Starting CCNP Study - Advice Needed!

powelltpowellt Member Posts: 6 ■□□□□□□□□□
in CCNP
Having passed my CCNA way back in Dec 2007 and unfortunately using little of the knowledge gained since studying I've decided that it's time to start studying again for my CCNP

Looking at the options it is obviousI need to follow the new certification path as below

642-902 ROUTE
642-813 SWITCH
642-832 TSHOOT

Has anyone started studying any of the new material?

I am going to start with the Switch Exam having only really worked with 3750's for the past couple of years. My plan is to read through the CCNP SWITCH 642-813 Official Certification Guide Cisco Press.

Get my self an adequate test lab - Any suggestions appreciated, find as many test questions as possible , read through the book again and I hope to be read in 6 months time.

Any tips for this new path and for someone who has not studied for over 2 years?

Whoops just tried to purchase, however it's not been published yet - AmI gonn be stuck in Limbo?
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  • mikem2temikem2te Member Posts: 407
    powellt wrote: »
    Having passed my CCNA way back in Dec 2007 and unfortunately using little of the knowledge gained since studying I've decided that it's time to start studying again for my CCNP

    Looking at the options it is obviousI need to follow the new certification path as below

    642-902 ROUTE
    642-813 SWITCH
    642-832 TSHOOT

    Has anyone started studying any of the new material?

    I am going to start with the Switch Exam having only really worked with 3750's for the past couple of years. My plan is to read through the CCNP SWITCH 642-813 Official Certification Guide Cisco Press.

    Get my self an adequate test lab - Any suggestions appreciated, find as many test questions as possible , read through the book again and I hope to be read in 6 months time.

    Any tips for this new path and for someone who has not studied for over 2 years?

    Whoops just tried to purchase, however it's not been published yet - AmI gonn be stuck in Limbo?
    I'm about to start the CCNP as well, not the best time to start while we are in the transition period.

    Looks like you have noticed the lack of study material, from what I have seen the books will be available here in the UK atleast a month behind the states. To avoid waisting time I have picked up the BSCI book so I can atleast make a start on the study - the core topics won't have changed (BGP, EIGRP, OSPF, RSTP, VLAN etc) so there is still lots of benefit studying the old books until the new books are available.

    I'm not sure which order the exams should be done in, I'll wait until the books are out and people have analysed tham a bit.
    Blog : http://www.caerffili.co.uk/

    Previous : Passed Configuring Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (70-630)
    Currently : EIGRP & OSPF
    Next : CCNP Route
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  • r_durantr_durant Member Posts: 486 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I'm not sure that the content of the ROUTE & SWITCH material will change that much, so like mikem2te said, picking up any of the current BSCI or BCMSN books should be ok for a start...

    The TSHOOT is the one i'd hold out for a bit...
    CCNA (Expired...), MCSE, CWNA, BSc Computer Science
    Working on renewing CCNA!
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  • DevilWAHDevilWAH Member Posts: 2,997 ■■■■■■■■□□
    r_durant wrote: »
    I'm not sure that the content of the ROUTE & SWITCH material will change that much, so like mikem2te said, picking up any of the current BSCI or BCMSN books should be ok for a start...

    The TSHOOT is the one i'd hold out for a bit...


    I am using some BCMSN course maerial untill my certification guide comes though, and it seems to quite closley match the SWITCH blue print.

    I am sure there will be a few bits to tidy up at the end, but its got all the major topics in it.

    And like above I deffently agree its a good idea to hold of on trouble shooting untill there is more mateerial around. It will be intersing to see how this is going to be tested as well in an exam...

    As for lab, you need at least a few layer 3 switchs, (3550's) and a few routers (i have a few 3640's) + any thing else you can find... I am sure once i get the book I may get a few more devices, but the above should form a nice base.

    idealy you want 3 or 4 switchs at least, espicaly for spanning tree, as you need at least three to see it working really.
    • If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. Albert Einstein
    • An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties. It means that its going to launch you into something great. So just focus and keep aiming.
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  • chrisonechrisone Member Posts: 2,277 ■■■■■■■■■□
    My advice for your studies is to do it right the first time. Spend around 3 to 4 months reading and labingvfor each exam. Its only 3 tests , do it right the first time and dont blitz through the exam like many people try to do. Many people study like 8 weeks and get their BSCI or BCMSN and you have them configure a network and they dont know how. All they did was blitz through the reading memorized questions and didnt do little to no labs.
    Certs: CISSP, EnCE, OSCP, CRTP, eCTHPv2, eCPPT, eCIR, LFCS, CEH, SPLK-1002, SC-200, SC-300, AZ-900, AZ-500, VHL:Advanced+
    2023 Cert Goals: SC-100, eCPTX
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  • jovan88jovan88 Member Posts: 393
    The first thing I would do is refresh your CCNA knowledge and organise some sort of lab. Then when the books are released you'll be good to go
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  • chrisonechrisone Member Posts: 2,277 ■■■■■■■■■□
    A perfect suppliment to Jovan's idea would be to buy and study the Network Warrior book. It will review all the CCNA material with some CCNP stuff and topics not on either exam such as, telecom stuff (T1s DS3, etc) , A little Firewall/Security, Server load balancing, and Network Design. This book is very awesome and its written not like a robot wrote it lol

    Amazon.com: Network Warrior: Everything you need to know that wasn't on the CCNA exam (9780596101510): Gary A. Donahue: Books
    Certs: CISSP, EnCE, OSCP, CRTP, eCTHPv2, eCPPT, eCIR, LFCS, CEH, SPLK-1002, SC-200, SC-300, AZ-900, AZ-500, VHL:Advanced+
    2023 Cert Goals: SC-100, eCPTX
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  • UndyUndy Member Posts: 37 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I guess I am not understanding Cisco's site correctly. I have been studying for the BSCI for some time now (wife, kids, jobs, life) and was planning on scheduling the test within the next month or two. I have not passed any other test. There is no way I would be able to finish all 4 by July 1st. Does taking the BSCI exam still substitute for the ROUTE exam? So, would I be able to do BSCI, SWITCH, then TSHOOT and still obtain CCNP?

    Sorry, I feel dumb, but the path guide confuses me and I don't want to waste any more time.

    Thanks!l
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  • gbadmangbadman Member Posts: 71 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Undy wrote: »
    I guess I am not understanding Cisco's site correctly. I have been studying for the BSCI for some time now (wife, kids, jobs, life) and was planning on scheduling the test within the next month or two. I have not passed any other test. There is no way I would be able to finish all 4 by July 1st. Does taking the BSCI exam still substitute for the ROUTE exam? So, would I be able to do BSCI, SWITCH, then TSHOOT and still obtain CCNP?

    Sorry, I feel dumb, but the path guide confuses me and I don't want to waste any more time.

    Thanks!l

    You should check out the first thread in this form - "CCNP 2010 updates". It should answer all your questions.
    [FONT=georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif]A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties

    -[/FONT][FONT=georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif]Harry Truman[/FONT]
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  • qplayedqplayed Member Posts: 303
    check the link i posted on old/new exam mix N match
    If you cannot express in a sentence or two what
    you intend to get across, then it is not focused
    well enough.
    —Charles Osgood, TV commentator
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  • Bl8ckr0uterBl8ckr0uter Inactive Imported Users Posts: 5,031 ■■■■■■■■□□
    powellt wrote: »
    Having passed my CCNA way back in Dec 2007 and unfortunately using little of the knowledge gained since studying I've decided that it's time to start studying again for my CCNP

    You NA is coming up on expiration. It might be a good idea to renew your NA with NA:S. It is pretty easy (compared to the NP) and you will learn something. Plus that will take the pressure off of you for getting the NP done.
    chrisone wrote: »
    A perfect suppliment to Jovan's idea would be to buy and study the Network Warrior book. It will review all the CCNA material with some CCNP stuff and topics not on either exam such as, telecom stuff (T1s DS3, etc) , A little Firewall/Security, Server load balancing, and Network Design. This book is very awesome and its written not like a robot wrote it lol

    Amazon.com: Network Warrior: Everything you need to know that wasn't on the CCNA exam (9780596101510): Gary A. Donahue: Books

    This book is great. I will probably finish this book sometime on friday. I highly suggest that you pick it up. Its dope :)
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  • mikej412mikej412 Member Posts: 10,086 ■■■■■■■■■■
    Undy wrote: »
    So, would I be able to do BSCI, SWITCH, then TSHOOT and still obtain CCNP?
    Correct. Just make sure you go over any of the updated topics in the exam blueprint for the ROUTE exam in case you need that knowledge for the TSHOOT exam.
    :mike: Cisco Certifications -- Collect the Entire Set!
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