ccent

papamol

Today I took my first cisco exam (ccent) I got 768 and needed 804. The simulators gave me trouble. does anyone have any suggestions on where to get parctice simulator questions very similar to what is on the exam? I was thinging Boston exams, but it is really $$. I have routers and switches at home but I would like to get prepared for answering the questions as they ask them.

Thanks,
Mike

kurosaki00

if you have a router and switch at home I dont see much need for a simulator. Real stuff is always better than simulation. Of course simulation is handy because you can practice anywhere.

Dont you have the official ccent study guide by odom?
It includes pretty much the labs you should know for the exam.
The book also includes handy test practice questions.
you can also check out the stickies in this thread or search
for example This post in this forum

you can check out the ccent page in cisco (here) for a certain Idea of what you need to know for the exam (you need to login, its free).

By the simulations give you trouble you mean you had trouble in the configuration area?
They give you a results sheet after you take the exam. Use that to study and strength your flaws.

papamol

The first thing I had a problem with was figuring out how to use the sim. Than I did not realize it only accepts full commands. That killed me because I kept on thinking that being that I was nervous that I was typing in things wrong (big time killer!).
I am sure the next time I take it I will pass but I would like to be sure. That's why I was thinking about boston exams because they give you the ? as it is on the exam, and then you do the lab and they tell you if you did it correct. Has anyone used it?

schpenxel

papamol wrote: »

The first thing I had a problem with was figuring out how to use the sim. Than I did not realize it only accepts full commands. That killed me because I kept on thinking that being that I was nervous that I was typing in things wrong (big time killer!).
I am sure the next time I take it I will pass but I would like to be sure. That's why I was thinking about boston exams because they give you the ? as it is on the exam, and then you do the lab and they tell you if you did it correct. Has anyone used it?

You have to use full commands in the exam?? I thought it acted real equipment and let you do short versions??

apd123

Unless I can't remember correctly they don't ask you to input that many commands I see this as a minor hurdle. Now that you have experienced the simulator just keep studying and you will crush the exam.

papamol

Yes, the full commands really thourgh me off soon as I realized that this was the problem it was to late! The other thing that I did not like is that you can not skip the ? and come back to it. O well. Does anyone know if Vue still has the special you can take it again for free or a discount? I thought I remeber reading somewhere that they had this at one time.

exx1976

papamol wrote: »

Yes, the full commands really thourgh me off soon as I realized that this was the problem it was to late! The other thing that I did not like is that you can not skip the ? and come back to it. O well. Does anyone know if Vue still has the special you can take it again for free or a discount? I thought I remeber reading somewhere that they had this at one time.

On the actual test I have to use full commands? Am I reading this correctly?

So if I say

conf t
ip default 10.1.1.1
exit


That will net me a wrong answer?

pipemajor

I just wrote the CCENT exam (and passed w/902)!

The simulations "may" allow shortened commands. On my home lab:

3x2501 routers
1x2620XM router
1x1900 12 port switch (don't bother getting one of these now)
1x2950 12 port switch

I ALWAYS do my labs using the full commands. I simply got into the habit of entering "configure terminal" instead of "conf t". Simple way to test that is to use the tab key. I was always told to do the "copy running-config startup-config" command at the end of the lab.

The simulations are there to test your ability to figure out a scenario and apply the trouble-shooting methods to quickly resolve it. There is usually enough information in the sim description to give you a hint of where to spend your time.

And, it goes without saying you absolutely MUST know how to subnet quickly as well as which show commands to use in a given situation.

I found the Boson practice exams which came with my Cisco Press ICND1/ICND2 kit adequate for the exam scenario.

It takes practice to get proficient enough to get through the exam within the alloted timeframe. Some of us (like me) are really not good exam takers. I got through the CCENT on 1st try but also had passed the older INTRO exam 3 years ago. I've failed the ICND 640-811 exam a couple of times.

papamol

Not sure if I am allowed to say this but here goes: "show config" does not work you must use "show running-config" That is what killed me on the first 5 questions and probely why I failed because, I was so worried about running out of time, I just put anything (thinking that I could come back to it later) if I looked at the config I would have knew the answer because all the practice tests I was working with I was getting high 90's I could just kick myself. by the time I figured Iout that it was the short commands and not my nervous self, it was over. Also "WR" does not work you must type "copy run start". All thses commands work on real routers and switches!!!

ncsugrad2002

papamol wrote: »

Not sure if I am allowed to say this but here goes: "show config" does not work you must use "show running-config" That is what killed me on the first 5 questions and probely why I failed because, I was so worried about running out of time, I just put anything (thinking that I could come back to it later) if I looked at the config I would have knew the answer because all the practice tests I was working with I was getting high 90's I could just kick myself. by the time I figured Iout that it was the short commands and not my nervous self, it was over. Also "WR" does not work you must type "copy run start". All thses commands work on real routers and switches!!!

Do you mean "show running" didn't work or did you actually try "show config"?? show config would usually show the startup-config on a real router--not the running config. so, that isn't really the right command to be using probably anyways.

cerberos

First of all, I'm sorry about the failure... You jumped in water without wetting ur body... Most of ppl, if not all, ask a very important question before taking the exam, which it is (how does the exam look like?), hopefully u can check this out Cisco Certification Exam Tutorial - Cisco Systems, this is a Cisco simulation only to give u knowledge on how the exam looks like, to not be jumping from ur chair trying to figure it out and kill ur time... Also, before the exam there is a simulation and time limit for it, not counted from ur exam's time.

papamol wrote: »

Not sure if I am allowed to say this but here goes: "show config" does not work you must use "show running-config" That is what killed me on the first 5 questions and probely why I failed because, I was so worried about running out of time, I just put anything (thinking that I could come back to it later) if I looked at the config I would have knew the answer because all the practice tests I was working with I was getting high 90's I could just kick myself. by the time I figured Iout that it was the short commands and not my nervous self, it was over. Also "WR" does not work you must type "copy run start". All thses commands work on real routers and switches!!!

Well, this is quite weird, I took my exam last April, and I was able to do all shortcuts I wished, and I didn't find any probleme, but maybe there is a change in the exam... About the COMEBACK2009, sorry Pal, it expired already, just keep in touch with Cisco and VUE, maybe...

My humble recommendations, try to visit the url above, and get a cool feeling on how the exam looks like, never jump in something unless u kill it asking, maybe u were well prepared and only this got u down! Try to push on the weak areas u found on ur exam... Let us hear u nailed it soon...

papamol

The only command for a config that worked was "show running-config"

cerberos

papamol wrote: »

The only command for a config that worked was "show running-config"

Well, that sounds cool, for Cisco exams or real world always try to know both, sh run & show running-config, it won't hurt... This was the first thing I did on the exam, I tried shortcuts and it worked while being prepared to put the full command just in case... So let's say that Cisco got restrictive? Will it worth failling the exam? Always do ur best to be prepared for both, even if I told u, and everybody told u that shortcuts will work... Don't look at this failure as it sounds bad or feel it's the end of the world, simply, everybody fails! And I know ur going to learn from it well...

ncsugrad2002

That's weird.. I always thought they acted just like real routers/switches.

Does the "?" helper command work? It would def when doing NAT.. those commands get pretty long

papamol

? does not work either. I will I get the same test again?

ncsugrad2002

papamol wrote: »

? does not work either. I will I get the same test again?

I wouldn't think so. I imagine (totally guessing) they have a pool of questions that ends up being 4 or 5 totally different tests. They probably randomly pull questions from the pool for each exam. You'll probably see some similar/almost the same questions but not the same test.

mikej412

papamol wrote: »

The only command for a config that worked was "show running-config"

Since "show conf" shows the startup configuration, maybe you lucked out that it wasn't supported by the SIM.

From the 12.2 IOS Command Guide:

The show configuration command has been replaced by the show startup-config and more nvram:startup-config commands.

You can always try using the ? and/or tab competition. If the purpose of a SIM, Simlet, or Testlet is to see if you know what "sh ip in br" actually stands for, then they may only accept "show ip interface brief" -- but I'd expect that more in a Simlet or Testlet than a SIM.

As far as I remember, sh run has always worked for me.

wbosher

The shortcuts worked fine for me, including the TAB key. I'm not 100% sure but I think the ? worked as well.

Talic

The Cisco comeback promo is expired? I don't remember seeing a expiration date on their page: Cisco Come Back 2009 Promotion

edit: I thought it lasted through the year.

jeesare

Talic wrote: »

The Cisco comeback promo is expired? I don't remember seeing a expiration date on their page: Cisco Come Back 2009 Promotion

edit: I thought it lasted through the year.

Yea it did expire. Retake exams had to be scheduled before 7/20.

AD227529

The Boson sims are good, and you get them free when you buy the Cisco Press book. You can also find a few free ones online. Sorry, I don't remember the URL for the site. A Google search for CCENT exam questions should point you in the right direction. Hang in there and don't give up. The ICND1 is a hard test, I barely passed mine the first time, but you will eventually pass it. If you don't have actually Cisco equipment, try to get a copy of Packet Tracer and set up a test lab scenario using it. Good luck!