OMG I Failed an Exam finally

mgeorge

Well as many of you folks know I am and instructor and have never failed an exam before.

I guess I can finally stop braggin now... I finally failed my first exam today "QoS"
part of the CCVP tract. I thought I was doing really well on it and felt pretty confident
but failed it by 13 points... It caught me off guard.

Really sucks...

But look at it this way once you fail one, you kinda feel human agian I have passed
34 exams in a roll so i really cannot complain...

But any who I figured i'd let you guys know that I am human now

I'm sure a few people here I know will be like "FINALLY HE FAILED ONE WOOHOOO"

errrghhhh...

mikej412

What?

How?

I thought the Odom book was good! Maybe they "upgraded" the QoS exam since the new CCNP ONT exam sounds like QoS Jr. now.

Or maybe the CCIP QoS exam is easier than the CCVP QoS exam

I failed the IDS exam by 5 points.... and couldn't face the replacement IPS exam until after I had smacked the CSVPN exam around.... so I'd like to think you're in good company now

mgeorge

they've updated the QoS exam to 642-642 now, some of the material on the exam was not even mentioned AT ALL in the book... i was like "WTF IS THIS, IVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE"

I'm guessing cisco is trying to make the CCIP and CCVP QoS cover the same material for both tracts considering how much voice is getting implemented into the service provider networks now days.

I'd rather fail this one then the CCIE lab >.<, most of the practice labs i do for the ccie i do pretty well on from memory. So i think i got a good shot at the R&S lab. When all you do is play with routers all day it tends to stick on ya...

The exam i took covered quite abit of technology in general questions, like when would u use this and where would you use it bla bla...

DW [banned]

Thanks

CCNA_2007

mgeorge27 wrote:

they've updated the QoS exam to 642-642 now, some of the material on the exam was not even mentioned AT ALL in the book... i was like "WTF IS THIS, IVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE"

I'm guessing cisco is trying to make the CCIP and CCVP QoS cover the same material for both tracts considering how much voice is getting implemented into the service provider networks now days.

I'd rather fail this one then the CCIE lab >.<, most of the practice labs i do for the ccie i do pretty well on from memory. So i think i got a good shot at the R&S lab. When all you do is play with routers all day it tends to stick on ya...

The exam i took covered quite abit of technology in general questions, like when would u use this and where would you use it bla bla...

mgeorge27 pray tell what do you do in the real world with all those certifications ? just curious , and i know you had to fail at least one on purpose just so we could relate to you

mgeorge

What do I do in the real world? I'm a systems engineer for a ISP and a part time instructor
at a community college teaching MCSE/CCNP courses, Other then that im just a geek...

Does this answer your question ?

CCNA_2007

Yes, it answers my question exactly!

My reason for asking was just to explore whether some people have so many certifications without actually working in the field.

I have no idea why I supposed that anyone would have so many certifications without actually working in the field!

Thanks.

DW [banned]

Thanks

mgeorge

Having all those certifications arent just to impress people.... They are personal goals.

Many people such as my self have high standards and goals in life.
Mine is to be CCIE R&S before I turn 22 really so that way
I can say I got my CCIE at 21 ^_^ which would be totally awesome.

DW [banned]

Thanks

Treg

God,

Im 23 and still trying to finish the MCSE, its taking a while.

Your obviously very dedicated to achieve so much at that age! Im spending more time at the pub after work than studying.

When did you start the Cert track? Please share your experiences and study methods, it may motivate us more!

blackmage439

mgeorge27 wrote:

Having all those certifications arent just to impress people.... They are personal goals.

They also impress would-be interviewers checking out your resume. Having all those certs shows dedication. Employers like dedication, whether it be blind or not. :P

DW [banned]

Thanks

Paul Boz

I'm leery of taking a professional level exam until the new information is documented in books. That really stinks that much of the coursework wasn't even in your study material

milliamp

Wow mgeorge27, you are younger than I am.

I was a D student through high school but mostly because I had better things to do. I studied only a couple of times and sub-contracted out most of my homework but still did half decent on the exams.

(my grades are much higher in college)

I failed the CCNA on the first time through mostly because I took it very early just so I could know what to expect because I heard so much conflicting information about it.

When I focus and block out distractions and can get through technical books at a pace of about 300 pages a day and retain enough in the process to pass most of the Comptia level exams with little trouble.

I have not been going through certs faster because I will go on a binge and then get burned out from cramming for a while.

I am currently starting to get back into my pace of things after a fairly long break from certifications.

My ultimate goal (a personal one) is to be one of the only people in the world holding all the same certifications I have, but I suspect there are many others out there like me who do this both professionally and as a hobby that won't be easy to out-certify.

The only stipulation is that I have to do it with fairly mainstream certs. (CompTIA, Cisco, MS, etc.)

I know already some of the certifications I have gone after are not that popular.

mgeorge

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply I've been pretty busy lately.

Yes I work for Bellsouth which was bought out by AT&T a while back
(Which I'm not happy about)

I also teach on the side on mon-wed from 6:00-9:00 at night.

Im sure your wondering how I can pass exams so easily, it's because I've been building
computers since i was 7, setup my first NT domain at 9, hosted my own web server at 13,
got my A+ and net+ soon after, continued my hobby and now its became my profession.

I did not get into computers for the career change or because it's cool or the money was good,
I started because it was my hobby... I log about 13 on the computer each day
between work, business and fun time... I have no companion because i'd rather be
financially stable and feel comfortable before I get tied down to somthing thats gonna require
alot of sacrafices, that of which I'm not ready to make yet.

Most of the jobs I've ever been interviewed were always interviews that had at least 5 people
asking me random questions and I would answer them in 5 different ways and still be
correct in each solution I've provided, but dont get me wrong when I'm asked a question,
I'm the type to ask questions in return in order to provide the quickest and most effective
solution.

Typically most the exams I've taken, I have already had experince in the topics covered in
the exams.

When you work with Active Directory every work day for over a year, the MCSE exams
become a peice of cake to pass. As for the Cisco, the same applies. their are alot of people I know
working for bellsouth that got grandfathered into the engineering groups and they
dont even have their ccna, but yet they can talk stuff that makes even our CCIE's have to use
google.

Clearly certifications are just a peice of paper you get when you pass a rough exam.
Or thats how i see them personally. but its nice to have the credientials and alot of
positions require it, even if you do have documented experiance.

I understand your doubts about me, hell my students even doubt my ability alot and personally
I'm already used to being judged by every body that ever meets me but in the end I'm
happy with my self and where I'm at in life.

Darby we are probably more alike then you know, your last quote actually fits me really
well, "I live what I speak, and I can speak what I live and I can still troubleshoot PC's -
even though i left this skill behind some 10 years on the past now."

When you wake up day after day and all you ever see is a screen, a keyboard, and a bunch of
assholes bitching at you because you was busy doing somthing else that some other **** was
bitchin at you about earlier, thats when you know your in the IT field.

I'm not here to impress any one with my fancy cert list and my age, I guess you can say
i would make a good shinning beacon and representing that it does not matter how young
you are, if you beleive, then you can acheive.

I get the feeling darby you've were in these shoes before I was.

I guess in the end, if I pass my CCIE on the first try, people will stop looking down
on me. Because obviously you cannot read a book and pass the CCIE LAB.

Treg if you want my personal advise on getting the MCSE, then dont spend all your time reading
a book, yes books are great they can teach you alot, but if you use the technologies covered
in the exams, you are going to have a better understanding in comprehending what those
books say. Typically when a person reads a book they are like "huh" But when u have hands on
experince, and you read a book, your like "OHHH SO THAT IS WHAT THAT DOES" The more
experince you have in the field the better off your going to be.

Also when you encouter a problem at work or somthing dont just try to fix it, try to comprehend
why this problem occured in the first place, what could have been done to prevent it, and what
are at least 3 ways to fix the issue. Alot of employers like it when employee's go above and
beyond the call of duty (laughs yes its a military quote) but it clearly applies in the IT Field.

I'm not for sure what background you guys are comming from, rather its ur hobby, job,
grandfathered into it or your just seeking a career change, but if you are really serous about
the IT field, then dont hold back because only you know your true potential. When i was young
I got made fun of, i wont lie lol, i have 6 servers in my closet at 15 and thats all i ever did when
i got home from school was play around with active directory, group policy, ip sec, logon scripts
and more... I grew up in a small town with 1 stop light and most of the people my age were
drug addicts so it was the only logical choice.

I have had a few adult students in my classes litterly break down and cry when i have to fail
them and they tried to hard, it really hurts me more then it does them, but the lesson learnt
from this is not to give up.

Oh yeah darby, the MCT is provided by the college i teach at, they pay the 400 dollars
annually, but i personally hate having to abide by those crappy ass guide lines.

Also treg about me saying "be on top of your game" Longhorn Server Beta 3 was released
yesterday to the public, go get it and play with it as well. Its actually pretty nice (feature wise)
but it sucks stability wise at the moment.

Any who I think I'm rambling on way too much now, I gotta go take a shower and get ready
for work, gotta install like 5 T1's today >.< wow never knew T1's could be so boring at times.

You got me beat darby, I've only passed 3 exams in 1 day >.< also I'm 20, turn 21 on aug 3rd.
I've been taking cert exams since i was 13/14 well like 2 weeks before i turned 14 really. Man
you know what, i hate those crappy ass parent signature stff that vue makes you do if ur a minor at the time of the exam. Those were always annoying

mgeorge

Holy cow, didn't realise I typed so much.

I think next time I'll write a book if thats okay with you guys?

DW [banned]

Thanks

Paul Boz

You definitely have to like this stuff to be any good at it!

George, what do you do for Bell? I work for EATEL, a former Bell CLEC resale in the LA market thankfully we've got a fiber to the home ILEC so when the big changes happened a few years ago I got to keep my job

mgeorge

Well currently at bellsouth (which is AT&T now) LOL man that merge drove me nuts.

Bellsouth and cisco isnt doing too well because cisco has a tough time keeping up todate
with current residential technology, such as fiber to the home and crap like that. So alot
of the executives are deciding rather to move to redback routers or junipers or w/e.

Since AT&T bought bellsouth out, seems like theirs a bigger picture now, considering we
are now the largest telecommunications provider in the country, atm we provide 6/512k DSL
but i think some of the big men are considering the fiber to the house route but ive not
heard much about it, just rumors within the company. Alltell which was bough out by
windstream uses FTTH now, as well as verizon FiOS. Since the fiber infrastructure has
limitless expandability, the light is starting to show at the end of the tunnel as we reach
the max out of copper due to electrothermodynamic laws.

It wasnt 4am where im at, apparently this servers time zone is in central time, it was 5am when
i posted that short book i wrote lol...

Yep i rememer the TRS-80's, i wasnt around when they first came out but i had one that i
got pretty cheep, people used to call them trash-80's, and the guy on cbt nuggets even said
that, i got a laugh from that (a blast from the past), i think his name as jermey ciorcia or w/e.

I've never really been a fan of novell, but im starting to take great interest in solaris.

Since AT&T bought out bellsouth and they own the largest public data network, you can
expect great things to come from this company, but i dont know how long ill be here.
If they decide to ditch cisco, and i get my CCIE, i'll feel that im no longer needed.

Oh yeah darby i had an ibm 286 once, big bulky tower, cannot remember the model of it its
been such a long time, i think it was like a ps2 or somthing, man when i got it i thought it
was the shiznit.

Any who, im still debating on starting a teaching business or somthing, cuz I enjoy
sharing the knowledge of the future (laughs, make it sound like star trek)

Probably the best advise i can give any student is that if they have dreams or goals,
dont let nothing come between them and acheiving that victory, and that includes females
as well, no offense ladies. Women really bring out the procrastination in men, and i doubt
any guy can say otherwise lol...

Mishra

In the end, it all comes down to what makes you happy. Mgeorge has the passion/time/motivation/and desire to work that much and achieve his goals. The feeling of success is what makes him foam at the mouth sort to speak. That is his personality. I know because I share the same successful desire. I am more business minded than most however.

You might look at mgeorge and really feel jealous because he is getting what you all are trying hard for quickly. But his priorities are much different than most. His way of life makes him happy, you need to make sure your way of life makes you happy. It is perfectly fine to have an IT job and drink beer on the weekends. As long as that is what it takes to make you smile everyday then keep doing that.

As a previous poster said, he wants mgeorge to try to motivate people, but really everything still has to come from inside you. If you want to do more and/or be like him then you have to make it simple. Just pick up the book and build the lab. Take ALL(mgeorge's track) or most of your free time and devote it into studing and break/fix in labs.

Personally, I have a little different view but still the same goal. I spend a lot of my time into what I love. That isn't just IT and certifications. I work in IT and spend good time in it, but on the side I am interested in small business/consulting work and lastly, certs. I am still getting my certs but I am much slower because I am more interested in doing the work more money. It isn't just the money, I find messing with the business thought process fun. Like ordering supplies and writing them off on taxes. Like planning/designing/implementing the ENTIRE process of a project that a small business needs done.

I basically typed all this to encourage you to try to find what makes you HAPPY because that is the most important thing.

mgeorge

I just love how my first failure post turns into an inspiration to many here at techexams.net

But well said Mishra

Paul Boz

We run almost purely fiber to the home now and are using a cisco 10k8 chassis as our core router, and a Catalyst switch for our core switch. The 10k8 supports ATM just fine, and that's how our entire transport network is set up. We had a THREE YEAR ongoing problem with Redback because their routers are really shitty at handling (read: they barely handle) off the router DHCP and it took that long for them to acknowledge that their chassis had a problem. We tried several replacement chassis, went from a SE800 to an SE400, tried different configurations, and everything was useless in fixing the problem. We installed the 10k8 and bam, no more problems. Tech support's call volume went down like 35% from replacing one piece of equipment.

We use Junipers at the edge of our network, for running BGP. We've also got a few M10's for metro ethernet and static routing, but at the heart of everything is the big Cisco.

Junipers and Redbacks are nice and all, but Cisco makes products that are just as good as the Juniper/Redback stuff without having to learn a completely new hardware platform and OS. If ATT switches from Cisco go get a new job, it's not worth it to re-train yourself on new platforms that aren't nearly as deployed. You COULD focus on Juniper training but it's not worth it to me. I know enough JunOS to get by.

[edit]

I'm about your age, too, whats up fellow dirty south telco employee

MrfixitRight

mgeorge27 wrote:

Oh yeah darby i had an ibm 286 once, big bulky tower, cannot remember the model of it its
been such a long time, i think it was like a ps2 or somthing, man when i got it i thought it
was the shiznit.

If I recall, it was a PS2 and it had a handle and feet on the bottom that you could swing out when you wanted to set it in place. I think IBM advertised it as the first "portable" computer. LOL

I started out with an 8088XT/640KB ram, 10MB HD, and 360K Floppy!!!! Yikes! (Actually had to add the HD after the fact, got tired of swapping floppies!) I don't even recall the DOS version, think it was ver. 1! I got bit by the computer bug while in the Navy in 1985, never thought about it until my department ordered one and being the Supply Petty Officer, I had to place the order. When it finally arrived it was left to me to set it up. It was a Zenith Data Systems 8088, and took me 2 days to get it programmed and running!!! But after all that, I really got into it and even started programming in Basic. (Talk about a blast from the past!) Now I do mostly "Customer Support", my actual title is "Service Center Technician", and I troubleshoot hardware and software issues at field service centers for a major electric provider. Dealing with clients on a day to day basis is okay, been doing it most of my career, but I'm getting burned out, which is why I decided to switch tracks and go the Cisco route. (No pun intended) I just figure you're never too old to learn something new. (Not really that old, just turned 50 in Feb.)

George, you have a very impressive past, (and it looks like a great future as well), keep up the good work!