Is Friday the 13th Really Unlucky?

Just for the Templars. I'm not unlucky, I just suck.

Took my CCNA (640-801) exam today. I felt pretty confident, was doing really well, too. I was ready for all these nightmare sims people talk about, I'd been hitting the labs over on the Cisco partner site hard, as well as played with some configurations and things on the real equipment. So, naturally, I get one single sim on the whole test, and one simlet. The rest were drag-and-drop and multiple-choice questions. For the most part, it was a relatively easy exam, a lot of the questions were logical, like figuring out proper subnets and choosing which routing protocol to use based on the needs of the network. Some questions, though, were just a matter of playing the memory game, where I needed to regurgitate memorized knowledge (which I'm terrible at).

So, the final score? 847

And the sad thing is, there was one particular question that I'd realized I put the wrong answer for, but it was too late since I'd already hit the "next" button. I felt stupid, but then I thought, "Hey, it's only one question. Gotta move on". Little did I know. . . and I mean that.

Ah, well. The good news is that I can perform just about every bit of configuration that's required of a CCNA. Whether it's routing protocols, VLANs, Frame-Relay, you name it, I can set it up. Now it's just a matter of plowing through the Lammle book and the CCNA Flashcards again, to nail down those prickly little details that pour right out of my ear when I've got the test in front of me.

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Comments

markzab

Slowhand wrote:

Ah, well. The good news is that I can perform just about every bit of configuration that's required of a CCNA. Whether it's routing protocols, VLANs, Frame-Relay, you name it, I can set it up.

In the end that's the result you're looking for anyway. Remember, the cert is just there to show others what you can hopefully do. Don't worry. You'll pass it on your next shot. With a score like that it just seems like you need maybe a week more of prep on your memorizations. Not too bad at all. Keep pluggin' away.

seraphus

Wow, that's really, really close.
(Why not take tomorrow?)

sprkymrk

Don't feel bad. When I first took the CCNA I failed twice with that same score before passing on attempt #3.

And also like you, I realized a second too late what I did wrong....

Slowhand

Thanks for the words of encouragement, guys. I'm going to tattoo the Lammle book to the inside of my eyelids (or at least, keep my eyes pryed open with the book in front of me, like in 'A Clockwork Orange'). The earliest Cisco will let me retake it is the 19th, so I'll shoot for that day.

seraphus

Best of luck Slowhand. We look forward to your triumph!

royal

Sorry to hear Slowhand. Well all know you will nail it the next time.

NightShade1

Well guess you will pass next time since you were really near to pass this one...

Slowhand

I'm going to see about nailing down just about everything, one more time. I figure, between reading Lammle's book again, drilling the CCNA Flashcards into my brain until my ears support Split-Horizon, I should be able to get most of the "memory game" questions next time around.

markzab

Slowhand wrote:

I'm going to see about nailing down just about everything, one more time. I figure, between reading Lammle's book again, drilling the CCNA Flashcards into my brain until my ears support Split-Horizon, I should be able to get most of the "memory game" questions next time around.

mikej412

Hum.... I forgot I wasn't driving the winter 4WD gas guzzler.... and smacked my head on the locking mechanism of the hatch of the economy wagon as I was loading stuff in the back (I was in Chicago today). Ah..... didn't even notice the date.

I was an EMT in College, so I just assumed it was a bloody scalp wound and not a concussion. I am currently home and self-medicating

If I wake up tomorrow, all is well.

Okay - -you get the Friday the 13th exemption. You should have known better.... and it doesn't really count. No more exams on Friday the 13th.

If you don't let it bother you and you review what ever it was that "got you" ..... you should be able to hit 900+ after the mandatory 5 day waiting period.

Good Luck!

And don't forget the "read the question twice thing!"

Slowhand

mikej412 wrote:

Good Luck! And don't forget the "read the question twice thing!"

You mean I should stop doing that whole "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" thing when choosing my answers, too?

mikej412

Slowhand wrote:

You mean I should stop doing that whole "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" thing when choosing my answers, too?

You didn't get the memo?

Choose C.... and then use "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" to select additional answers on the "multiple choose" questions. That's what went wrong!

sprkymrk

Slowhand wrote:

mikej412 wrote:

Good Luck! And don't forget the "read the question twice thing!"

You mean I should stop doing that whole "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" thing when choosing my answers, too?

tech-airman

mikej412 wrote:

Slowhand wrote:

You mean I should stop doing that whole "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" thing when choosing my answers, too?

You didn't get the memo?

Choose C.... and then use "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" to select additional answers on the "multiple choose" questions. That's what went wrong!

mikej412,

Maybe he didn't get the memo because the memo hit a deny access list? :P

markzab

tech-airman wrote:

mikej412 wrote:

Slowhand wrote:

You mean I should stop doing that whole "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" thing when choosing my answers, too?

You didn't get the memo?

Choose C.... and then use "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" to select additional answers on the "multiple choose" questions. That's what went wrong!

mikej412,

Maybe he didn't get the memo because the memo hit a deny access list? :P

Did somebody forget the implicit deny at the end of the list again??? tssk tssk.