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Passed 640-802 - advice for other candidates
Met44
Member Posts: 194
in CCNA & CCENT
I passed the CCNA this morning with a 947, first attempt. 
To prepare for the exam, I took the Network Academy courses before this summer, then I brushed up over the past couple weeks using the Sybex book by Lammle. I found the questions and information in that book to be about on par with the difficulty of the exam.
If you are also coming out of the Net Acad program and looking into the exam, keep in mind that there is quite a lot of information covered in the classes that you are not expected to know for the CCNA. Passing the courses requires a more detailed knowledge than the cert exam, which is a good reason to pick up the Lammle book (or some other text) to show about the level you should be studying each topic (and as a refresher). I did very well in the net acad program and it was my primary method of study.
A few other things are mentioned over and over here, but that's because it is very good advice:
Keep an eye on the time, particularly on the sims.
Test your configs before moving on from a sim, if possible. I butter-fingered an IP address in an access list and my stomach sank when I tested it out and it didn't work correctly, but I was then able to double check my config and get things working hehe.
Write out a subnet chart during the 15 minute survey before the start of the real exam.
Two other things:
Anyone can pass the exam if they have the knowledge.
Anyone can obtain the knowledge.
Good luck!
To prepare for the exam, I took the Network Academy courses before this summer, then I brushed up over the past couple weeks using the Sybex book by Lammle. I found the questions and information in that book to be about on par with the difficulty of the exam.
If you are also coming out of the Net Acad program and looking into the exam, keep in mind that there is quite a lot of information covered in the classes that you are not expected to know for the CCNA. Passing the courses requires a more detailed knowledge than the cert exam, which is a good reason to pick up the Lammle book (or some other text) to show about the level you should be studying each topic (and as a refresher). I did very well in the net acad program and it was my primary method of study.
A few other things are mentioned over and over here, but that's because it is very good advice:
Keep an eye on the time, particularly on the sims.
Test your configs before moving on from a sim, if possible. I butter-fingered an IP address in an access list and my stomach sank when I tested it out and it didn't work correctly, but I was then able to double check my config and get things working hehe.
Write out a subnet chart during the 15 minute survey before the start of the real exam.
Two other things:
Anyone can pass the exam if they have the knowledge.
Anyone can obtain the knowledge.
Good luck!
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networker050184
Mod Posts: 11,962 Mod
Congrats!An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made. -
Optionsnel
Member Posts: 2,859 ■□□□□□□□□□
Congrats man, great score too.Xbox Live: Bring It On
Bsc (hons) Network Computing - 1st Class
WIP: Msc advanced networking -
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laidbackfreak
Member Posts: 991
well done fella....
and good advice tooif I say something that can be taken one of two ways and one of them offends, I usually mean the other one :-) -
Optionsscorphe
Member Posts: 18 ■□□□□□□□□□
congrats man,hope to make it up to you....soon...!!
cheers.take it or leave it...! -
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mikej412
Member Posts: 10,086 ■■■■■■■■■■
Congratulations!
:mike: Cisco Certifications -- Collect the Entire Set! -
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darkerosxx
Banned Posts: 1,343
Write out a subnet chart during the 15 minute survey before the start of the real exam.
I'm not the police, but I wanted to make you aware that you're not allowed to write before the exam starts. You're not allowed to use the blank sheet(s) you're given until the exam starts.
Congrats on your pass. -
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jovan88
Member Posts: 393
darkerosxx wrote:Write out a subnet chart during the 15 minute survey before the start of the real exam.
I'm not the police, but I wanted to make you aware that you're not allowed to write before the exam starts. You're not allowed to use the blank sheet(s) you're given until the exam starts.
Congrats on your pass.
really? i did... yikes! lol
there are too many warnings and rules too read, but I'll keep that in mind ty -
Optionsdynamik
Banned Posts: 12,312 ■■■■■■■■■□
Dark, do you have a reference for that? I've seen many people recommend that as a legitimate method, and Mike tends to crack down pretty hard on people who violate Cisco's policies.
Congratulations on the pass! -
Optionsdarkerosxx
Banned Posts: 1,343
The testing center I go to has had a big plastic thing standing up on each desk that has like 10 major rules for exams or something. It has the VUE logo. One of the things it says is you can't use/write on the blank sheets during tutorials, only when the official exam has started. I never asked for official documentation stating that, so I can't quote it exactly from any official source. That and I'm too lazy/busy to go see if it's in the agreements. I figured if it was important enough to put on the desk, it was probably in the agreement.
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astorrs
Member Posts: 3,139 ■■■■■■□□□□
Congrats on the pass!
darkerosxx thanks for the heads up.
