How long should I expect this to take

DevilWAH

Considering I started studying for my CCNA in may last year and passed my CCNA security last week. (with two months off over christmas)

I was just wondering how long I should expect it to take to pass my CCNP. With a baby due in May I wondering how far I can expect to get by then..

jovan88

It all depends on how much you already know and how much you're willing to study.

My adventure through the BSCI exam was a CRAWL... It took me about 6 months of studying because I just don't have as much time as other people do.

However I'm expecting to get through the BCMSN in possibly less than 3 months of studying because I'm already very firmiliar to the topics.

God knows how long it will take for me to get through the TSHOOT exam...

billscott92787

I agree. It all depends on the amount of time you are willing to put in and what you already know. In addition, it also depends on the track that you are wishing to take. Currently you can do the 4 test option (if you can complete it before July 31, 2010). Or you could do the BCMSN and the BSCI and do the TSHOOT during beta (February 16th - March 26th I believe) and wait for the results in april and that would give you your CCNP. I would say with us basically being in February, in May I think you could have the BSCI and BCMSN done if you spend about 3-4 hours per night studying, for two months per exam. I spent two months studying for my BCMSN and passed on the first try. I took my first BSCI attempt Monday and missed it by 7 points to pass. I retake it next Saturday. So, you could say that I've been studying for about a month and a week or two. I plan to pass this time hopefully! So if you spent those two months per exam, you could have at least those two tests done, and do the TSHOOT after and your done.


The exams definitely can be passed, you just gotta put the time in. But, they are most definitely a LOT more difficult than the CCNA.

Kaminsky

billscott92787 wrote: »

i took my first bsci attempt monday and missed it by 7 points to pass.

arg !!!

DevilWAH

OK well it took me 4 months to get CCENT and CCNA, so i suppose I should factor 2 to 3 months per exam. (4 to 5 once baby born)

I think I will stay put in my job till then. Money is rubbish but I do get to have one bigggggg lab to play with.

and ouch at the 7 points.. that harsh, good luck on the retry.

Oh i put in 2 or 3 hours a night... much to my wife's dismay... (Actualy that's unfair she is very sportive, but keeps buying my tshirts that say Geek!! )

Forsaken_GA

I think the one critical mistake folks make in pursuing advanced network certs is they don't take it slow enough.

You can study and go balls to the wall for each exam, and pass it, but when you do that for the next exam, your retention goes right out the window, to the point where if you try and blitz your way through, the only thing you really end up retaining is what you learned last.

Take as long as you need to learn the material. Believe me, I understand all too well the 'I want this done now!' feeling, but you have to come to understand that the goal is the knowledge, not the certification. There are plenty of folks out there floating around with the certification but can't run a network worth a damn. Don't be one of those guys.

DevilWAH

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

I think the one critical mistake folks make in pursuing advanced network certs is they don't take it slow enough.

I know what you mean, to be honest the SWITCH exam should be a refresher of what I do at work. most are topics that I already have learnt.

My method of learning is take the blue prints + take a few switches and routers + google, and play. (may be pick up the flash cards towards the end)

Nothing beats learning better than trial and error. By piecing together and idea learnt here and a line of config from there. You really learn the "knowlage".

That's why I loveeeeeeee networking, once you understand the fundementalys of a topic, expanding that to implementation requires some logical thinking and a bit of common sense.

The main reason I ask how long it takes people is the fact I having a kid in 4 months, and the pay here is not great, so do I put effort in to finding a better paid job? or do I bite the bullet and stick with it. I know to be the single network engineer on site working with 100+ cisco 3750 and above switch's is a nice position to be in while learning. (learn at home, implement at work).

but at the same time better money could be achieved else ware..

I don't want to be learning a new job, looking after a new baby and taking exams all at the same time. however it sounds like I could expect to achieve this certification by october/november. Which is the time I really want to be looking to move jobs, so staying seems a good option for now.

Cheers for the input people.

(lets see if work will buy me the flash cards )

mikem2te

DevilWAH wrote: »

Considering I started studying for my CCNA in may last year and passed my CCNA security last week. (with two months off over christmas)

I was just wondering how long I should expect it to take to pass my CCNP. With a baby due in May I wondering how far I can expect to get by then..

Same here, just passed CCNA Security last week after a little time off over Christmas. I'm going to crack out a Microsoft Sharepoint cert quickly then crack on with the CCNP, hopefully by the time I finish the MS cert, I'll be able to get my hands on some of the ROUTE & SWITCH study material.

I'm going to work to a time scale of about 2 months per exam with about 4 hours study a day. Maybe too ambitious - time will tell.

ColbyG

It depends on the person. Took me a little under a year from CCNA to CCNP. I took my time up until the end because my experience was somewhat limited and I didn't want feel confident enough just using book knowledge for the NP exams.

It's also going to be around a year from CCNP to CCIP (hoping to knock out BGP and MPLS in the next three months). Again, same thing. I'm sure I could have rushed through the remaining three exams to attain the IP, but I just didn't feel confident enough with some serious experience.

billscott92787

I agree. A year from CCNA to CCNP is pretty good timing, that's about 3 months per exam. So not bad. The key is continuing to practice what you have learned so you retain it. Which is the key. In addition to that, I agree with the fact that real world experience benefits over all. I want to get my CCNP so I can put to use what I have learned and retained in my journey from nothing to CCNA, now to completing BCMSN and going to complete the BSCI, and of course the last two exams that I want to complete. ISCW and ONT. I've been searching, but the way things are going I haven't found anything yet at this point, people don't seem to want to consider you until you get to the CCNP. I guess in reality it definitely takes a lot more knowledge to get passed all the CCNP exams.

DevilWAH

I'm liking this, just started looking through the switch topics finding out a lot of them are stuff I already know well. I think its really going to be the wireless and voice that will need lots of work as never used these in the real world.

Its nice to find out though that all the stuff you have picked up on the job, is actually going to really help in my CCNP.

nice343

all I know is it took me well over 6 months BSCI is not a joke. Evrything else is ok

DevilWAH

One last question?

I currently have

2 X 3640's
2 X 3550's
1 X 2620
1 X 2509 (If i can get the dam thing working)

in my lab

Work have just told me that if I need any thing else to let them know.

What else would people suggest to have for a CCNP lab? extra switch/routers? or do you think this would do?

contentpros

baby due in may... My son was born in may of last year and it took me until the end of september to be able to clear my schedule enough to start studying again and now that he's 8 months old and getting to the fun stage the fight is the motivation to study and miss out on his new discoveries (and every day is a new adventure!) spend time with him and still balance work.

I opted to spend more time with the little one and keep the studying to a minimum. The certifications will be there but you can never get back the precious moments you can easily miss out on if you have your face buried in study material instead.

billscott92787

contentpros wrote: »

baby due in may... My son was born in may of last year and it took me until the end of september to be able to clear my schedule enough to start studying again and now that he's 8 months old and getting to the fun stage the fight is the motivation to study and miss out on his new discoveries (and every day is a new adventure!) spend time with him and still balance work.

I opted to spend more time with the little one and keep the studying to a minimum. The certifications will be there but you can never get back the precious moments you can easily miss out on if you have your face buried in study material instead.

I agree. I find a balance. That's why I'm up at 5:00 - 5:30 AM every day Monday - Friday and usually Saturday and Sunday as well, so I can get study time in before work, and have the evening with the family. Sometimes I will study in the evening too. But I do better with studying in the mornings.