BSCI study materials

Hey everybody new to the site.

I just passed my CCNA (640-801) on Tuesday with a 923. It was the first time I had ever sat for a certification exam so needless to say I was really nervous. That being said I have really enjoyed the Cisco program and plan to pursue the CCNP and perhaps beyond in the future. I obtained my CCNA largely due to attending an Academy at my local community college. However, due to lack of demand they are unable to offer the CCNP classes. I have thus decided to go the self-study route.

I am curious as to what study materials everyone might suggest for the BSCI. I should also point out that I work in my school's networking lab as an assistant, so I should have regular access to Cisco 2950 switches and 2600 & 2800 series routers. When preparing for the CCNA I supplemented my academy coursework with a Sybex book written by Todd Lammle, 31 days until the CCNA by Cisco Press, as well as Boson's ExSim Software.

I have been happy so far with my Cisco Press Materials but have also looked into The Bryant Advantage site. Ive been really impressed with his site and the feedback I've heard about it thus far. Does anyone here have any experience with his products?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

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Comments

dynamik

uncamt26 wrote:

I have been happy so far with my Cisco Press Materials but have also looked into The Bryant Advantage site. Ive been really impressed with his site and the feedback I've heard about it thus far. Does anyone here have any experience with his products?

I obviously can't speak about the CCNP material, but I liked his CCNA products quite a bit. He also just seems like a great guy in general. I've emailed him a few times, and I've always gotten a personal response.

GT-Rob

Welcome.

It is nice to have instructor lead training, but sometimes, like you say, self study is the only option.

I would suggest getting the BSCI Self-study guide and the exam guide by cisco press. Lots of information covered by those 2 books, as well as some practice questions.

Labs are nice to use, but because BSCI is about scalable networks, the bigger the better. CCNA is easy to get by on 1 or 2 routers, but some of the topics covered in CCNP require a lot more (multiareas, stubs, redistribution, etc). You may even want to look on ebay for a couple to add to your network at work, just to add some functionality.

CBT nuggets are also a great way to learn, as it is a break from reading. The BSCI one is like 16hrs or something, so it is well worth it I think.

There is also lots of info right from cisco in their documentation.

mikej412

Congratulations on the CCNA!

No one has failed the BSCI exam because they read and learned all the material in the Suggested Cisco Press books for the CCNP.

I always forget about the "book versions" of the Academy Courseware -- but I'm not sure if the eLabs are included on the book CDs. That would be another option.

Here's a previous thread
http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=188124#188124

I link to more book threads in that one thread -- but pay attention to the "additional reading" like Doyle and the Cisco Documentation. If you have aspirations beyond the CCNP, you may as well take a little extra time at the beginning of your CCNP studies and build the solid foundation now for any post-CCNP studies.