Global Knowledge CCNP Training

Cyanic

My work has given me the opportunity to get my CCNP, and paid for the self-paced CCNP kit from Global Knowledge.

The material seems to be well covered, but I wanted to see if anyone here has experience with their training, and if I should be supplementing it with some books?

Thanks.

mikej412

I've heard good things about the Global Knowledge training. While it sounds like it could be enough, I'd say double check the exam topics against the course subjects as you do it to make sure everything is covered -- and then get at least the Cisco Press Exam Certification Guides. If the Exam Certification guides still come with the test engine and practice questions, you can use those to test your knowledge.

If you want to be safe (and don't already have lots of networking/Cisco experience), toss in the BSCI & BCMSN Cisco Press Authorized Self-Study Guides and all the Cisco Press CCNP exam Lab Portfolio books.

The Cisco Press Quick Reference Sheets are probably a good investment no matter what. You can use those as the "lead act" for the Global Knowledge training and again as review for the actual Certification Exams.

Must be nice having money for a training budget -- and bosses willing to spend it (I'm assuming you're not the boss spending it on yourself ).

borumas

I've been to 2 week long classes from them, one for BCMSN and one for BSCI, while I found the classes helpful I would not say it would make you completely ready to pass the exams. Reading a Cisco self-study book along with doing the labs on your own in the Global books would be of great help though (definitely run through the labs a few days before you sit the test to keep things fresh in your mind). The CBT Nugget videos also help, I know by reviewing those videos a day or 2 before I took the BCMSN helped me to get 2-3 answers correctly.

Cyanic

I have held my CCNA since 2001, and while I have access to over 700 Cisco devices at work, I don't get to configure a single one . I mainly do performance testing, monitoring, packet analysis, but I do get access to all the show commands for troubleshooting, including 'show run'. There is lots on the CCNP I don't know, so I think I will need some of those suggested supplements.

This looked like a good group to join for my undertaking, and I'm looking forward to contirbuting to and gleaning from y'alls knowlegde.

Cyanic

I want to rant about something I found out about today.

Global Knowledge gives you a voucher to use at Vue/Pearson. You are told that the voucher is good to for all necessary exams to obtain the CCNP. It sounds really good, right. However there are strings attached, and they are not clear about these.

First you are given a voucher. This voucher is used to schedule the exams. There is an experation date on the voucher. What they are not clear about is this experation date is the same as the last date you can take the exams, not just for scheduling them. This date comes 4 months after you pay them for the training. Not enough time for me at least.

Second, you are only allwoed 3 testes, being the composite, ONT and ISCW. You can't decide to change this and take the routing and switching seperate.

I stated studing for the BCMSN not knowing any of this, and now my due date is comming at the end of this month. I will be ready for the swiching test, but not the composite, and definatly not the others.

I just wish GN was a lot more clear on all this, and I would have studied ONT first, and been able to use at least part of the voucher. No way I would try to cram all this in 4 months, working full time and with a family.

What is funny is they give you access to the labs and practice exmas for an entire year, WTF!

Cyanic

I contacted Global Knowledge customer support about my vouchers, and received a good response. After a phone call and some email, I was able to get vouchers for 4 exams and the expiration extended until next June. I hope they change this for all customers because the original boundaries/strings for the vouchers are far too restrictive to be reasonable.