Any info on 642-552 SND out there?

sekure70

Hi all,

I am getting ready to tackle the CCSP and decided to start on the 642-551 SND. But as you all know, it is now the 642-552 exam that is out. Other than the CBTNuggets, I don't see any study guides (Cisco Press, Sybex, etc) out there for this new exam.

I feel that I can probably go through the CBTNuggets and take the test, but I wanted to have that study guide as an additional study resource.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Ahriakin

I havent looked at #552 requirements myself, I was one of the many that rushed to get #551 done before Xmas - "so why are you replying and wasting my time" you ask , the general concensus is that while Cisco recommend this one first you're actually better off leaving it until last. For me it was 2nd last (doing the IPS next week to finish up) and I can tell you it was a doddle after having done the appliance exams. As for whether there is value in using it for background in the full blow appliance versions I don't think it goes into enough depth to be of value, esp. as over time you will lose a lot of it as the memory boxes it all away (whereas the appliance exams require so much more specific focus that you will hold a lot more of the information long term, if that makes sense). Plus it does give them time to get some decent study guides together.
As for where to start I normally recommend the SNRS as it's like a security extension of the CCNA. But I think you recently did the CCSA (?) so maybe PIX first and then the VPN will be very easy (the PIX exam sets you up with a lot of the IPSec theory you will use on the VPN exam, and I'm presuming you have a lot of that down already from the checkpoint side).