. You really have to push yourself if you want to learn this stuff, get good at it, and make money in the real world. In the real world you have to be able to fix things as quickly and accurately as possible, so knowing the course material is critical.

Jammywanks

As much as I want a CCNA now, it is a good thing that they make it more challenging. This keeps the cert population lower and makes it more worthy to have. I've seen many people who either are going for an A+ or Net+, or already have it, but really didn't have much other skills to back it up. Those are easy certs anyways. But the line has to be drawn. How would you feel if you worked your ass off to get a CCNA and then the other guy at work "has his too", yet has you doing all the technical work? Worse off, what if he brain dumped his way in? I don't think you can brain **** a CCNA has easily as you could with the A+.

I believe the CCNA was updated once in 2003 to make it way harder, and then another revision I believe came in 2005? Someone help me here.

Paul Boz

It's pretty hard to brain **** the CCNA now, because it's got some CCNP leakdown. Which I'm very thankful for.

bmauro

The last CCNA revision was June 2003 when they (Cisco) introduced 640-801 and introduced the two test path. The previous test was 640-607.

So its been over three years for the 640-801, but I'm not sure how long the 607 was in place before it was retired.

Jammywanks

Paul Boz wrote:

It's pretty hard to brain **** the CCNA now, because it's got some CCNP leakdown. Which I'm very thankful for.

in terms of "leakdown", are you referring to NAT?

I have a small story to tell you guys from my experiences at my last job. There were all sorts of Move Technicians, we were simply moving PC's from one building to the other because this company was relocating. People our team came from various backgrounds but most of them went to school for things that were dead beat and had nothing to do with IT (like horticulture, etc.) Some of these guys had nothing better to work for but that is nothing that I can be a judge on.

Well there's this one dude who didn't do jack **** for the entire project. Until the last two days of the project I actually saw him do work. I asked him one time about his credentials and what do ya know? MCSE, A+, Net+... all exams you can easily braindump! So I'm going to be an ass but I assumed he braindumped these exams, judging by his work effort. One day we got into a conversation about where we're going after the project. He said "school". I said for what? Guess what he said?? "The CCNA" LOL! Really though, it is the tougher exam and I wish him and I good luck whenever we take the exam. Maybe he will learn something real afterall?

Paul Boz

Jammywanks wrote:

in terms of "leakdown", are you referring to NAT?

Not so much subject material as much as the format of the test and questions. The questions are designed to tests your practical functional knowledge of the material, not see how well you can memorize stuff. It's simply a harder test now.

bmauro

EIRGP and OSPF are two subjects that were introduced into the CCNA with the last revision. I know many "old" CCNA and CCNP holders that were surprised when they looked at my study material and saw EIGRP and OSPF in the CCNA material.