What is your study path strategy for ICDN1?

I have the Cisco book, the CBT Nuggets and the Trainsignal. I'm working to get some type of logical study path but I'm not sure which study material to use as a guideline.

Find more posts tagged with

SAVE $250 on Your CISCO Boot Camp — Use Code "EXAM26"

Exclusively for TechExams members for Infosec Boot Camps starting before April 30, 2026

View CISCO Boot Camps

Comments

blackninja

I used, Cisco books & the CBT Nuggets

I would watch the CBT Nuggets first, then fill in the gaps with the books.

ULWiz

I do roughly the same. Watch CBT or Trainsignal. Read a book or two while utilizing the book test software. Sometimes i have just read a book and taken a test all depends on you past experience.

SurferdudeHB

blackninja wrote: »

I used, Cisco books & the CBT Nuggets

I would watch the CBT Nuggets first, then fill in the gaps with the books.

Seems like one or the other have gaps, i.e. CBT goes from TCP & UDP then onto port numbers while the Cisco book goes from TCP/IP then fundamentals of LANs.

Kinda confusing to which order to follow.

billscott92787

Sounds like you have it pretty good Then. I did the same thing ICND1 and ICND2 books, Train Signal and CBT Nuggets. I'm taking my 640-802 (single exam) Thursday.

What I would do is study a particular area in the text, once you read it, follow up with the videos that match it to really drive it home. Make sure that you actually lab out anything that you can as well. Cisco packet tracer works really good as a simulator for basic things. You could even check out GNS3 as well.

rowelld

I used the Wendell Odom book, TrainSignal, and Boson to pass the ICND1.

For ICND2 I am going to use Odom's ICND2 book and just a Boson Netsim and practice exam.

I read each chapter in the book. After each chapter I go back and write up my notes. At the end of each section I will review my notes and also take the pre-chapter quiz. For the quizzes where I scored 80% or below I will review that chapter again. I will not read the book's description on why the answer is the right answer for the quiz. I will simply read the correct letter for the quiz and move on.

It's a tough process but my goal is to know the material for real world scenario. Currently the environment I work on uses Cisco equipment which makes things a much easier. Helps with show commands which are really good to know during the exam.