801 or 802?

mjp81

Hi Guys,

First post, so I'll give you a little outline of my situation:

Was working at a small property company for the last 8 years (since 18!) starting off as general IT techie, eventually running all IT operations on my own. Supporting about 60 users across 5 branches, lans and wans, windows server & exchange. Nothing too flashy, relatively rudimentary stuff. Big fish in a very small pond, you know?

So anyway, the company goes to the wall, and I'm unemployed! Although I have read CCNA and MCSE books over the years, I never got round to doing the exams, I just learned what I needed to know at the time.

I've got the CBT Nuggets vids for 801 (bought it a couple of years ago), but now that I'm booking the exam ready for the big job hunt, I'm seeing that 801 is going to be retired soon and replaced by 802. Which one should I be going for?

I'm guessing employers would like to see the latest cert, but I don't have the money to fork out for entirely new courseware for the 802 exam - not that there's much out yet anyway!

Would I be better off sticking to what I've got and taking the 801 exam, or should I learn the 801 courseware, buy a book on 802 and fill in the gaps between the two exams and take 802? Or is the syllabus so different that I shouldnt even be comtemplating it?

Any help and advice very much appreciated.

Thanks

jediknight

I would say it really depends on your current level of knowledge in networking and Cisco hardware. You should head to the Cisco site and look at the current exam objectives for the 801 and see how much you remember. Also register at the CCNA prep center here:

http://forums.cisco.com/eforum/servlet/PrepCenter?page=main

and get access to some practice exams and some great information that will help get you ready.

You figure the 801 is going to expire in November, so you have to figure out how much you know and how much you don't. If you feel it will come back to you once you get back into the books, have a good amount of experience (which it seems like you do), and have good study system, you could certainly take the 801 and pass. Otherwise I would say don't try and rush yourself and take the CCENT/CCNA route. It seems though you could do the 801 and pass in my opinion though.

In the end as long as you have a CCNA and know what you are doing, it's all the same for employers as you have to re-certify in 3 years anyway