Failed CCNA 640-802

Hi Guys,

I took the exam today and my score was 762. I had some questions that took longer and time was definitely against me. By the time i finished taking the exam, i had about 2 minutes left. Towards the end of the exam i started rushing and that might have cost me a passing score. I think i was off by a couple of questions.

If anyone has questions about the exam format, i'll gladly try to help without breaking any rules.

Luckily, I have the retake voucher. Will let you know how that goes next week.

Setotek

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Comments

ConstantlyLearning

how did you feel going into the exam, feel like you would pass?

did you do any practice exams? how did you do in them?

cdad2000

Wow!! that's close. Better luck next time. good luck

networker050184

Too bad, but the free retake makes it like a practice test.

Setotek

I felt confident i would pass but not overly confident because you never know what might happen. I took some practice exams from Transcenders but i thought the material was light on the exam and not in depth enough unlike with the microsoft versions. I was very surprised and wanted a refund on it....hahaha

I used Odom's book as it was very detail oriented. Sometimes a little too detailed. I also used the Portable Command Line resource book to help me with the hands on with my lab.

CBT nuggets was an option until i saw the price for it...

Does anyone know what other tools i can use for practice exams? Otherwise i'll try to concentrate on the topics i didnt do well on. I thought I was going to fall flat on my face with the exam but came out closer than i thought.

Any help would be appreciated.

Setotek

skeet2331

Do you have any equipment to practice on or are you using Packet Tracer?

Other members like the Todd Lammle book it is an easier read but I have not read it personally.

Glynixx

Did you try the Boson questions that come with Odom's books?

Good luck next week!!
G.

Setotek

I do have my own hardware.

2 x 2501 with back to back cables
2 x 2621
1 x 2924
1 x 3550

A little more hands on wouldnt hurt i guess. I also used the bosom's as well and didnt do as well as those exams are meant for cisco gods...haha

I guess im stuck to old school and reading and lab. Thanks guys. Will let you know next week with my free retake.

Thanks for the responses to all. Any more help would be appreciated.
Setotek

Mrock4

You'll get it. The CCNA is tricky. When are you retaking it? Keep your enthusiasm up, you're really close.

mikej412

Setotek wrote:

Will let you know next week with my free retake.

Good Luck on your exam next week.

This one was just your "free amazingly realistic practice test which would have counted if you passed" -- so don't worry too much about your score, just learn from it. Put in some extra time on the weak areas, but make sure you also review the stuff you did good on so that you "keep" those points on the real exam.

dwtherock

I failed today as well, second time and that was my free retake.

I am not a total brick. I set up an ASA 5500 in 2005 before even picking up a cisco book. (3 lines of code off, but close to fully operational)

Test attempt 1 29- Sep-2008 Score: 537 (24/48 answered)
Test attempt 2 06-Oct-2008 Score: 708 (48/48 5 - repeat questions)

Does anyone have a recommended re-take date for me? Some say do it while it's fresh?

My hum dinger question took away all my known commands to get my topology so I could make the network. Anyone have any idea what command I missed? I did all the shows and they took them all away. I wonder how many points I lost.

I got Odom's books too and yes, he had typos in there but you can make up for that and follow along. Not too many typos. I also feel his books don't flow too well. Not so much at the top, but in the chapters.

I haven't tried CBT Nuggets. Still comes down to typing out the details.

Any comments are appreciated.

miller811

dwtherock wrote:

I failed today as well, second time and that was my free retake.

I am not a total brick. I set up an ASA 5500 in 2005 before even picking up a cisco book. (3 lines of code off, but close to fully operational)

Test attempt 1 29- Sep-2008 Score: 537 (24/48 answered)
Test attempt 2 06-Oct-2008 Score: 708 (48/48 5 - repeat questions)

Does anyone have a recommended re-take date for me? Some say do it while it's fresh?

My hum dinger question took away all my known commands to get my topology so I could make the network. Anyone have any idea what command I missed? I did all the shows and they took them all away. I wonder how many points I lost.

I got Odom's books too and yes, he had typos in there but you can make up for that and follow along. Not too many typos. I also feel his books don't flow too well. Not so much at the top, but in the chapters.

I haven't tried CBT Nuggets. Still comes down to typing out the details.

Any comments are appreciated.

Check out the Bryant Advantage material, I find his material easier to understand.
Did you do any lab work on simulators or real gear?
How was your time managment during the exam?
What was the breakdown on your score, that should tell you where specifically you need the most help.

dwtherock

Describe how a network works 55%
Config, verify, T-shoot switch w/vlans interswitch 73%
Implement IP addy scheme and IP services Medium 50%
Config verify T-shoot basic router ops on Cisco Devs 31%
Expl and select appropriate admin tasks req'd for a WLAN 100%
ID sec threats to a network and descr gen terms to mitigt 67%
Impl verify and T-shoot NAT ACLs in med sze Enterpz 80%
Impl and verify WAN Links 66%

Thanks for the help. Yes, I know Bryant advantage is good. I am buying the Ultimate Study guide when I get home tonight. From what I hear he's better than Nuggets.

Time management: FAST

no more than 6 mins on the tough ones....amybe 10 on one and one only. Cranked the rest with 10 minutes to spare. I should have used them on the stripped down sim. (No commands tester, just think the answer out of the exam....you can do it.)

Just notepad, Odom, and 2 3750s at work above my desk

miller811

dwtherock wrote:

Describe how a network works 55%
Config, verify, T-shoot switch w/vlans interswitch 73%
Implement IP addy scheme and IP services Medium 50%
Config verify T-shoot basic router ops on Cisco Devs 31%
Expl and select appropriate admin tasks req'd for a WLAN 100%
ID sec threats to a network and descr gen terms to mitigt 67%
Impl verify and T-shoot NAT ACLs in med sze Enterpz 80%
Impl and verify WAN Links 66%

Thanks for the help. Yes, I know Bryant advantage is good. I am buying the Ultimate Study guide when I get home tonight. From what I hear he's better than Nuggets.

Time management: FAST no more than 6 mins on the tough ones....amybe 10 on one and one only. Cranked the rest with 10 minutes to spare. I should have used them on the stripped down sim. (No commands tester, just think the answer out of the exam....you can do it.)
Just notepad, Odom, and 2 3750s at work above my desk

Sounds like you need to get some routers or get dynamips running. Have you tried dynamips or GNS3? It takes a little time to get it working, but once you do, it is great for configuring routing protocols and just becoming comfortable with CLI. How are you on subnetting? Before taking the test, you should have it mastered.

dwtherock

Yes I need more of that. It's not enough to just read or listen you have to put the configs in.

What's the emulation like? Like Arcade emulators on Windows? Where you load zip files for say, Kong, Q-bert or even River Raid? Them the days heh? Ah...MAME ROMs that's what I was playing 5 years ago.

Yes, configuring it wouldn't be hard, just point me to a link and I will set it up. Going to buy the bryantadvantage study guides now incl 3 day rack rental. Though he says he's booked out til Oct/Nov....hmmmm

Subnetting, think I am king, I can do it in my head turning all host bits to one, adding the place values to determine the range in each octet. Yes it blows Odom's way of magic octet way the flip out of the water. Faster too, no paper needed. Didn't get one question on the exam that required it this time, except maybe that last one I had no commands to extrapolate info from.

I will wiki the keywords for emulators you gave me now to see if I can find it, but it would be nice if you pointed me to a link. When your ready good sir. Thanks a 60k

TR

miller811

dwtherock wrote:

Yes I need more of that. It's not enough to just read or listen you have to put the configs in.

What's the emulation like? Like Arcade emulators on Windows? Where you load zip files for say, Kong, Q-bert or even River Raid? Them the days heh? Ah...MAME ROMs that's what I was playing 5 years ago.

Yes, configuring it wouldn't be hard, just point me to a link and I will set it up. Going to buy the bryantadvantage study guides now incl 3 day rack rental. Though he says he's booked out til Oct/Nov....hmmmm

Subnetting, think I am king, I can do it in my head turning all host bits to one, adding the place values to determine the range in each octet. Yes it blows Odom's way of magic octet way the flip out of the water. Faster too, no paper needed. Didn't get one question on the exam that required it this time, except maybe that last one I had no commands to extrapolate info from.

I will wiki the keywords for emulators you gave me now to see if I can find it, but it would be nice if you pointed me to a link. When your ready good sir. Thanks a 60k

TR

the reason I asked about subnetting was this output from your exam

Implement IP addy scheme and IP services Medium 50%

http://www.gns3.net/
is the website to download GNS3, there are also tutorials on the site, that will walk you through the install/configuration of the product.

GNS3 is a graphical IOS emulator, so you can make the routers do the same thing virtually that you could with real hardware. You could also look at picking up a couple of cheap routers off of e-bay. I passed my CCNA using a pair of 1720 routers, a 1605 router and and a 2600 router.

itdaddy

Setotek

dude you have to be able to subnet so fast it ant funny and do VLSM like it is second nature.

go to www.subnettingquestions.com
and practice daily for 1 hour minimum i mean frealing daily for one hour till yo puke
i have crap for short term so i did it daily for 1 hour till i was getting sick and then i did it again.

if you are strong at that it makes it easier to ram through.

i wasnt kdding on the practice daily 1 hour till you get sick !

once yo get sick you will be able to see them right away almost !

penguinking

Maybe I missed it, but are free retakes just part of the 640-802 now or something?

Diminutive

Evan Lieb wrote:

Maybe I missed it, but are free retakes just part of the 640-802 now or something?

http://www.vue.com/cisco/secondchance/

for a few more days only

dwtherock

Diminutive

Yes, there are vouchers that allow a free-retake. I should have waited til 15 Oct to do it. Maybe I would have had it.

www.gracetechsolutions.com Canadian owned and operated. Really nice guys there. Talked to the owner at his house when I wanted to make sure I could do the re-take and forgot the voucher number. Come to find out once you sign up on pearson vue, your profile does all the tracking. Just had to enter promo code SECONDCHANCE on checkout. If you bought one it will honor your purchase.

Yes, I look at that subnetting now and just count the bits past the class do the math and get the ranges in each octet. Even have the numbers memorized (almost 5-9) 11-14 are still kind of 1 sec pause. Thanks ITDaddy for the site, a definite head ache worth having. Like six gunnin it fast draw.....

GO....
Question: What is the broadcast address of the network 172.28.140.0 255.255.254.0?

****************************************************************
140.1 - 141.254 Range
141.255 Bcast

Gotcha

BradleyHU

question...how long were ya'll studying for before ya'll took the test? i'm assuming most of you guys have done the 802(or previously 801)...

dwtherock

9 mos, Been wanting to do this since 2004.....finally got it in gear Jan 08.
It's amazing how I have studied and passed all practice test exams and have been a great test taker. All my grades in college for the classes I loved were 3.9 and up. Guess I better hammer down a few more weeks of this and see how the bryantadvantage works.

I'll let you know. So far, it's great. Hopefully the schedule will make the difference. Not that 2 hours a day is bad....but more and hands on is better.

Setotek

Hey guys,

I studied for about 6 monthes on and off. My retake is on Oct. 14th. Hoping to pass this time around as the exams are quite expensive. Im going to concentrate on the topics i didnt do well and briefly go over the topics i did do well in.

Itdaddy, thanks for the advice. Will consider puking to pass! haha. I actually checked out your blog accidently and realized it was you! i was researching on route summary and made sure i was calculating it correctly. Nice blog site.

Setotek.

ikeit

what topics did u struggle?i struggled with thde eigrp+vlans

Jelani_Man

I just took my 640-802 exam, last week Friday...man, what an experience. For starters, I failed it with a score of 743 {1st attempt}. However, I was greatly inconvenienced by the technical difficulties of the testing center. After arriving early enough to sign-in and relax out {just breathe}, I was forced to wait 15-20 minutes, later, as the testing center tried accessing my exam. Based on what I was told by one employee, they had experienced this particular problem for about the past two weeks; in part to an acquisition and system change-over. Once I got started with my exam and made it to question 25, the program "crashed," and I was forced to wait another 15-20 minutes to resume testing. Talk about becoming unsettled: From that experience, I am led to believe one of the worst predicaments to be placed in, would involve having to reflect on previously answered questions...while still taking a test. It's comparable to calling a time-out in football or basketball, when either the kicker or free-throw shooter is positioning him or herself {bearing in mind women's bb} to make either the tying or game-winning field goal or shot! I have touched base with Cisco and Pearson VUE, regarding this issue.

Nonetheless, the exam's toughness is not to be diminished: There were some aspects of the exam that really caught me off guard; namely, a few of the exhibits. As a way to prepare for my 1st attempt, I used the following resources: Todd Lammle's CCNA Study Guide 2nd Ed.; referenced Wendell Odom's 640-801 Intro and ICND CCNA Guides {Prior to the retirement of 640-801, I was preparing to take it}; Scott Empson's CCNA Command Guide 2nd Ed.; RouterSims simulation software; scheduled and utilized several rack rental appointments with ****; and, used Transcender's practice exam {the exhibits fall a bit short of the exams}. Hopefully, though, this will give you an idea of just how prepared I planned to be and how I might have felt, after not passing my exam...though in the opinion of some, I was that "close."

From my standpoint, regardless of the results not desired and the technical difficulties experienced, the BEST and ONLY approach to take: Learn the material {routing and switching{ for an endeavor that you plan to make or are already making a career; know it like the back of your hand. As much as we want and desire the status of being a CCNA, it won't help if you don't know your stuff! So, in the words of my man Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson: Time to cinch it up and hunker down! And, don't rush and lose your focus of acquiring status for something you REALLY desire to be good at; for "know-how" that will give you the confidence to embrace the most challenging exhibit; the "know-how" that CCIEs, themselves, have to remain verse in...because as IT folks we all know: If you don't use it, you lose it.

Best wishes to everyone that has experienced tough times with the exam and plan to get after it, on the next go-round!

Setotek

Hi Everyone,

Today I took my free retake and finally passed the CCNA. I got a score of 860. I am very relieved. I thought I was going to fail before I left for Cali this weekend. If that wouldve happened, I would adjusted my flight to San Jose where HQ is and give them my only 2 cents bc the economy is horrible...LOL!

On a side note, ive been to the HQ office in San Jose before and seen their infrastructure first hand back in 2001 and I was amazed at the technology. I think that's why im a CCNA now. Love the passion for the job and the skills that i learn from it.

Definitely, the second time around, the exam wasnt any easier or harder. I would suggest on getting A LOT of hands on with your labs as EIGRP, OSPF, RIP, and access lists are tested thoroughly.

I didnt do so well on the configuring and implementing routers section but did much better on the other subjects.

Let me know if anyone else needs some questions answered, but not related to the actual questions...HAHA!

I will enjoy my trip to Cali and then head into CCNP. I cant believe i just said that...
If that doesnt work out then maybe CCNA: security to renew my cert in the future. Hope to see you all in the CCNP forums and thanks to everyone for their support.

Peace!
Setotek

ConstantlyLearning

congrats man.

mikej412

Setotek wrote:

passed

Congratulations!

Setotek wrote:

I will enjoy my trip to Cali and then head into CCNP. I cant believe i just said that...

Now you have to do it since I quoted you. No sneaking back and editing your post!

Enjoy your trip!

Then back to the books!

mamono

Congrats!!!

Setotek

Well Mikej,

I guess once you quote it, i gotta do it! Thanks for the confidence!!

I already sneaked a peek into the CCNP forum and I am very excited to get started. I will order the cisco press books on CCNP next week once my company reimburses me back for the exam.

The best part now is that since im certified, my boss is allowing me to get some real hands on with our infrastructure. I can put my skills that i learned into good use. I hope i dont break anything...

dwtherock

Congratulations!

You are AWESOME!! WAY TO GO!